The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Coming Out at 14 December 2001 in theaters.
Comedy, Drama
The Royal Tenenbaums is comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson and co-written with Owen Wilson. The film stars Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, and Owen Wilson. Ostensibly based on a non-existent novel, and told with a narrative influenced by the literature of J.D. Salinger, the story follows the lives of three gifted siblings who experience great success in youth, and even greater disappointment and failure in adulthood. The children’s eccentric father Royal Tenenbaum (Hackman) leaves them in their adolescent years, returning to them after they have grown, and falsely claiming to have a terminal illness. Long after he was shunned by his family, Royal gradually reconciles with his children and ex-wife (Huston).
With a variety of influences, including Louis Malle’s 1963 film The Fire Within and Orson Welles’ 1942 film The Magnificent Ambersons, the story involves themes of the dysfunctional family, lost greatness, and redemption. An absurdist and ironic sense of humor pervades the film, which features a soundtrack subsequently released in two albums.
The Royal Tenenbaums was shot in and around New York City, including a house in Harlem used for the Tenenbaum residence. The filmmakers went to efforts to distinguish the film’s backgrounds from a recognizable New York, with fashions and sets combining the appearances of different time periods.
After debuting at the New York Film Festival, The Royal Tenenbaums received positive reviews from critics and was Anderson’s most financially successful film until 2014’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. Hackman won a Golden Globe for his performance, and the screenwriters were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. In 2016, it was included in BBC’s 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century.
Director: Wes Anderson
Writers: Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson
Stars: Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray
Cast:
| Gene Hackman | … | Royal Tenenbaum |
| Anjelica Huston | … | Etheline Tenenbaum |
| Ben Stiller | … | Chas Tenenbaum |
| Gwyneth Paltrow | … | Margot Tenenbaum |
| Luke Wilson | … | Richie Tenenbaum |
| Owen Wilson | … | Eli Cash |
| Bill Murray | … | Raleigh St. Clair |
| Danny Glover | … | Henry Sherman |
| Seymour Cassel | … | Dusty |
| Kumar Pallana | … | Pagoda |
| Alec Baldwin | … | Narrator (voice) |
| Grant Rosenmeyer | … | Ari Tenenbaum |
| Jonah Meyerson | … | Uzi Tenenbaum |
| Aram Aslanian-Persico | … | Young Chas Tenenbaum |
| Irina Gorovaia | … | Young Margot Tenenbaum |
| Amedeo Turturro | … | Young Richie Tenenbaum |
| Stephen Lea Sheppard | … | Dudley Heinsbergen |
| James Fitzgerald | … | Young Eli Cash |
| Larry Pine | … | Peter Bradley |
| Don McKinnon | … | Detective |
| Frank Wood | … | Hotel Manager |
| Al Thompson | … | Walter Sherman |
| Jennifer Wachtell | … | Rachael Tenenbaum |
| Donal Lardner Ward | … | Hotel Clerk |
| Andrew Wilson | … | Farmer Father / Tex Hayward |
| Dipak Pallana | … | Doctor |
| Sanjay Mathew | … | Sanjay Gandhi |
| Mary Wigmore | … | Chas’ Secretary |
| Sonam Wangmo | … | Sing-Sang |
| Gita Gabriel | … | Facialist |
| Pawel Wdowczak | … | Neville Smythe-Dorleac |
| Peter Leung | … | Yasuo Oshima |
| William Sturgis | … | Franklin Benedict |
| Liam Craig | … | Reporter in Blue Cardigan |
| Sheelagh Tellerday | … | Eli’s Aunt |
| Max Faugno | … | Cote d’Ivoire Attendant |
| Guido Venitucci | … | Cote d’Ivoire Radio Operator |
| Ebon Moss-Bachrach | … | Frederick – Bellboy |
| Brian Smiar | … | Elderly ‘Baumer’ Fan #1 |
| Jan Austell | … | Elderly ‘Baumer’ Fan #2 |
| Rony Clanton | … | Cemetery Maintenance Man |
| Salim Malik | … | Anwar |
| Tom Lacy | … | Judge |
| Keith Charles | … | Royal’s Lawyer |
| Greg Goossen | … | Gypsy Cab Driver |
| Saidah Arrika Ekulona | … | Nurse |
| Vic Mata | … | Sanchez |
| Michael J. Conti | … | Irish Longshoreman |
| Tatiana Abbey | … | Parisian Girl |
| Kalani Queypo | … | New Guinea Tribesman |
| Mel Cannon | … | Punk Rocker |
| Leo Manuelian | … | Eli’s Egyptian Friend |
| Amir Raissi | … | Eli’s Egyptian Friend |
| Roger Shamas | … | Eli’s Egyptian Friend |
| Philip Denning | … | Father Petersen |
| Gary Evans | … | Police Officer |
| Rex Robbins | … | Mr. Levinson |
| Nova Landaeus-Skinnar | … | Elaine Levinson |
| Sam Hoffman | … | Paramedic |
| Brian Tenenbaum | … | Paramedic |
| Stephen Dignan | … | Paramedic |
| Eric Chase Anderson | … | Medical Student |
| Wes Anderson | … | Tennis Match Commentator #1 (voice) |
| Tomm Bauer | … | Tennis Ball Boy |
| Andrea Bianchi | … | Paramedic |
| Ray Castellanos | … | Grocery Clerk |
| Sarah Chaney | … | Number 1 Fan |
| Blaze Kelly Coyle | … | Tennis Socialite |
| Michael Cuomo | … | Tennis Fan |
| Ben Dasaro | … | Tennis Tournament Director |
| Dimitri DeFresco | … | Archeology Student |
| Sherrie Fell | … | Secratary |
| Vivian Kalinov | … | Upscale Theatre Attendee (Audience Member) |
| Daniel Koenig | … | Tennis Fan |
| Elizabeth Logan | … | Tennis Fan |
| Seth Michael May | … | Archeologist |
| Lian Moy | … | Patron |
| Kevin Kean Murphy | … | Archaeologist |
| Macc Plaise | … | Jamaican Band Member |
| Ronald Rand | … | Doctor |
| Neil Riddaway | … | Asian |
| Alem Brhan Sapp | … | Desmond |
| Kaipo Schwab | … | Polynesian Chief |
| Rolando J. Vargas | … | Student |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia