The Royal TenenbaumsNobody's family is the storybook fantasy they always thought it would be...not even the Tenenbaums. The Royal Tenenbaums is a comedy/drama about a clan of financially wealthy but emotionally stunted people, whose lives are put into spontaneous chaos with the unlikely (and unwanted) return of the long absentee paterfamilias, Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman). Royal claims to be dying of stomach cancer; he is lying--a defining trait of Royal's, which quickly becomes evident. But Royal seizes on this opportunity to try to win back the heart of his estranged wife, Etheline (Anjelica Huston), and the affections of his three grown children: Chas (Ben Stiller), Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow), and Ritchie (Luke Wilson). Good luck, Royal...you'll need it.
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Similar to Wes Anderson's preceding film (Rushmore), The Royal Tenenbaums has the narrative pretense of a storybook fable, depicted as a "library book" being checked out in the opening credits. The film has chapter breaks that allude to the subsequent scene and frequent narration by Alec Baldwin which is often used for punctuation and tone; all of this makes The Royal Tenenbaums come across like a "grown up" Dr. Seuss story. In the hands of a lesser director, or one who did not truly respect his characters or the narrative, this would appear to be parody or that the story should not be taken seriously; nothing could be farther from the truth. The Royal Tenenbaums is about a family still struggling to cope with Royal's absence in their lives--in all their varied ways, and through all the damage the pain has wrought. And if the affected look of the Tenenbaum household on Archer Street seems a bit silly, it underscores that--from a greater cosmic perspective--there is something silly about being horribly depressed over wounds more than two decades old. This is the point of view Royal Tenenbaum is pitching when he makes his return, while he displays an almost psychological aversion to tact which often leads to hurt feelings and bitterness in his family.
The Royal Tenenbaums opens with a lengthy and stylized prologue, that sets the proverbial (and literal) stage for the Tenenbaum reunion many years later. The audience is introduced to a trio of gifted pre-teens; when we revisit them as adults, it is surprising to see how little they have grown psychologically, except for additional neuroses and bad habits. All three of the Tenenbaum children--including the adopted Margot--are affected by Royal's negligence, despite Etheline's efforts to raise her children as child prodigies by herself. Even with the assorted traumas that have affected them over the years when Royal wasn't a part of the picture, the film proposes that the real root of their existential suffering is due to Royal's absence as a positive father figure. Various scenes from the past show Royal committing such parental sins as turning on Chas during a game with BB guns, and callously criticizing Margot's play on her birthday; in the case of Ritchie, with whom he was the closest, all he had to do was leave to betray his trust. The various idiosyncrasies of the characters in The Royal Tenenbaums are not arbitrary. Chas' has grown more angry and paranoid after the recent loss of his wife, which has left him a terrified single parent of two. His belief is that by adhering to rigid discipline and order, he can prevent the next tragedy from befalling his kids, Ari (Grant Rosenmeyer) and Uzi (Jonah Meyerson). This response calls back to feelings of abandonment by Royal, since his wife's death represents another family member who has "left" him. He hosts middle of the night fire drills, and dresses his children in utilitarian track suits to match his own. He is in a constant state of overdrive and inner turmoil, which the return of his loathed father does little to quell. Chas' rage eats away at him, and over time it becomes evident that he is losing his self-control. It pains him to think that his father might be right about his overly controlling grip over his children leading to the kind of resentment that he feels for Royal. For someone like Chas, what worse fate could happen to him than turning into the man he hates? There is a lot of similarity between Chas and Royal, more than either might like to admit. Even Chas begins to display a lack of tact or diplomacy when he becomes stressed out in a crisis or feels out of control. Like Royal, Chas comes home to feel safe after getting "locked out" of his apartment. It's obvious that this is a dubious claim, but it is not that different from Royal's deceptive way of ingratiating himself back into the fold while he tries to prevent the courtship of his wife by her friend and accountant, Henry Sherman (Danny Glover).
Margot's malaise comes from a place of feeling unwanted and unloved, in spite of Etheline's efforts. She keeps secrets to feel empowered and secure, and to prevent people from betraying her trust as Royal did in her youth. Her knowledge that she is adopted weighs on her, and she is unsure of her place in the world. Margot feels that if her place isn't at home, it must be somewhere else, some place where she can escape. This accounts for why she runs away when confronted with a crisis and her history of wild behavior, eventually revealed to her milquetoast husband, Raleigh St. Clair (Bill Murray), by a private detective. Consider the scene in Margot's past when we learn how she lost her ring finger when she ran away from home at fourteen. It is less important that it was due to a wood-chopping accident, but that it came from her real father whom she sought out. Being hurt by both her adopted father on a psychological level and by her real father speaks to her lack of trust and desire to lead a double life. There is a sense that Etheline missed the boat in her parenting with Margot; she is unable to give her the same motherly advice as with Chas or Ritchie, because Margot knows that she is not her real mother. The best example of this is when Margot finally reveals to her mom that she has been a smoker for twenty-two years, to which her mother predictably replies, "I think you should quit". Even her sexual affairs, like with her neighbor and author of Western pulp fiction, Eli Cash (Owen Wilson), is more like self-abasement than love and is devoid of emotional resonance.
Ritchie's ennui comes from the feeling that his life lacks purpose...that despite his hopes and dreams, he will never achieve the one goal that means something to him: Margot. This comes across from the start of The Royal Tenenbaums; Ritchie is a natural at tennis, but he devotes his energies to other pursuits, like painting...the same picture of Margot over and over. His lack of focus is exacerbated by the absence of the father who used to take him out for questionable outings to the dog fights, and showered him with attention. Ritchie's soul drifts in a state of limbo, like the boat he has called home for so long; he only finally returns to shore after hearing of his father's impending death. Between the three children, it could be said that Ritchie is the saddest Tenenbaum. While I can sympathize with Chas for his overwhelming sense of betrayal and mistrust at a family member actively sabotaging the sanctity of the clan, the younger Ritchie doesn't have the sense of command over his life that Chas at least appears to have. His meltdown at the tennis court following the marriage of Margot to Raleigh represents just how fragile his ego really is--feeling unloved and abandoned by a father who should have treated his children better. Ritchie's suicide attempt is tragic, especially because of the pointlessness of it...how it only worries a family that already loves him. He hurts himself because he has become convinced that all of the other people who he craved affection from have only managed to hurt him. But hitting bottom helps Ritchie turn the corner. He alters his world view for the better, which shows in the way he looks and sounds...he is born again, and even goes out of his way to help Eli with his drug problem.
As always in Wes Anderson's films, the musical score establishes the tone of the story with a potent combination of sound and mise-en-scène. This includes vintage "British Invasion" era rock, like The Rolling Stones, as well as tracks like "These Days" by Nico, who was something of a model for Margot. Others include Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard", played as Royal gives Ari and Uzi some life lessons away from the overprotective confines of Chas' parenting. It might seem that Royal is trying to lure Chas' kids to the "dark side", but in reality, it is to prevent Chas' kids from growing up with the same kind of resentment that Chas carries for his father. (And while it is played with a degree of irony, The Royal Tenenbaums also boasts my favorite piece of classical music--Erik Satie's "Gymnopédie No. 1"--played when Ritchie visits Eli, who is doped off his gourd on mescaline.) The most poignant inclusions on the soundtrack are those of Vince Guaraldi from A Charlie Brown Christmas, because the characters in The Royal Tenenbaums are like the "Peanuts" gang all grown up--in a state of arrested development. These selections of music, along with the storybook presentation, give The Royal Tenenbaums an almost operatic theatricality--where the stage speaks to the existential suffering we all feel when familial stability is wounded and those affected need healing.
Recommended for: Fans of a charming and poignant story about family and the wounds we inflict on one another--and how those wounds can fester into deep-seated emotional problems. The Royal Tenenbaums is a story about accountability and bonding with our family, and about forgiveness--seeking it and allowing yourself to forgive another for your own sake.
The Royal Tenenbaums opens with a lengthy and stylized prologue, that sets the proverbial (and literal) stage for the Tenenbaum reunion many years later. The audience is introduced to a trio of gifted pre-teens; when we revisit them as adults, it is surprising to see how little they have grown psychologically, except for additional neuroses and bad habits. All three of the Tenenbaum children--including the adopted Margot--are affected by Royal's negligence, despite Etheline's efforts to raise her children as child prodigies by herself. Even with the assorted traumas that have affected them over the years when Royal wasn't a part of the picture, the film proposes that the real root of their existential suffering is due to Royal's absence as a positive father figure. Various scenes from the past show Royal committing such parental sins as turning on Chas during a game with BB guns, and callously criticizing Margot's play on her birthday; in the case of Ritchie, with whom he was the closest, all he had to do was leave to betray his trust. The various idiosyncrasies of the characters in The Royal Tenenbaums are not arbitrary. Chas' has grown more angry and paranoid after the recent loss of his wife, which has left him a terrified single parent of two. His belief is that by adhering to rigid discipline and order, he can prevent the next tragedy from befalling his kids, Ari (Grant Rosenmeyer) and Uzi (Jonah Meyerson). This response calls back to feelings of abandonment by Royal, since his wife's death represents another family member who has "left" him. He hosts middle of the night fire drills, and dresses his children in utilitarian track suits to match his own. He is in a constant state of overdrive and inner turmoil, which the return of his loathed father does little to quell. Chas' rage eats away at him, and over time it becomes evident that he is losing his self-control. It pains him to think that his father might be right about his overly controlling grip over his children leading to the kind of resentment that he feels for Royal. For someone like Chas, what worse fate could happen to him than turning into the man he hates? There is a lot of similarity between Chas and Royal, more than either might like to admit. Even Chas begins to display a lack of tact or diplomacy when he becomes stressed out in a crisis or feels out of control. Like Royal, Chas comes home to feel safe after getting "locked out" of his apartment. It's obvious that this is a dubious claim, but it is not that different from Royal's deceptive way of ingratiating himself back into the fold while he tries to prevent the courtship of his wife by her friend and accountant, Henry Sherman (Danny Glover).
Margot's malaise comes from a place of feeling unwanted and unloved, in spite of Etheline's efforts. She keeps secrets to feel empowered and secure, and to prevent people from betraying her trust as Royal did in her youth. Her knowledge that she is adopted weighs on her, and she is unsure of her place in the world. Margot feels that if her place isn't at home, it must be somewhere else, some place where she can escape. This accounts for why she runs away when confronted with a crisis and her history of wild behavior, eventually revealed to her milquetoast husband, Raleigh St. Clair (Bill Murray), by a private detective. Consider the scene in Margot's past when we learn how she lost her ring finger when she ran away from home at fourteen. It is less important that it was due to a wood-chopping accident, but that it came from her real father whom she sought out. Being hurt by both her adopted father on a psychological level and by her real father speaks to her lack of trust and desire to lead a double life. There is a sense that Etheline missed the boat in her parenting with Margot; she is unable to give her the same motherly advice as with Chas or Ritchie, because Margot knows that she is not her real mother. The best example of this is when Margot finally reveals to her mom that she has been a smoker for twenty-two years, to which her mother predictably replies, "I think you should quit". Even her sexual affairs, like with her neighbor and author of Western pulp fiction, Eli Cash (Owen Wilson), is more like self-abasement than love and is devoid of emotional resonance.
Ritchie's ennui comes from the feeling that his life lacks purpose...that despite his hopes and dreams, he will never achieve the one goal that means something to him: Margot. This comes across from the start of The Royal Tenenbaums; Ritchie is a natural at tennis, but he devotes his energies to other pursuits, like painting...the same picture of Margot over and over. His lack of focus is exacerbated by the absence of the father who used to take him out for questionable outings to the dog fights, and showered him with attention. Ritchie's soul drifts in a state of limbo, like the boat he has called home for so long; he only finally returns to shore after hearing of his father's impending death. Between the three children, it could be said that Ritchie is the saddest Tenenbaum. While I can sympathize with Chas for his overwhelming sense of betrayal and mistrust at a family member actively sabotaging the sanctity of the clan, the younger Ritchie doesn't have the sense of command over his life that Chas at least appears to have. His meltdown at the tennis court following the marriage of Margot to Raleigh represents just how fragile his ego really is--feeling unloved and abandoned by a father who should have treated his children better. Ritchie's suicide attempt is tragic, especially because of the pointlessness of it...how it only worries a family that already loves him. He hurts himself because he has become convinced that all of the other people who he craved affection from have only managed to hurt him. But hitting bottom helps Ritchie turn the corner. He alters his world view for the better, which shows in the way he looks and sounds...he is born again, and even goes out of his way to help Eli with his drug problem.
As always in Wes Anderson's films, the musical score establishes the tone of the story with a potent combination of sound and mise-en-scène. This includes vintage "British Invasion" era rock, like The Rolling Stones, as well as tracks like "These Days" by Nico, who was something of a model for Margot. Others include Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard", played as Royal gives Ari and Uzi some life lessons away from the overprotective confines of Chas' parenting. It might seem that Royal is trying to lure Chas' kids to the "dark side", but in reality, it is to prevent Chas' kids from growing up with the same kind of resentment that Chas carries for his father. (And while it is played with a degree of irony, The Royal Tenenbaums also boasts my favorite piece of classical music--Erik Satie's "Gymnopédie No. 1"--played when Ritchie visits Eli, who is doped off his gourd on mescaline.) The most poignant inclusions on the soundtrack are those of Vince Guaraldi from A Charlie Brown Christmas, because the characters in The Royal Tenenbaums are like the "Peanuts" gang all grown up--in a state of arrested development. These selections of music, along with the storybook presentation, give The Royal Tenenbaums an almost operatic theatricality--where the stage speaks to the existential suffering we all feel when familial stability is wounded and those affected need healing.
Recommended for: Fans of a charming and poignant story about family and the wounds we inflict on one another--and how those wounds can fester into deep-seated emotional problems. The Royal Tenenbaums is a story about accountability and bonding with our family, and about forgiveness--seeking it and allowing yourself to forgive another for your own sake.