The Royal Tenenbaums [2001]
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Written by: Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson
Starring: Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Danny Glover, Bill Murray
Narrated by: Alec Baldwin
I first watched The Royal Tenenbaums on a 14-hour plane ride from LA to Japan in early 2002. I was 11 years old, almost 12, and I did not care for it, so I went back to watching Rat Race and Ocean’s Eleven on a loop for the rest of the flight.
Revisiting it now, 11 years later, I can say it is probably Wes Anderson’s finest achievement yet. I’m glad I saw this after Moonrise Kingdom, because where that film failed, this one excels.
Moonrise’s characters were cold, detached and way too offbeat, making them nearly impossible to relate to. I could empathize with the Tenenbaums, who had weight and humanity but still retained Anderson’s trademark quirky traits and sense of humor. Consistently funny, surprisingly moving and featuring a fantastic cast where Huston and Hackman stand out, The Royal Tenenbaums is a great film that I can picture myself watching every now and then.
Excellent post, makes me want to see it again.
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Thanks. Well, you should! 😉
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Nice review. One of, if not, Anderson’s best. I could watch this film any time.
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It’s pretty awesome. Like I said in my review, I can see myself watching this one many more times.
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I agree, the Tenenbaums do have “weight and humanity” that Anderson’s characters sometimes lack. The characters in Moonrise are definitely way more detached. I always thought of Moonrise as a satire of young love rather than a serious romantic love story. I guess that’s how I justify the fact that it’s so off-beat and cold.
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Thanks, Garrett. Glad you agree with me 🙂
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I am sorely lacking in my knowledge of Wes Anderson films. Need to check out more of his stuff, including this. Nice little write up mate.
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Thanks, dude. I recommend you see Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Those are his finest, in my opinion.
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I’m with you on Tenenbaums, it’s a great film, and easily one of Anderson’s best. Not down with the Moonrise Kingdom bashing though. LOL 😉
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Thanks, Fogs! And lol, I know not many people agree with me on Moonrise!
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“Moonrise’s characters were cold, detached and way too offbeat, making them nearly impossible to relate to.”
I disagree, but maybe it’s because I was just these characters a few years ago. Lol.
Regardless, I agree completely that The Royal Tenenbaums is more accessible. A wonderful movie. Excellent review.
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Thanks, Alexander. Like I said to Fogs, not many people agree with my opinion on Moonrise but that’s OK. At least we agree on the awesomeness of Royal Tenenbaums.
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Been a while since I saw this but I remember liking it. Bill Murray is always fun to watch and he had a bigger role here than in Moonrise Kingdom. I hear ya about the cold, detached characters but somehow they perhaps add to their quirky appeal.
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Yeah, maybe. I agree on Bill Murray!
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I like all of Anderson’s films. My Top 3 are Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom, and Fantastic Mr. Fox.
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Thanks for dropping by, Steve! My Top 3 would be Tenenbaums, Fox and Darjeeling.
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Good stuff Fernando 🙂
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Thanks a lot, dude! 😉
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One of the reasons I love Wes Anderson movies.
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It’s pretty great 😀
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I have seen the first 15 minutes of this film about 5 times on television, but never been able to watch more of it than that. I’ll have to watch the whole thing one day. It’ll happen…eventually!
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Hope it happens soon. It’s pretty awesome!
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Nice to see you rate this so highly Fernando. I totally agree. 4.5 would be mine as well. Its still one of Anderson’s finest moments.
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Thanks, Mark! Definitely one of his best 🙂
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