Rushmore

Movie review by Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Rushmore Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 16+

Quirky '90s comedy has profanity, sex, underage drinking.

R 1998 93 minutes
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Parents say

age 15+

Based on 8 reviews

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 17 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Rushmore is a quirky 1998 comedy that was Academy Award-nominated director Wes Anderson's second feature (this one written with Owen Wilson). A 15-year-old who is both wise beyond his years and childishly selfish and annoying tries to negotiate school and the adult world. His odd maturity sets up an unrequited romantic obsession with a young teacher at his school, underscoring the notion that people who are not meant to be together can still be friends. Loyalty, betrayal, and the self-centered struggle to become an artist are all explored. Expect to hear "f--k," "s--t," and other such language, to hear references to sex acts, and to see underage drinking and smoking. A parent hits his teenage son sitting behind him in the back of a car. Max is punched and walks around with bloody gauze in his nostrils. Young boys throw rocks at Max in retaliation for his betrayal. Max tries to forcibly kiss Rosemary. She pushes him away, and he falls.

Community Reviews

EpicReviews
EpicReviews Adult
August 31, 2020
age 15+
PlugIt_In
PlugIt_In Adult
August 26, 2018
age 15+

Great movie!

Probably wes’s second best. I love this. It’s my Rushmore. The parents should worry about the content though. Strong sexual language and references to banging, handjobs, fingering, and other sexual things. Some brief nudity of bare breasts with vaginas covered by shells. A scene of attempted sexual assault. This is very sexually intense as the woman throws the man off her and they exchange explicit sexual dialogue. Other sex jokes throughout. The violence is mild, with some punches, some B.B. gun shootings, and some nosebleeds. The language is quite bad with 8 uses of fuck (one used sexually, mind), and several other bad words. Great and brilliantly acted, highly recommend.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) is a 10th-grader on scholarship at the tony private school Rushmore Academy. Max shows his devotion to the academy by participating in every possible extracurricular activity, but he's risking expulsion unless his grades improve. Max falls for one of the teachers, a beautiful young widow (Olivia Williams). And he connects with Blume (Bill Murray), a rich academy alumnus who is drawn to Max's passions and even acts as a go-between for Max's absurd attempt at courtship, until he himself becomes attracted to the teacher. All three characters feel a sense of loss. Blume and the teacher seem stuck. Max, with his collision of adult and childish emotions, comes up with one hopeless scheme after another to get attention and respect, ignoring genuine opportunities for true friendship. Yet somehow he manages to keep working toward his dreams -- and even makes a few of them come true.

Is It Any Good?

This abstract story about the misery that comes from the grandiosity and humiliation during adolescence is probably of more interest to adults. Many teens are already only too aware of those experiences.

Rushmore is not a movie in which people learn great lessons and are drawn closer together. It's a movie in which a lot of hurt people grope toward something that even they cannot quite visualize. Its appeal is in its quirky characters and in its moments of humor and perception.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Max and Herman's rivalry. Who do you want to win? Why?

  • At the beginning of the movie, Max seems to use people to help him achieve his goals. What are some signals that he is learning to treat people differently by the end of the film?

  • Do you think artists must be selfish to create great art? Do you think the movie wants you to forgive Max as he matures into a more sympathetic person?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

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