Bottle Rocket (1996)

Director:

Wes Anderson

Writers (WGA):

Owen Wilson (written by) &
Wes Anderson (written by)

Release Date:

21 February 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

They're not really criminals, but everybody's got to have a dream.

Plot:

Focusing on a trio of friends and their elaborate plan to pull off a simple robbery and go on the run.

Plot Keywords:

Escapade | Robbery | Kicked In Butt | Barbershop | Laundry Room

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Luke Wilson	...	Anthony Adams
Owen Wilson	...	Dignan (as Owen C. Wilson)
Ned Dowd	...	Dr. Nichols
Shea Fowler	...	Grace
Haley Miller	...	Bernice
Robert Musgrave	...	Bob Mapplethorpe
Andrew Wilson	...	Future Man
Brian Tenenbaum	...	H. Clay Murchison
Jenni Tooley	...	Stacy Sinclair
Temple Nash	...	Temple
Dipak Pallana	...	Bookstore Employee
Darryl Cox	...	Bookstore Manager
Stephen Dignan	...	Rob
Lumi Cavazos	...	Inez
Julie Mayfield	...	Wife in Motelroom

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

91 min | Argentina:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR | SDDS

Certification:

Argentina:16 | USA:R (certificate #33597) | UK:15 | Ireland:15 | South Korea:15 | Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating) | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Dallas, Texas, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

There is a black and white picture of Jacques-Yves Cousteau hanging on the wall during the party.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the Hinckley Cold Storage robbery, Anthony gets up from sitting on some stairs. When he first gets up his jumpsuit is dirty, but when he is shown checking on the elevator it is clean again.

Quotes:

Dignan: A bigger bag you idiot!
Book Store Manager: Don't call me an idiot, you punk!
Dignan: Do you have a bigger bag for maps and atlases... sir?

Movie Connections:

References Vivre sa vie: Film en douze tableaux (1962)

Soundtrack:

Prendeme la Vela

Brilliant, but probably not everyone's cup of tea.

I didn't expect much from Bottle Rocket. The DVD sat on my shelf for a while before I bothered to watch it (the whole "Reservoir Dorks" pitch kinda put me off). To my surprise it was one of the funniest films I've ever seen. I like Owen Wilson, I think the guy is hilarious, but I often find myself laughing my ass off during one of his films while the rest of the cinema is sitting in a sea of unimpressed silence (they'll crack up when he falls over or hits his head on something mind you...). This is the problem with Wilson and his style of comedy; it's appeal is fairly limited. As seems to be the problem with this film. I showed it to my brother whose taste in films is close to my own, but he barely even cracked a smile. So I wouldn't recommend Bottle Rocket unless you find Owen Wilson genuinely funny or have an interest in Wes Anderson. And as for Anderson, this was the film that started me off as a fan. Technically speaking, this is probably his weakest directorial effort, but personally, my favourite film of his. 8.5/10.