Columbia Pictures
Gracie Films
Not part of a collection.
Bottle Rocket
They're not really criminals, but everyone's got to have a dream.
Upon his release from a mental hospital following a nervous breakdown, the directionless Anthony joins his friend Dignan, who seems far less sane than the former. Dignan has hatched a harebrained scheme for an as-yet-unspecified crime spree that somehow involves his former boss, the (supposedly) legendary Mr. Henry.
- Original title
- Bottle Rocket
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- $7,000,000
- Revenue
- $1,040,879
r96sk
Jul 8, 2025 · via TMDB
<em>'Bottle Rocket'</em> felt like it was running on fumes for me, the conclusion is an improvement on what procedes but it doesn't quite do enough to salvage my feelings towards this Wes Anderson feature directorial debut. With that noted, I didn't explicitly dislike it either. Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson make their acting bows, quite interesting that the brothers don't actually portray brothers; kinda refreshing to see, actually. Robert Musgrave and James Caan are also involved. Owen is the standout in my opinion, though the main trio are on a similar-ish level. It coulda done with more laughs, but that's obviously a personal thing - no doubt many will find it funny, just not me; albeit with a few chuckles scattered in there. It also isn't the most Wes Anderson-y film, with his signature MO evidently not quite fully developed yet (as expected, tbf).
Len Smith
Apr 26, 2022 · via TMDB
It's always staggering to me that _Bottle Rocket_ is almost universally considered one of Wes Anderson's worst movies. Seeing the sub-70% rating on this website nearly broke my heart. And since there were no reviews of the film, I decided it was my duty as a _Bottle Rocket_ stan to make a feeble attempt at evangelizing on its behalf. People complain about how twee and pretentious Anderson's movies come across. Yet, somehow, as one of his movies that largely sidesteps those pitfalls, Bottle Rocket usually gets shit on the most. Part of the "problem" is that there's a subtlety to the humor and the storytelling that is unmatched in Anderson's filmography. It's not as "mainstream quirky" as a _Moonrise Kingdom_, nor does it have the flashiness (relatively speaking) of a _Rushmore_ or a _Life Aquatic_. It's much more than that -- to me, at least. It's a very low-stakes film, something which I always appreciate in my fiction. It's just a bunch of morons who want to be criminals. Why? Because they're morons and they have names like Dignan and Applejack and it's funny. You want a compelling plot, go watch _The Royal Tenenbaums_. You want to laugh at Owen Wilson dressing up in a banana-colored jumpsuit and riding around on a tiny motorcycle, _Bottle Rocket_'s ya boy. Luke Wilson's Anthony is, ostensibly, the star of this film. His struggle with his vague mental illness really resonates with me because I, too, am nuts. Owen Wilson is the main attraction here, though. He brings a sort of low-key freneticism to Dignan that always makes me smile. Look at that little guy go. I honestly don't think Wes Anderson has ever written a better character, though I know that I'm, inexplicably, the only person in the world who thinks that. I don't know what I can say to make people like this movie more. It's good! It's fun and cute and sweet! It's very Wes Anderson without being too Wes Anderson. You know? I would think more people would appreciate that. If this were made today, Timothee Chalamet would undoubtedly be cast as one of the two leads, so let's be glad it lives forever encased in 1996 carbonite.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Luke Wilson
Anthony Adams
Owen Wilson
Dignan
Robert Musgrave
Bob Mapplethorpe
Lumi Cavazos
Inez
James Caan
Mr. Abe Henry
Andrew Wilson
John "Future Man" Mapplethorpe
Ned Dowd
Dr. Nichols
Jenni Tooley
Stacy Sinclair
Kumar Pallana
Kumar
Darryl Cox
Bookstore Manager
Stephen Dignan
Rob
Melinda Renna
Anita
Julio Cesar Cedillo
Man outside Bar
Tak Kubota
Rowboat
Russell Towery
Cop
Ben Loggins
Cop
Antonia Bogdanovich
Girl at Psych Hospital (uncredited)
Amanda Welles
Bob's Date
David Wasco
Production Design
Sandy Reynolds-Wasco
Set Decoration
Robert D. Yeoman
Director of Photography
Ralph Watson
Steadicam Operator
Russell Towery
Stunt Coordinator
Wes Anderson
Director
Andrew Wilson
Associate Producer
L.M. Kit Carson
Co-Producer
James L. Brooks
Executive Producer
Michael Taylor
Executive Producer
Richard Sakai
Executive Producer
Polly Platt
Producer
Mark Mothersbaugh
Original Music Composer
Owen Wilson
Writer
Wes Anderson
Writer
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Feb 21, 1996
