Every Wes Anderson Film Ranked Worst To Best

The fact that Wes Anderson’s second feature film has been selected for preservation by the Library of Congress, an honour reserved for films that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” should tell you just how impressive of a talent he has been from early on in his career.

The story follows high-school overachiever Max Fischer as he and his older friend, played by Bill Murray, compete for the affections of an elementary school teacher. The way that Murray and Fischer’s romantic sparring slowly escalates from harmless pranks to absurd and dangerous revenge plots is the stuff of comedic genius.

Anderson’s always quality character work is on top form here, with even the insufferably stuck-up Max feeling like a real person that the audience can sympathise with, including in his most morally questionable moments.

There are no real winners or losers in this story and Anderson truly makes his mark with this tale of oddballs of all ages just trying to fit in.