Rushmore (1998) Short Review

I love this movie. It’s probably one of my all-time favorites. It’s simple, yet it has lots of depth behind it. I liked how it’s about a kid in high school who is quite grown up, but at the same time, he has a lot to learn before. It’s truly a movie I would recommend.

        I loved how the movie portrayed Max Fisher. I never saw him as a child, even when he was in either of his schools. I really ended up feeling for the guy as he struggled with his affections for Rosemary, yet I knew it was an impossible goal for him to reach because of the age differences.

I ended up taking issue with 2 characters, namely Bill Murray’s character, Henry Blume, and the character of Margaret Yang. Henry, in my opinion, was boring and dull and, at times, felt flat. I didn’t feel like he had any depth. Yes, he was struggling with his own life, but that was pretty much it. I didn’t end up caring for the guy. This is probably attributed to my strong attachment to Max Fischer who was played wonderfully by one of my favorite actors, Jason Schwartzman. As for Margaret Yang, she was unnecessary to the overall plot of the film. She was only in the movie to basically sway the viewer from wanting Max to be with Rosemary Cross. It was obvious from the beginning that Max and Margaret would end up together in the end. That bothered me somewhat, but I ultimately went along with it.

So overall, I give this film an A- but I’m debating whether it deserves a B+ instead. Look, I really enjoyed this film, but the secondary characters fall short of my expectations. Too many felt unnecessary and almost useless. But nevertheless, this movie’s story feels incredibly relatable since I’m pretty sure most of us have had feelings for someone we probably know will never reciprocate those feelings, as well as the inevitable notion that all of us have to grow up at some point. By growing up, we must give up some of the things we enjoy. In Max’s case, he has to give up the many extracurricular activities he participates in, so that he may raise his grades which help him for the long-run in terms of his education. And with that education, he can gain acceptance into a good university to which he would learn a trade that better suits him instead of having to become a barber like his father. Even his father acknowledges that he does not want his son to be a barber like him meaning he wants Max to be something. And after this movie, you could tell he has that potential. All in all, it’s a wonderful film that many can enjoy.