Academy Award nominee Wes Anderson has made 11 feature films and a series of shorts for TV over three decades. He’s shot films in New York, France, Spain and Italy.
But “Rushmore,” released at the end of 1998, is the only one he made in his hometown of Houston. Much of the action is set at the fictional Rushmore Academy, which had its real-life counterpart at Anderson’s alma mater, St. John’s School.
For the film’s 25th anniversary, we’ve assembled a behind-the-scenes oral history of the beloved film with commentary from Anderson, his co-writer Owen Wilson, members of the film’s production team, a high school friend, several St. John’s students and one beekeeper.
Interviews were conducted individually during 2023. The commentary from Jason Schwartzman was from an earlier interview. Responses have been shortened and edited for clarity.
Cast of Characters
Robert Yeoman: Yeoman was a veteran cinematographer (“Drugstore Cowboy,” “Rampage”) before he made “Bottle Rocket” with Anderson. He’s worked on all of Anderson’s films, except the two animated ones. His cinematography for “The Grand Budapest Hotel” was nominated for an Academy Award.
Barry Mendel: Originally a literary agent, Mendel became a film producer with “Rushmore.” He went on to produce two more Anderson films as well as “The Sixth Sense,” “Munich,” “Funny People” and “The King of Staten Island.”
Michael Wohlfeld: Wohlfeld is a second assistant camera operator based in Dallas who is also a beekeeper and owner of Laughing Cat Honey Farm.
Virginia Diaz-Laughlin: Diaz-Laughlin is a location manager, line producer and production manager with decades of experience in Texas. She worked on “Selena” and has collaborated with Busch on several films.
Thayer McClanahan: A St. John’s alumnus, McClanahan played a student reporter. His name also appears on a petition to save Latin, though it is Anderson’s hand, not McClanahan’s, that writes it in the film. He is now a freelance researcher working in the New York area.
Colin Platt: A St. John’s alumnus, Platt auditioned for the part of Max Fischer and ended up getting the role of Frank Serpico in Fischer’s stage play “Serpico.”
Mike Maggart: A classmate of Anderson’s at St. John’s, Maggart taught algebra there when Anderson shot the film. He encouraged some of his students to audition. Maggart founded MathHelp.com to provide private math tutoring through an online portal. He recently appeared in Anderson’s “Asteroid City.”
Jason Schwartzman: Born into a Hollywood family, Schwartzman was the drummer in the rock band Phantom Planet and didn’t hold any particular interest in acting when he was cast at age 17 to play Max Fischer. His long list of credits includes seven Anderson films.
Stephen Dignan: A Galveston native, Dignan attended St. Mark’s in Dallas, where he met Wilson. He appeared as the DJ, Reuben, in “Rushmore.” He worked closely with Anderson and Wilson on their first three films.
Wes Anderson: Houston native and St. John’s School alumnus shot his first film, “Bottle Rocket,” in the Dallas area. He
and friend Owen Wilson had written a script based on their experiences at private schools that was originally going to be set in
the Northeast. Anderson struggled to find the right campus, and his mother, archeologist-turned-real-estate-agent Texas Anderson, sent photos of his alma mater.
Van Redin: An Austin-based photographer, Redin has shot stills for more than 75 films and TV shows over 40-plus years, including “The Lord of the Rings,” “Idiocracy,” “Watchmen,” “The Leftovers” and “Office Space.”
Craig Busch: Busch has worked as a location manager in Texas for more than three decades. He has scouted locations for Houston-shot films like “RoboCop 2,” “Sidekicks” and also worked on Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life.” Recently, he scouted locations for the Houston-set TV show “Mo.”
Dipak Pallana: Pallana appears as Mr. Adams, Max’s math teacher, in the film’s opening scene. Anderson and Wilson started working on “Bottle Rocket” at the café Pallana owned with his late father, vaudeville star Kumar Pallana. Both father and son appeared in multiple Anderson films.
Barry Mendel: Originally a literary agent, Mendel became a film producer with “Rushmore.” He went on to produce two more Anderson films as well as “The Sixth Sense,” “Munich,” “Funny People” and “The King of Staten Island.”
Robert Yeoman: Yeoman was a veteran cinematographer (“Drugstore Cowboy,” “Rampage”) before he made “Bottle Rocket” with Anderson. He’s worked on all of Anderson’s films, except the two animated ones. His cinematography for “The Grand Budapest Hotel” was nominated for an Academy Award.
Virginia Diaz-Laughlin: Diaz-Laughlin is a location manager, line producer and production manager with decades of experience in Texas. She worked on “Selena” and has collaborated with Busch on several films.
Michael Wohlfeld: Wohlfeld is a second assistant camera operator based in Dallas who is also a beekeeper and owner of Laughing Cat Honey Farm.
Thayer McClanahan: A St. John’s alumnus, McClanahan played a student reporter. His name also appears on a petition to save Latin, though it is Anderson’s hand, not McClanahan’s, that writes it in the film. He is now a freelance researcher working in the New York area.
Colin Platt: A St. John’s alumnus, Platt auditioned for the part of Max Fischer and ended up getting the role of Frank Serpico in Fischer’s stage play “Serpico.”
Jason Schwartzman: Born into a Hollywood family, Schwartzman was the drummer in the rock band Phantom Planet and didn’t hold any particular interest in acting when he was cast at age 17 to play Max Fischer. His long list of credits includes seven Anderson films.
Mike Maggart: A classmate of Anderson’s at St. John’s, Maggart taught algebra there when Anderson shot the film. He encouraged some of his students to audition. Maggart founded MathHelp.com to provide private math tutoring through an online portal. He recently appeared in Anderson’s “Asteroid City.”
Owen Wilson: Anderson’s friend and “Rushmore” co-writer poured some of his experience into the script. Wilson, like Max Fischer, was expelled from St. Mark’s School of Texas in Dallas. Though his brothers Luke and Andrew appear in “Rushmore,” Wilson only appears in a photo in the bedroom of Rosemary Cross.
Stephen Dignan:
A Galveston native, Dignan attended St. Mark’s in Dallas, where he met Wilson. He appeared as the DJ, Reuben, in “Rushmore.” He worked closely with Anderson and Wilson on their first three films.
Wes Anderson: Houston native and St. John’s School alumnus shot his first film, “Bottle Rocket,” in the Dallas area. He and friend Owen Wilson had written a script based
Van Redin: An Austin-based photographer, Redin has shot stills for more than 75 films and TV shows over 40-plus years, including “The Lord of the Rings,” “Idiocracy,” “Watchmen,” “The Leftovers” and “Office Space.”
on their experiences at private schools that was originally going to be set in the Northeast. Anderson struggled to find the
right campus, and his mother, archeologist-turned-real-estate-agent Texas Anderson, sent photos of his alma mater.
Craig Busch: Busch has worked as a location manager in Texas for more than three decades. He has scouted locations for Houston-shot films like “RoboCop 2,” “Sidekicks” and also worked on Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life.” Recently, he scouted locations for the Houston-set TV show “Mo.”
Dipak Pallana: Pallana appears as Mr. Adams, Max’s math teacher, in the film’s opening scene. Anderson and Wilson started working on “Bottle Rocket” at the café Pallana owned with his late father, vaudeville star Kumar Pallana. Both father and son appeared in multiple Anderson films.
Barry Mendel: Originally a literary agent, Mendel became a film producer with “Rushmore.” He went on to produce two more Anderson films as well as “The Sixth Sense,” “Munich,” “Funny People” and “The King of Staten Island.”
Robert Yeoman: Yeoman was a veteran cinematographer (“Drugstore Cowboy,” “Rampage”) before he made “Bottle Rocket” with Anderson. He’s worked on all of Anderson’s films, except the two animated ones. His cinematography for “The Grand Budapest Hotel” was nominated for an Academy Award.
Virginia Diaz-Laughlin: Diaz-Laughlin is a location manager, line producer and production manager with decades of experience in Texas. She worked on “Selena” and has collaborated with Busch on several films.
Michael Wohlfeld: Wohlfeld is a second assistant camera operator based in Dallas who is also a beekeeper and owner of Laughing Cat Honey Farm.
Thayer McClanahan: A St. John’s alumnus, McClanahan played a student reporter. His name also appears on a petition to save Latin, though it is Anderson’s hand, not McClanahan’s, that writes it in the film. He is now a freelance researcher working in the New York area.
Colin Platt: A St. John’s alumnus, Platt auditioned for the part of Max Fischer and ended up getting the role of Frank Serpico in Fischer’s stage play “Serpico.”
Jason Schwartzman: Born into a Hollywood family, Schwartzman was the drummer in the rock band Phantom Planet and didn’t hold any particular interest in acting when he was cast at age 17 to play Max Fischer. His long list of credits includes seven Anderson films.
Mike Maggart: A classmate of Anderson’s at St. John’s, Maggart taught algebra there when Anderson shot the film. He encouraged some of his students to audition. Maggart founded MathHelp.com to provide private math tutoring through an online portal. He recently appeared in Anderson’s “Asteroid City.”
Owen Wilson: Anderson’s friend and “Rushmore” co-writer poured some of his experience into the script. Wilson, like Max Fischer, was expelled from St. Mark’s School of Texas in Dallas. Though his brothers Luke and Andrew appear in “Rushmore,” Wilson only appears in a photo in the bedroom of Rosemary Cross.
Stephen Dignan:
A Galveston native, Dignan attended St. Mark’s in Dallas, where he met Wilson. He appeared as the DJ, Reuben, in “Rushmore.” He worked closely with Anderson and Wilson on their first three films.
Wes Anderson: Houston native and St. John’s School alumnus shot his first film, “Bottle Rocket,” in the Dallas area. He and friend Owen Wilson had written a script based
Van Redin: An Austin-based photographer, Redin has shot stills for more than 75 films and TV shows over 40-plus years, including “The Lord of the Rings,” “Idiocracy,” “Watchmen,” “The Leftovers” and “Office Space.”
on their experiences at private schools that was originally going to be set in the Northeast. Anderson struggled to find the
right campus, and his mother, archeologist-turned-real-estate-agent Texas Anderson, sent photos of his alma mater.
Craig Busch: Busch has worked as a location manager in Texas for more than three decades. He has scouted locations for Houston-shot films like “RoboCop 2,” “Sidekicks” and also worked on Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life.” Recently, he scouted locations for the Houston-set TV show “Mo.”
Dipak Pallana: Pallana appears as Mr. Adams, Max’s math teacher, in the film’s opening scene. Anderson and Wilson started working on “Bottle Rocket” at the café Pallana owned with his late father, vaudeville star Kumar Pallana. Both father and son appeared in multiple Anderson films.
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Credits
Reporting by Andrew Dansby/Houston Chronicle. Editing by Carol Motsinger/Houston Chronicle. Design by Ken Ellis/Houston Chronicle and Susan Barber/Houston Chronicle. Design and Production by Julie Takahashi/Houston Chronicle. Production by Alexandra Kanik/Texas DevHub. Powered by the Hearst Newspapers DevHub.Originally published on Nov. 15, 2023