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April 2, 2002 -- Wes Anderson, creator of "Rushmore" has created yet another dark comedy with an unconventional storyline and quirky, twisted characters.
"The Royal Tenenbaums" is about a highly dysfunctional family of overachievers led by one Royal Tenenbaum (played by Gene Hackman), an underachiever who has been living off his family's money for years. One day, he finally runs out of money and is evicted from his posh hotel suite. He decides to try to get back in his family's good graces by pretending to be fatally ill. He works up an elaborate scheme involving a fake doctor and lots of medical equipment. His wife, Etheline 'Ethel' Tenenbaum (Anjelica Huston of "The Golden Bowl") lets him back into the family house. There, Royal causes havoc, spoiling the grandkids and trying to break up Ethel's impending marriage to accountant Henry Sherman (played by Danny Glover of "Beloved").
Like a magnet, Royal attracts the whole family back to the house, including his sons Chas and Richie 'Baumer' (Ben Stiller of "Zoolander" and Luke Wilson of "Legally Blonde") and his daughter, Margot Helen Tenenbaum (Gwyneth Paltrow of "Shallow Hal"). Chas, a business genius, is afraid to live in his own house and he hates Royal because he once tried to steal money from him. Margot, a playwright, feels empty and unfulfilled. She spends much of her time locked in the bathroom, secretly smoking. She leaves her husband, Raleigh St. Clair (Bill Murray of "Charlie's Angels") and moves back home. Richie, a former tennis star, is suicidal because of unrequited love. The boy next door, Elijah 'Eli' Cash (Owen Wilson of "Zoolander"), just hangs around the house like a fifth wheel.
The story grinds along rather slowly, but there are some startling revelations here and there. It is also unpredictable. Just when you think it is going to be a sitcom, it changes direction and heads off in a new direction. Strange things happen, like a main character is stabbed, but acts like it is no big deal. Unfortunately, Bill Murray's role is very minor, and he seems kind of lost. He seems to exist only to be frustrated by his wife. Hackman is very good in this film, once again showing his talent for comedy. He plays incorrigible very well. Kumar Pallana, a fixture in Anderson's films, appears here as Pagoda, inscrutable friend to Royal Tenenbaum.
The leisurely, indifferent pace of the film is probably why it is rated so poorly among young viewers. You have to have some patience with this film and allow it to unfold. It does have its rewards. All of the main characters in the film change. They come to realizations about themselves and their lives. In most cases, they become better people, maybe not normal people, or even law-abiding citizens, but happier. Even the extreme self-centeredness of Royal Tenenbaum is tempered toward the end of the film. He learns to give something back. He seems to love his family in some strange way. Despite the stabbing and the suicide attempt and the overtones of emotional obsession, it is a feel-good movie, in a really weird way. This film rates a C+.
Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.
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