Rushmore

You had me at hello.  In the first scene at the prep school Rushmore Academy, Bill Murray is giving a talk to the class.  As I looked at it, I thought "that looks like St. John the Divine Episcopal Church in Houston", my church in the 90s.  The next scene looking back, yes that's looks like it.  The next scene, coming out of the chapel where I was married, Perfect!

Jason Schwartzmann plays Max who is a student at Rushmore.  He's the model student when it comes to extracurriculars, but is otherwise doesn't apply himself in the books or with the social scene.  Perhaps that is because he is somewhat happy just to be there, as a son of a barber on scholarship.  He is embarrassed enough about this to lie and make up stories about his family.  His mother is dead and he is an only child.



He impresses Bill Murray, who is Herman, the father of 2 other students, enough that they become friends.  Max also is smitten with a teacher, Ms. Cross and tries desperately and somewhat effectively to ingratiate himself.  She ends up associating with Herman, much to Max's dismay and Max ends up getting kicked out of Rushmore and enrolling at Grover Cleveland H.S. which is quite the fish-out-of-water experience.

Directed and written by Wes Anderson, it is a template for later high school indie films like Juno & Napoleon Dynamite which of course is high praise.  The student/teacher adult-level dynamic also reminded me of another good high school film, Election.

You'll note than none of these are coming of age, boner comedies, like American Pie, Porky's and such.  More cerebral.

Excellent * * * * (highest)