Mutant Reviewers from Hell do
"I don’t think your happiness is quite appropriate."

1996 R / Crime Comedy Directed by: Wes Anderson Starring: Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Ned Dowd

Tagline

They're not really criminals, but everybody's got to have a dream.

Summary Capsule

The Wilson brothers go on a “crime spree” with equal parts illusion, insanity, and sexy Spanish maids.

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Amazon.com: DVD | Amazon.com: Soundtrack

Nancy's Rating: Out of all the heist movies out there, this one hits closest to home.
Nancy's Review: Ah, the first, the baby in a chain of movies directed by Wes Anderson, each one featuring one of the two brothers featured in this film. Watching Bottle Rocket, you get a general sense of the fun things Wes like to do to make his movies distinctly his own — namely, slow-mo sequences of average, non-spectacular characters, like badass action movies set to indie rock. He loves awkward characters, who fall down, who mess up, who fall at their outlandish dreams. You notice a fondness for Spanish, a love of underwater shots, and a strong BFF-ship with the Wilson family.

"You can see, from simply the way she speaks to him and touches him, that this is a genuine relationship, that is way more than simply physical even though they can’t be verbal. It’s… pretty much the cutest thing ever."

The trio that forms can be best described as awkward while being classy and respectful during their journey through intellectualism that leads them to a plateau of quirks and deadpan humor that pulls on your heartstrings and makes you nervously laugh.

AKA Quirky, funny and smart.

Bottle Rocket is the story of Anthony (Luke Wilson), who was just released from a mental hospital following a breakdown, which can’t really be explained since he seems perfectly sane. Out of the hospital awaits Dignan (Owen Wilson), who is not currently in any institution, which can’t really be explained because he is considerably less sane. The opening scene involves Anthony feigning an escape from the mental institution, although he is already released. Spectacle is important to Dignan, and Anthony explains to his psychiatrist that it’s very important to his friend, hiding in the bushes, that Anthony go out the window and pretend he escaped.

In these two character, the Wes Andersonian character makes it’s debut. They talk quickly and discuss trivial matters with deadpan wit. They are melancholy and verbose. With those characteristics, most of Wes Anderson’s characters develop their own distinct complex personalities. In this film, we have one who is quietly looking for some reality, not really buying anything he sees, and another who is desperately reaching for what he is convinced is reality, even though it is clearly a joke. Dignan’s love of unnecessary spectacle is apparent in his hair-brained (I love that phrase) scheme to go on a crime spree. Dignan has an old boss, Mr. Henry, will take care of them on their endeavors. So, with the help of their slightly less intellectual and slightly more bumbling and normal neighbor and friend Bob (Robert Musgrave), they do a job and then hit the road. They create a far more crazy adventure just by talking about the insanity of the ordeal then the ordeal actually justifies. Everything goes wrong, but nothing goes wrong.

Nancy’s Teenage Girl Interlude — At a hotel, Anthony notices a Spanish maid cleaning. He falls in immediate love with her, following her around, asking questions, talking about his day and his feelings regarding this and that. She speaks only Spanish and can’t understand a single word he is saying, and at first is annoyed and frustrated at his persistence. But he keeps going, he keeps talking and talking and talking until she finally caves and falls in love with him. The relationship that follows is simple, sweet and amazing — they both love each other madly, but can’t communicate. But you can see, from simply the way she speaks to him and touches him, that this is a genuine relationship, that is way more than simply physical even though they can’t be verbal. It’s… pretty much the cutest thing ever.

This movie is about breaking away but not knowing how, but being totally aware that you are on the outside, that you are crazy for wanting something else. Both Dignan and Anthony reject the simple world around them and begin to make their own. Except they don’t know how. This brings them together and makes them unique to the rest of the world.

I like the little touches the Wes Anderson throws in. I like that Dignan has a unique and crazy name, that Anthony has a romantic name, and Bob, the tag-along, gets the most generic name possible. I like how Owen’s eager deluded spirit does not die at the very end, even though you’re sure he MUST be aware of how much he is fooling himself. He MUST know it’s all a joke by now. I like how Inez falls on Anthony’s shoulders when a gunshot goes off, and Anthony consoles her as he watches Dignan shoot. I love how ANTHONY is the one in the mental institution and yet he is the most sane character I can imagine.

It’s not the strongest of Wes Anderson’s films because it doesn’t pull you in with a magical soundtrack and insanely good cinematography. However, it does draw you in with very intense characters and a very hilarious plotline, two things that you have to make an effort of noticing to fully appreciate. If you do, however, it is a very sad, funny and entertaining movie.

I'm guessing they eat a LOT of bananas. The Domino Boys: push one, and they all fall down. He's two seconds away from a Windex squirt in the eye.

Didja Notice? [some sources: IMDb]

• The lack of a typical Wes Anderson soundtrack.
• Bob’s last name is Mapplethorpe (forget what I said earlier about him having a generic name)
• There is a black and white picture of Jacques Yves-Cousteua hanging on the wall during the party.

Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits?

I don’t… thiiink so.

Intermission! [some sources: IMDb]

Dignan introduces himself and Bob to Inez in the hotel room as Jerry and Cornelius. Jerry Cornelius is a character from Michael Moorcock's books such as "The Cure for Cancer" and "The Final Program".

Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson got Dignan's name from their good friend Stephen Dignan and repeated this trend with the name "Tenenbaum" from their other friend Brian Tenebaum. (Okay, seriously, why does IMDB prove all my ‘name-symbolism’ ideas wrong?)

Groovy Quotes

Dignan: What do you think I was doing the whole time you were out there man? I told you Dignan got fired, out on his ass. But you didn't think about that, did you. In the end it's easier to think about yourself than it is to think about Dignan.

Dignan: He’s out. And you’re out too. And I don’t think I’m in either. No gang!
Stacy Sinclair: Wow, you’re really complicated.
Anthony: I try not to be.

Anthony: One morning, over at Elizabeth's beach house, she asked me if I'd rather go water-skiing or lay out. And I realized that not only did I not want to answer THAT question, but I never wanted to answer another water-sports question, or see any of these people again for the rest of my life.

Anthony: I don’t think your happiness is quite appropriate.

Dignan: Isn’t it funny how you used to be in the nuthouse and now I’m in jail?

If you liked this movie, try these:

• Rushmore
• The Royal Tenenbaums
• The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou