event Midnight Madness: The Royal Tenenbaums

Superficially, Wes Anderson’s third feature seems a little like a revisitation of Rushmore, another quirky story about precocious genius gone awry. But typical of Anderson and his writing partner and frequent star Owen Wilson, The Royal Tenenbaums packs many important subtleties into its crisp, economic dialogue and meticulous detail. The biggest difference is Tenenbaums’ Gene Hackman, who brings real feeling to his portrayal of a toxically selfish father faking a terminal illness to win back the favor of his three brilliant progeny—a former tennis star, business entrepreneur, and acclaimed playwright—who peaked too early.

Superficially, Wes Anderson’s third feature seems a little like a revisitation of Rushmore, another quirky story about precocious genius gone awry. But typical of Anderson and his writing partner and frequent star Owen Wilson, The Royal Tenenbaums packs many important subtleties into its crisp, economic dialogue and meticulous detail. The biggest difference is Tenenbaums’ Gene Hackman, who brings real feeling to his portrayal of a toxically selfish father faking a terminal illness to win back the favor of his three brilliant progeny—a former tennis star, business entrepreneur, and acclaimed playwright—who peaked too early.