Wes Anderson

The films of Wes Anderson are filled with eccentric characters, witty dialogue, immersive stories, and an ever-growing, loyal cast of today's finest actors and actresses. No two stories are similar, though his signature style permeates them all. Each frame is a precisely crafted work of art. The rich, vibrant colors and symmetric framing are Wes Anderson's trademark. I'm clearly biased, but I would consider Wes Anderson one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.

Biography

Wesley Wales Anderson was born May 1, 1969 in Houston, Texas to Melver Leonard Anderson and Texas Ann Burroughs. He is the second of three boys. His parents divorced when he was eight, initially causing him to act out in school. He eventually turned to his creative side as an outlet for his troubles. He became a lover of novels, television and movies.

Wes began to direct silent movies on his father’s Super 8 camera with his friends and brothers, Eric and Mel. He attended St. John’s, a K-12 school, in Houston, where he became well known for his elaborate stage productions. The productions were often based on well-known stories from books, TV and movies.

After graduating from St. John’s in 1987, Wes enrolled in college. He attended the University of Texas at Austin, whose alumni include great minds and creative talents such as:

Walter Cronkite: Famed CBS Evening News Anchor
Neil deGrasse Tyson: Prominent Astrophysicist
Jeb Bush: Former Florida Governor and Presidential Candidate
Lady Bird Johson: First Lady to President Lyndon B. Johson
Robert Rodriguez: Accomplished Screenwriter, Producer and Director
Richard Linklater: Accomplished Screenwriter, Director and Actor
Matthew McConaughey: Oscar Winning Actor

Also attending University of Texas at Austin was Owen Wilson. Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson first met in a playwriting class, although they didn’t have much interaction at first. Anderson is quoted as saying:

"…everybody, about nine of us, sat around a table and discussed plays. And I always sat in one corner, not really at the table, and Owen always sat in another corner, not really at the table, and we never spoke the whole semester."

They did realize they had friends in common, however. The two eventually bumped into each other and began to find a common love for writers and movies. Wes and Owen became fast friends, later roommates, and began to start working on a script for a full-length movie called Bottle Rocket. The movie would star Owen Wilson, as well as his brothers Luke and Andrew. Through Andrew Wilson’s connections in the film industry, the group was able to raise a modest budget and a stock of film. As resources began to dwindle, the full-length Bottle Rocket became a short film.

Anderson and his crew took the short film to the Sundance Film Festival where it caught the eye of James L. Brooks. Brooks helped to procure a larger budget for Bottle Rocket (to the tune of 5 million dollars) from Columbia Pictures. Although not a box office success, Bottle Rocket was well received by critics. The Wilson brothers would star in many more of Wes Anderson’s films, with Owen co-writing some of them with Wes.

After Bottle Rocket came Rushmore. Rushmore marked the beginning of a relationship with the one and only Bill Murray. Rushmore enjoyed much more publicity and received rave reviews from critics, as well as a critically acclaimed performance by Bill Murray. Despite being nominated for and winning many critical awards, Rushmore was also a box office disspapointment.

The Royal Tenenbaums

Though his first two movies weren’t box office successes, Wes Anderson’s third movie, The Royal Tenenbaums, was a breakout hit. The film was well received amongst critics and audiences alike. Of course, it didn’t hurt that it had an all-star cast, including:

The success of the now beloved The Royal Tenenbaums helped establish Wes Anderson as one of film’s greatest directors. Each of his following movies would only solidify this reputation. If you have not had the pleasure of viewing any or all of Wes Anderson’s films, please do yourself a favor and watch them.