General Information
Directed by – Wes Anderson
Written by – Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson
Release Year – 1996
Starring – Owen Wilson (Dignan), Luke Wilson (Anthony), Robert Musgrave (Bob), James Caan (Mr. Henry) and Lumi Cavazos (Inez)
Synopsis – After being released from a mental hospital, Anthony’s friend Dignan has a 75 year plan for them which includes going on a crime spree to be able to afford everything, even if they don’t really know anything about committing crimes.
Review
Whenever I have spare time, I like to have movie marathons. Since my boyfriend was out for a bachelor party, this was the perfect time to dive right into a marathon I have done before. I decided to rewatch all of Wes Anderson’s filmography. He is my favorite director for a plethora of reasons and since we had a random snowy and icy weekend in the middle of March, being bundled and watching Wes was the perfect way to spend my weekend. My marathon began by watching his first feature film “Bottle Rocket.”
“Bottle Rocket” focuses on best friends Dignan (O. Wilson) and Anthony (L.Wilson) as they reunite after Anthony is released from a mental hospital he checked himself into. Dignan is determined to fulfill his 75-year plan for the two of them, involving heists to set them up for life. With the help from neighbor Bob (Musgrave), the three set off on a crime-filled adventure, with many, many bumps along the way.
Even if you are not familiar with Wes Anderson’s filmography, you may know that he has a particular style when it comes to his movies. Deadpan humor, ensemble casts, flat space camera movements, symmetrical shots and sets that look like dollhouses are just some of the techniques that immediately distinguish his films from other auteurs. So it is jarring to go through all of his films and have his first one look so “regular”. It would take a few films before he latched onto his signature style, but even in this first one there are little nuggets of “Classic Wes” that his admirers have come to know and love.
Anderson is one of those directors that can seem to get anyone and everyone to be a part of his films. Over the years, his casts have gotten larger and larger. This first one, however, really just focuses on the Wilson brothers as best friends in their debut roles. After being assigned as roommates in college, Anderson and Owen would eventually become frequent collaborators on nearly all future projects together. Luke would also continue to appear in many roles throughout his career. Not only does Anderson’s style evolve as he begins to create more films, but the Wilsons also grow to his style as actors, becoming one of the many staples that makes a Wes Anderson film.
The dynamic between these best friends is what gives the film its heart. Luke and Owen bounce off of each other so well that it’s hard to believe this is their first role. They are accompanied by witty dialogue that just makes it seem like everyone involved is having fun. The focus on friendship gives the film the ability to have this light and fluffy appearance on the outside, but there is something so much deeper to these characters.
The film opens with Anthony checking out of a mental hospital. We learn that he willingly checked himself in due to “exhaustion”. There is so much that we experience as humans that, at times, it can feel as though we can never catch a break. Life keeps coming at us and there is no way to make it stop, leading some people to hit their breaking points. Anthony does not want to elaborate past the reason he has given on why he felt the need to do this. It is not uncommon to want a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Maybe it leads to checking yourself into a mental hospital. Anthony wants to start over and get into new routines – to enjoy the simpler things in life. We see this when he falls head over heels for the housekeeper, Inez (Cavazos), and just spends quality time with her. It is the simple life, all he could ever ask for.
In that same opening scene, we see Dignan attempt to help Anthony “break out” of the mental hospital. He has this elaborate plan, not just for the hospital escape, but for the next 75 years of his and Anthony’s lives. Anthony plays along with Dignan’s plan as that is what best friends do. But even as everything continues to fall apart, Dignan’s hope does not seem to fade. He is headstrong in making sure everything works the way it’s supposed to. However, this drives Bob and Anthony away. Dignan has the future laid out and refuses to make any changes that derive from his original idea. So many of us feel as though we need to have a step-by-step way to live our lives that if one random step goes wrong, there is no way to recover from it. We set ourselves up for failure when we strive to the point of completion that we put up blinders from how our plan affects the people around us. Dignan thinks everyone will go along with his ideas because he is the one with the plan, but that is his fatal flaw. Over the course of the film, thanks to Anthony, he learns that sometimes plans have to change for you to end up where you belong. Even though Dignan is not where he thought he would be at the end of the film, he is content that this is what was meant for him.
Luke and Owen are surrounded by some strong supporting characters. The first is Robert Musgrave as their neighbor Bob who Dignan has a dislike for but requires his assistance as he is the only one with a car. He is excited to be involved in the plans, but gets frustrated when Dignan takes advantage of him. He has every right to be mad at Dignan and you start to side with Bob as Dignan’s tunnel vision takes over the story. After one of their crime heists, the three end up at a motel to lay low for a bit. This is where we meet Inez, the housekeeper. She acts as a love interest for Anthony, showing how their language barrier can be overcome by their affection for one another. While she may not have the most character depth – something Anderson has issues with across a few of his films – she is still a delight to have on screen. Her scenes with Luke show how great their chemistry is with one another. James Caan also has a small role as Dignan’s idol, Mr. Henry, who brings a lot of first-half-of-Elf energy to this memorable part.
The biggest issue with the film is its pacing. Even though it is only 90 minutes long, it drags in the middle when the gang heads to the motel. Even though this includes a majority of the cute scenes between Luke and Cavazos, it is at this moment where you can tell it originated from a short film. A lot of directors get their film debut starts by expanding a short film they have previously created. Sometimes this works; you are able to have a bigger budget and expand a story and characters that have already been created. However, if not executed properly, it can be noticeable that you are trying to draw out the narrative. While I still enjoy what Anderson did with this film, it can feel like a lot to get through in the middle between crime heists.
While the story has its issues by feeling like a drag during the second act, “Bottle Rocket” still conveys the feeling of having a plan in your life may not always go your way. With memorable characters and the beginning inklings of what would become his staple style, Anderson’s first feature film is one to remember.
