6. Bottle Rocket
Andersons 1st feature film release in 1996 and one that is quietly impressive if flawed. The film stars Owen Wilson as Dignan who rescues his brother Luke who plays Anthony from a voluntary psychiatric unit, in short, meaning he could walk out at any time he wished. Dignan has an elaborate escape planned and has developed a 75-year plan that he shows to Anthony, indicative of the approach to life Dignan has. The plan is to pull off several heists and then meet Mr. Henry, a landscaper and part-time criminal known to Dignan and thus begins the Commercially the film was a failure, barely making $1 million dollars off its $7 million budget, however it did provide the launch pad that Anderson needed to move into his later feature films and hence Bottle Rocket has become something of a cult film, with the success of Anderson subsequent film allowing a new audience to be introduced. Critically the film faired well, with the majority praising the casting choices, in particular James Caan who provides the needed flurry of activity in the films final act and the use of humour, something that would become a staple of Andersons work, is particularly strong, most prominently in the bookstore robbery which provides one of the funnier moments in Andersons catalogue. Its a credit to both Anderson and Wilson for the comedic approach with which their screenplay developed into and while Bottle Rocket may not appeal to everyone, it certainly differs from the material Anderson produced later in his career. If you are an Anderson fan and have somehow missed this, take the opportunity to do so. You may be pleasantly surprised.