Parents' Guide to

Rushmore

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Quirky '90s comedy has profanity, sex, underage drinking.

Movie R 1998 93 minutes
Rushmore Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 9 parent reviews

doctora
doctora Parent of 5-year-old
June 3, 2022
age 16+

Beautiful color and Murray slays...

A well crafted film that has a lot to offer in terms of cinematography and use of color. The framing of shots and the theatrical integration is well, very Wes Anderson, and it's beautiful. Olivia Williams' character gets short shrift as a one-dimensional person that serves as an object of affection and is on the receiving end of multiple manipulations. Murray of course kills it. He is believable, heartbreaking, and spiteful. His pain reverberates in every scene he is in as does his shame and his turmoil.
EpicReviews
EpicReviews Adult
August 31, 2020
age 15+

See all 9 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) is a 10th-grader on scholarship at the tony private school Rushmore Academy. Max shows his devotion to the academy by participating in every possible extracurricular activity, but he's risking expulsion unless his grades improve. Max falls for one of the teachers, a beautiful young widow (Olivia Williams). And he connects with Blume (Bill Murray), a rich academy alumnus who is drawn to Max's passions and even acts as a go-between for Max's absurd attempt at courtship, until he himself becomes attracted to the teacher. All three characters feel a sense of loss. Blume and the teacher seem stuck. Max, with his collision of adult and childish emotions, comes up with one hopeless scheme after another to get attention and respect, ignoring genuine opportunities for true friendship. Yet somehow he manages to keep working toward his dreams -- and even makes a few of them come true.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9 ):
Kids say (18 ):

This abstract story about the misery that comes from the grandiosity and humiliation during adolescence is probably of more interest to adults. Many teens are already only too aware of those experiences.

Rushmore is not a movie in which people learn great lessons and are drawn closer together. It's a movie in which a lot of hurt people grope toward something that even they cannot quite visualize. Its appeal is in its quirky characters and in its moments of humor and perception.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Max and Herman's rivalry. Who do you want to win? Why?

  • At the beginning of the movie, Max seems to use people to help him achieve his goals. What are some signals that he is learning to treat people differently by the end of the film?

  • Do you think artists must be selfish to create great art? Do you think the movie wants you to forgive Max as he matures into a more sympathetic person?

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