Rushmore "I'll take punctuality…"

365 Films

Entry #159

Rushmore (1998)

Directed by Wes Anderson

One of my regrets about abandoning the previous incarnation of the 365 blog the way that I did was that I was not able to complete a series of Wes Anderson posts to coincide with the release of Matt Zoller Seitz's wonderful book from last year, The Wes Anderson Collection.  So for those of you who know me and are fully aware of my undying love for Mr. Anderson's work, just remember, these could have been A LOT longer. 

To boil down Mr. Anderson's sophomore feature, Rushmore to one essential scene, moment, glance, or gesture is a fool's errand at best.  One of the most rewarding aspects to Anderson's work is how thoroughly his attention to detail and style burrows into his character's essential beings as well, resulting in the most devastatingly human moments that reveal themselves to you upon subsequent viewings.  Sure, there are uproarious moments in Rushmore (Murray's deadpan "never in my wildest dreams…" line comes to mind) but there has always been one moment that's stuck with me the most and it's when Murray's Herman Blume meets Bert Fisher (father of Max) for the first time.  The short little scene comes after both characters have reached their spiritual nadir with regards to the mutual admirations they both shared for Rushmore elementary school teacher Rosemary Cross along with the ensuing personal consequences their affections warranted.  There's a telling shot in this sequence which occurs right after we are geographically introduced to Blume standing in front of Mr. Fisher's barbershop.  Cat Steven's accompaniment in the background is rudely interrupted by a splash of water created by a passing cyclist.  It's obvious that the most likely freezing and dirty water has made contact with Herman, but his expression (perhaps best understood by comparing him to a human Eeyore) conveys this as just being another shitty, miserable thing that has happened to him today.  The defeat in his eyes is almost unbearable.  The camera cuts quickly to a low angled shot of his feet getting splashed and then immediately back to his reaction shot.  We never see a wide, master shot of the actual splash but we don't need to because this quick cutaway establishes the most important aspect to the beginning of this scene: Herman Blume's disconnection from even himself.  Yet at the same time, in the previous scene, there is a very similar shot of Max and Dirk Calloway's feet as Margaret Yang's radio controlled plane touches down for a smooth landing.  All of this could be best understood by Rosemary's earlier proclamation upon learning Max has tricked his way into her bedroom with fake blood: "You and Herman deserve each other, you're both little children."  An understanding followed through upon by Max when he presents Herman with his choice of the punctuality or perfect attendance pins from Rushmore.  The weary acceptance with which Blume chooses the punctuality button is not only absolutely heartbreaking, but also establishes the intense personal bond between these two characters.  Blume may have sorely let Max down in the past, but now he's here and now he's ready to show up.  

Max then takes Blume inside and introduces him to his father.  The background music changes to (perhaps being played on an old radio or record player in the barbershop) "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" from the Charlie Brown Christmas Soundtrack.  Not only is this significant in terms of the long-standing influence of the Peanuts over Anderson's work , but also because I can not think of another moment in the history of American television that denotes reconciliation like the final shot of A Charlie Brown Christmas.  The specific moment of forgiveness in this scene, however, occurs because Blume had been under the impression that Bert Fisher was a neurosurgeon (and by under the impression, I mean Max flat out told him this). The moment of sad acceptance on Murray's face when he realizes this fact gets me every single time.  What's most astounding about it is that it's just the slightest shift of his eyes, all of a sudden everything he thought he knew about Max has been radically altered within the span of a sentence.  Bert, oblivious to Blume's minor crisis occurring in his mind, gently requests that Blume refer to him on more congenial terms (Bert instead of Mr. Fisher) and then leads him into the chair reassuring him that what's about to happen is a relatively painless procedure.  Blume, taking one look at himself, and Anderson brilliantly staging the scene in such a way where Murray looks out into the audience so that we see exactly what he sees, can only offer "I just don't know, Bert…"  I may be way off base on this but the way Bert leans Blume back into the chair and places the towel on his face before commencing with the haircut, brings to mind a baptism of sorts.  The point (to me) hammered home by Max and Blume emerging from the barbershop, Blume offering a gentle wave goodbye to Bert and re-engaging with the world anew as a man reborn.

The two main character actions in this scene best personify Mr. Anderson's multitudinous and venerable gifts.  Often accused of being far too interested in his character's perfectly manicured wardrobe to the point of sacrificing what's going on inside their head, here we have three characters embracing the detritus of their world while at the same time refusing to be defined by it.  Max and his pins, Blume in his dilapidated appearance, and Bert with his barber occupation.  These physical things are not the point of their existence, but they are how the characters shelter themselves from the cruelty and disappointment brought down on them by the world at large.  And if we think about this scene, particularly from Blume's perspective, we see a man who is physically, spiritually, and mentally broken inside.  But rather than simply end his story with that realization, Anderson (ever the empathetic humanist) instead has the man call a truce with the rest of the world, and more importantly, with himself.     

Editor's Note:  Sorry, I couldn't provide a corresponding video clip with this one.  If anybody knows a legal, and relatively easy way to do that, I'm all ears.  I doubt that to be the case though.  In any event, I hope this suffices.