THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (2001) (****)

This is the third film from Wes Anderson (BOTTLE ROCKET, RUSHMORE) and he doesn’t disappoint with yet another comedy classic. Anderson creates an eccentric cast of characters brought to life from an amazing cast. Every aspect of the production from the sets to the costumes serves the quirky material well. The story centers around Gene Hackman's brilliant performance as the patriarch of a dysfunctional family of his own making.

The film follows the attempts of Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman, HOOISERS) to reconcile with his family after he gets thrown out of his apartment. His wife Etheline (Anjelica Huston, ADDAMS FAMILY, GRIFTERS) wants to finally get a divorce so she can marry her accountant Henry Sherman (Danny Glover, LETHAL WEAPON), but Royal doesn’t like the idea. Their three kids were all geniuses when they were young, but have faded since then.

Chas (Ben Stiller, REALITY BITES, ZOOLANDER) was a business mastermind, who has been mentally damaged by his father’s lack of caring and the recent death of his wife. The adopted Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE) was an accomplished playwright, who is now in a loveless marriage with a psychologist Raleigh St. Clair (Bill Murray, GROUNDHOG DAY) and is having an affair with her childhood friend Eli (Owen Wilson, ZOOLANDER), who is now a bestselling Western writer with a drug habit. Richie (Luke Wilson, BOTTLE ROCKET) was a tennis phenom, who was the only one loved by his father, who had a major public breakdown and is secretly in love with Margot.

That description only scratches the surface of the complexities of this film, which feels like the characters are straight out of a novel. The character dynamics are rich and complex. Royal was once a successful lawyer, but he is taken down for his sins. Now it seems that his kids are following in his legacy of failed potential. Gene Hackman was robbed of an Oscar nomination by Sean Penn's award-grubbing I AM SAM performance as a mental challenged dad. Hackman's Royal isn't a saint by any stretch, but his sincerity in wanting to make amends is crucial to the film's success. The way he handles his increasing fall from grace is touching. But for the kids, it's tough to get over years of damages. So of course Royal works on the grandchildren.

As for the sibling relationships, the awkward love story between adopted brother and sister is very sweet and Anderson hands the touchy material with humor and honesty. Paltrow's moody Margot is the actress's most original character to date, while Wilson put real longing into his tormented character.

The film is smart, witty and a lot of fun. This is easily one of my favorite films from 2001.