RUSHMORE (67)

Directed by: Wes Anderson

Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams, Mason Gamble

The Pitch: Max Fischer, a highly unconventional student at Rushmore Academy, has a crush on first-grade teacher Miss Cross - but must compete against unhappy millionaire Blume.

Theo Sez: A missive from the secret world of kids, where everything oscillates between triumph and catastrophe (never in between), where battles are constant but truces can be called, where small gestures - letting a friend fly your kite for a little while - can mean a great deal, where a Punctuality pin can be a peace offering, where stupid, immature things are regularly done then apologised for, no hard feelings. The film's pixillated magic lies in extending this quality to everything that happens, without adult intervention (indeed, extending it to many of the adults too), aligning itself totally with its young hero's worldview, and in linking it to the idea of the self-made man, noting that a child's self-absorption isn't far removed from the self-centredness that makes millionaires. Max's energy doesn't have a specific goal beyond reinforcing his sense of self (he doesn't know what he wants Miss Cross for, he just wants her) - it's almost a survival mechanism, a way of covering up insecurities, all of which is why his coming-of-age is so unusual : growing up is a process of calming down here, confidence lies in not being pushy. The film follows its own advice, determinedly deadpan and dotted with quiet, quirky detail : it is, in its way, a thing of beauty, but prey to a precious, overly-perfect, almost sterile quality - you wish it'd cut loose once in a while, break out of its bubble. Still works well, contrived but subtly so, building to a wry, heartfelt meditation on growing up and a kind of hushed awe at the resilience of youth : "I wish that / I knew what I know now / When I was younger," sing the Faces over the final credits (on LP, 'cause it's that kind of movie) ; "I wish that / I knew what I know now / When I was stronger."