Rushmore (1998)

A homely 10th-grade scholarship boy at Rushmore, a private school where he fails classes but constantly organizes clubs and plays, befriends a depressed local factory magnate and falls for a recently widowed teacher.

Nerdy and off-kilter, but likable comedy-drama; the plot is patchy, but it's all nicely staged and the performances of the motley cast are enjoyable as well.

Halliwell*: "Quirky comedy of adolescent ambition and adult resignation that has its moments, but loses its way long before the end."

Maltin***1/2: "A genuine original, full of keen observational humor and detail, with characters that always ring true. Remarkable debut by Schwartzman..., and a perfect showcase for Murray."

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

An estranged family of former child prodigies reunites when their father announces he is terminally ill.

Elaborately produced and obsessed with details, the story itself hardly goes anywhere, and the star cast is treated like pawns in a game of chess.

Halliwell*: "The fun here lies in the details - dalmatian-spotted mice, battered taxicabs, the elegant pages of an imaginary book - rather in the disjointed narrative, which sets the scene deftly and then collapses."

Maltin**1/2: "Rambling comedy has the same likable, eccentric qualities as the filmmakers' BOTTLE ROCKET and RUSHMORE and benefits from Hackman's savvy performance, but strains for effect and essentially has no story."