(rated PG-13, 105 mins.)
Gene Hackman is Royal Tenenbaum, a father to three children and estranged husband to Etheline (Angelica Huston) a semi-normal archaeologist and family matriarch who believes education is highest priority. Never legally divorced, Royal is in and out of the children’s lives saying all the wrong things 24/7 to put Chas, Margot and Richie into serious therapy. Chas (Ben Stiller) became an entrepreneur in 6th grade growing up to be a widower (wife died in an accident). He raises his two coddled sons dressed in easy-to-locate red track suits in case of an emergency. Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) was raised with constant paternal reminder that she’s adopted. As a Kohl-eyed-made-up-chain-smoking adult she’s a depressed playwright married to a neurologist (Bill Murray). Since third grade, Richie (Luke Wilson) is the tennis champ who has a falcon fetish and a crush on his sister. Eli (Owen Wilson) is the family best pal, a mescaline-addicted cowboy novelist. Don’t ask. After two decades of failure, betrayal and disaster, the Tenenbaum family emerges into a dysfunctional reunion when Royal, sensing his own mortality, wants to finally make an impression on the clan. Reflective of the family alienation issues is a scene where Royal meets his grandchildren (Chas’s kids) for the first time on opposite sides of a chain link fence. For director Wes Anderson this is the follow-up to the 1998 masterpiece “Rushmore” with its non sequitur gags. For us it’s a look at humorous moments that work with intentionally stiff and cold Valium induced characters all with the same lateral and dry behavior. Saying this is J.D. Salinger’s Glass family is putting it mildly. The royal Tenenbaums make for one royally disturbed family that total a true crown jewel.
