Warped Wit ‘Rushmore’ A Routine Comedy That Takes A Left Turn

Some films just can’t live up to the hype that precedes them. “Rushmore” is such a film.

So if this matters to you, stop reading now.

Still here? Then you should know that “Rushmore” already has been branded as, for what it’s worth, “the best comedy of the year” by Spin magazine.

That’s a problem for a film whose main assets include its quirky feel, its coming-of-age theme involving an even quirkier protagonist (played by newcomer Jason Schwartzman) and, most quirky of all, the supporting role filled by Bill Murray, who embodies the essence of quirkiness.

Notice the repetition?

Note to Spin magazine: Not everyone is a fan of quirk.

“Rushmore” refers to an upscale prep school, the Rushmore Academy, where our protagonist — Max Fischer — is a BMOC despite looking like a blazer-wearing, khaki-clad geek.

The president of every school club from beekeeping to French, and a member of the wrestling team besides, Max has little time for his studies.

So little time, in fact, that he’s on the verge of flunking out.

His educational woes provide storyline enough, and a standard Hollywood film likely would stop there (remember “Dead Man on Campus”?). But little about director Wes Anderson, whose previous film was the cult favorite “Bottle Rocket,” is standard.

The heart of “Rushmore” is the relationship between 15-year-old Max and the 50-year-old self-made millionaire Herman Blume (Murray), who recognizes just how far Max stands out from the typically snotty Rushmore crowd (which includes his own two insufferable sons). After all, how many kids anywhere write hit plays, as Max does, based on sources such as “Serpico” or “Apocalypse Now”?

But neither Anderson nor co-screenwriter Owen Wilson are content merely to follow the mentor-protege storyline either. The film’s principal tension comes from the fact that both characters become infatuated with a pretty, elementary school teacher (Olivia Williams of “The Postman”). And before long they are arch rivals for the hand of a woman for whom neither is a perfect match (Max is too young; Herman is too insecure and, besides, already married).

Throughout, from the musical score by former Devo co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh to the casting of Scottish actor Stephen McCole as the school bully, Anderson makes a series of decidedly different artistic choices.

Some are inspired, including almost anything done by Murray. The “Saturday Night Live” veteran may not do anything worthy of an Oscar (it’s amazing that he actually had some support for a Best Supporting Actor nomination), but he seems incapable of doing anything ordinary. Murray even makes walking away from the young teacher something special: He runs, awkwardly and all out.

Other choices fall flat. Max’s insistent efforts to win the heart of his love begins to feel more than a little like a creepy case of stalking.

But like its hero, “Rushmore” recovers. Schwartzman, the son of actress Talia Shire and nephew of filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, does well in his film debut.

It is Anderson’s sense of humor, though, that makes the film something special. Twisted though it may be, Anderson’s humor endures to the end.

Let’s keep that just between ourselves, OK?

1. “Rushmore” *** Location: Lyons Credits: Directed and co-written (with Owen Wilson) by Wes Anderson, starring Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams, Seymour Cassel, Brian Cox, Stephen McCole. Running time: 1:32 Rating: R

2. Other views Here’s what other critics say about “Rushmore”: Chris Hewitt/Knight Ridder Nobody acts his age in “Rushmore,” a nutty, poignant comedy in which the children behave like adults and the adults behave like kids… . It has a peculiar rhythm that reminded me of “Bottle Rocket,” an overlooked gem from a few years back that was also directed by Wes Anderson. The jokes pull little sneak attacks. You’re amused, but you’re not sure why until after you’ve chuckled and, by that time, you’re laughing about some other mysterious joke or realizing the joke you just laughed at was actually kind of sad, too. Kenneth Turan/Los Angeles Times Max Fischer is one strange kid, and “Rushmore,” the ode to teen-age dementia that is his story, matches him in eccentricity. Like the best filmmakers, director Wes Anderson has an idiosyncratic sensibility, the rare ability to create a world that is completely his own. Unique worlds, however, can be off-putting enough to discourage civilians from spending time there. And that is the case with “Rushmore” as well. Anderson’s first film, co-written (as “Rushmore” is) with actor Owen Wilson, was the charming independent hit “Bottle Rocket.” “Rushmore” is considerably more ambitious and impressive, but while it has some of its predecessor’s blithe charm, it also has a protagonist it takes an act of will to care about.