Bottle
Rocket (1996)
After
seeing "Rushmore," I had to watch Wes Anderson's
first film, "Bottle Rocket." While it is nowhere
near as consummate as his sophomore effort, it is still
quite an interesting and likable film.
Here
Anderson relies heavily on the Wilson family for his
characters. Luke and Owen star in the film as does their
older brother. Luke, as usual, is the quiet nice guy
who acts as a voice of reason here. The older brother,
Andrew, is in a minor role which is reminiscent of Bill
Paxton's Chet in "Weird Science." And the
true find here is Owen, who acts as Anderson's writing
collaborator in this film (and others), as Dignan. Dignan
is a typical, loudmouthed, annoying jerk. The kind of
guy who was your best friend in Junior High and then
didn't grow up with you. Stuck in his state of suspended
adolescence, he remains your friend only because of
his loyalty. We all know this guy. But Owen takes this
character and makes him not only real, but tolerable.
His pathos makes us care for him rather than simply
feel sorry for him. A dreamer, he is one of the most
fully realized realistic characters in an indie film.
The
brothers Owen and Luke carry the film with the help
of Robert Musgrave as Bob and Lumi Cavazos as Inez.
The latter, a wonderful wide-eyed girl, steals the show
as Luke's love interest. The two of them have wonderful
chemistry and we want to see their romance succeed.
But Inez captures our heart in the subtly sweet way
she deals with Dignan. It is when they have a small
moment together that we truly fall head over heels for
her.
"Bottle
Rocket" has a rambling plot that, most times, brings
us along for an interesting ride. It has elements of
friendship, acting as sort of an American "Trainspotting"
without the drugs, as well as the romance and a crime
plotline. James Caan has a small role in this part of
the film. The film's climax is hilarious as a "caper"
takes some twist and turns that are truly fresh and
interesting.
It
is now clear that Anderson has an affinity for 60's
Brit-pop. The gentle music of that era, with it's strong
acoustic ties and rock beats provide the perfect punctuation
to the film here. Also, Mark Mothersbaugh, of Devo and
"Rugrats Theme" fame, builds his score on
this sound to provide a soundtrack that is rich and
soothing. This is a technique/motif that Anderson has
further developed in "Rushmore" to great effect.
"Bottle
Rocket" could have been a boring, little, annoying
film. The character of Dignan could easily work our
nerves. But the sweetness and the gentleness of the
plot and film win us over, until we care about these
characters and enjoy spending the time with them - even
in the film's most leisurely segments.
Note:
Based on a 1994 short film by Anderson. James L. Brooks
is one of the producers.
Filmed
in Texas.
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Report
Card
Script:
B+
Acting: A
Cinematography\Lighting: C
Special Effects\Make Up: B+
Music: A+
Final
Grade: B+
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