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The Royal Tenenbaums is a delightful adult comedy with many quirks and a sense of poignancy. Many critics especially praised Hackman's performance. Read critic reviews
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Movie Info
Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three children and then they separated. All three children are extraordinary --- all geniuses. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure, and disaster. Most of this was generally considered to be their father's fault. "The Royal Tenenbaums" is the story of the family's sudden, unexpected reunion one recent winter.
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Rating: R (Nudity|Drug Content|Sexuality|Some Language)
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Genre: Comedy, Drama
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Original Language: English
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Director: Wes Anderson
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Producer: Barry Mendel, Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin
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Writer: Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson
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Release Date (Theaters): wide
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Box Office (Gross USA): $52.4M
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Criterion Collection
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Production Co: Touchstone Pictures, Mordecai Films, American Empirical Pictures
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Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
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Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)
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News & Interviews for The Royal Tenenbaums
Critic Reviews for The Royal Tenenbaums
Audience Reviews for The Royal Tenenbaums
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A family portrait both melancholic and anarchic, the meticulous brushstrokes on display in writer-director Wes Anderson's Royal Tenenbaums present an auteur at the top of his game and the most entertaining and heartfelt filmic example yet of that old cinema chestnut: having one dysfunctional family under one roof for one last time. As a film reviewer, there's always a deep-seeded debate within one's psyche to concede that a particular filmmaker has made a better film than your personal favorite. For example, Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown still makes an astounding personal connection that this reviewer can only partly explain, the sometimes comedic '70s throwback caper having become this critic's go-to QT flick...even though Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds remain, from top to bottom, more powerful, better directed, and better written notches on the writer-director's CV. Also, Steven Soderbergh won over the consensus of critics with Sex Lies and Videotape, won over the consensus of the Academy with Traffic, and won over the consensus of filmgoers with Ocean Eleven, but super slick and sexy slice of noir Out of Sight is the only Soderbergh film to chart on this reviewer's Top 10 list. The same dilemma rears its head with Anderson. Sure, he has made smarter comedies (the coming-of-age riotous-of-passage Rushmore), all-around better films (the decades-spanning sometime dramedy The Grand Budapest Hotel), more ambitious star-studded experiments (the stop motion-animated adult cartoon The Fantastic Mr. Fox), and even a more depressive family coming together (tear-soaked road comedy Darjeeling Limited), but notice that his Royal effort proves to be a convergence of all of these oft-kilter tropes and it all works so brilliantly. Everything - from the screenplay, set design, casting, soundtrack, and locations - serve as an integral cog in the world-building wheel of this fantastic and, at the time, funereal story about the undying bonds of family. Even beset with terminal cynicism and sarcasm, the idiosyncrasy-filled miscreants falling from the Tenenbaum family tree ultimately don't fail each other despite overwhelming odds and inklings. In this R-rated comedy, an estranged family of former child prodigies reunites when their father announces he is terminally ill. TBS's Conan produced a spoof of Anderson's work that presents a Star Wars audition reel as if it had been written and directed by the man himself. Han Solo becomes a card-carrying member of an eccentric club who makes precocious-sounding lists with bullet points like "Kill Greedo" and rides along in the sidecar of a motorcycle driven by Chewbacca--all soundtracked by Barouche string-plucking that sounds right out of Mark Mothersbaugh's (W.A.'s longtime composer) playbook. It nails Anderson's quirky trademarks perfectly. Ironically, The Royal Tenenbaums - though it boasts many of the same Andersonian tropes as its predecessor, Rushmore - didn't make the auteur parody-worthy at the time. No, that honor fell on the follow-up, the oftentimes surrealistic but always indulgent The Life Aquatic starring Steve Zissou. Before Life Aquatic, all of the writer-director's films worked so well because, even though they immersed you in his very eccentric world, they always kept one foot in reality. Though very watchable, Life Aquatic keeps its head in the clouds (or under the sea, in this case) and never once attempts to get a reality check. On the other hand, Tenenbaums maintains this balance exceptionally well. Sure, it's hard to relate to the prodigies in question on the exterior of things (having an affair with an adopted sister seems bonkers), but their inner turmoil hits home again and again (the need to be loved and fear of exclusion drove the couple to it). Letter-perfect casting, of course, is the crucial element. From the titular Royal (Tenebaums rivals even The French Connection so far as Gene Hackman's best performance) to an old stand-by in a supporting role (Bill Murray as a cuckolded doctor gives a deadpan masterclass). The synergy that Anderson created here was so in-synch that it took 13 years to equal this triumph so far as world-building to complete perfection. Anderson's personal best, The Grand Budapest Hotel actually dealt with royalty. The Tenenbaums, however, remains purely Royal despite no claims on aristocracy. Bottom line: Family Valued
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One of Wes Anderson's older films is also one of his strongest. The Tenenbaum family begins with a promising future and eventually descends into separation and dysfunction. The cast is well rounded as a whole, with Gene Hackman, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Luke Wilson (in one of his strongest roles I've seen so far) striving in particular excellence. Accompanied by a great soundtrack, Wes Anderson's signature style is prominent here. The vibe of what seems to be a highly stylized New York is one of the many factors that will make The Royal Tenenbaums a particularly memorably film. It addresses the idea of families who are out of touch are often brought back together via tragedy, which can, in the end, make them stronger than ever.
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The Royal Tenenbaums offers up a likable cast of well-cast misfits and places them in enough outlandish situations to make up for the film's lack of cohesiveness.
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Wes Anderson is an eccentric director who always manages to make in inventive, charming and memorable picture. With the Royal Tenenbaums, he crafts one of his finest films and he directs a great cast of talented actors who each bring something that make this such a memorable film. Wes Anderson has a distinctive directing style, one that is absolutely unique and engaging. I've seen quite a few of his films, and The Royal Tenenbaums is one of his best, and it boasts some great performances matched with an engaging storyline. Anderson fans will surely enjoy this, and like I've, it's one of his best movies and he displays his skills perfectly here. With this film, Wes Anderson seems to be even more confident behind the camera, and therefore he tells a more thought out and memorable storyline. Anderson is a great filmmaker, and he deserves more praise than what he gets, and film lovers should appreciate his work for what it is. What I mean by that is that many people won't even take a glance at his work, and easily dismiss it because of the somewhat eccentric way he makes his movies. I think it's a great shame because his films are very original, and each one becomes even more thought out than the previous one. The Royal Tenenbaums is a fine drama comedy that showcases the talents of a unique and original filmmaker perfectly. With Wes Anderson, you never know what type of film you'll get, but there will always be his signature style of having whimsical characters stuck in bizarre situations with each movie. That's what makes work worth seeing, and if you're not familiar with his work, this is a perfect place to start, along with Moonrise Kingdom. This is a stellar film, one that is well acted and directed and is highly engaging from start to finish.
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