Wes Anderson
Born	Wesley Wales Anderson May 1, 1969 (1969-05-01) (age 38) Houston, Texas, US
Occupation	film director and screenwriter
Awards won Academy Awards Nominated: Best Original Screenplay 2001 The Royal Tenenbaums

Wesley Wales Anderson (born May 1, 1969) is an American director, writer, and producer of features, short films and commercials. He was nominated for a 2001 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Houston redirects here. ... United States may refer to: Places: United States of America SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. ... Director Herbert Brenon with actress Alla Nazimova on the set of War Brides, 1916 A director is a person who directs the making of a film. ... Screenwriters, scenarists, or script writers, are authors who write the screenplays from which movies and television programs are made. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... The Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. ... The Royal Tenenbaums is the 2001 dramatic comedy about three genius siblings who experience great success in youth, and even greater disappointment and failure after their eccentric father leaves them in their adolescent years. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Director Herbert Brenon with actress Alla Nazimova on the set of War Brides, 1916 A director is a person who directs the making of a film. ... This list is poorly defined, permanently incomplete, or has become unverifiable or an indiscriminate list or repository of loosely associated topics. ... A film producer creates the conditions for making movies. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... A short film (also short or short subject) is a motion picture that is shorter than the average feature film. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... // The Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. ...

Biography

Anderson, the middle child of three brothers, was born in Houston, Texas. His father, Melver Leonard Anderson, was in advertising, and his mother, Texas Ann Burroughs, was an archaeologist and is now a real estate agent. Houston redirects here. ...

He attended both Westchester High School and St. John's School, a private school in Houston, which was later used as a filming location for his second film, Rushmore. Like Rushmore's protagonist Max Fischer, Anderson used to stage plays of his own direction on the stage of the now-demolished Hoodwink Theatre at St. John's. St. ... For the film of this title, see Private School (film). ... Rushmore is a 1998 movie directed by Wes Anderson. ...

Anderson studied philosophy at the University of Texas, where he met Owen Wilson. After making a short film version of Bottle Rocket, Anderson and Wilson attracted the notice of producer James L. Brooks. With his help they were able to get their short film into Sundance and secure funding for the feature-length version of Bottle Rocket. For other uses, see Philosophy (disambiguation). ... University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (full official name), often UT or Texas for short, is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System, the largest public university system in Texas, established in 1883. ... Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and writer. ... Short subject is an American film industry term that historically has referred to any film in the format of two reels, or approximately 20 minutes running time, or less. ... Bottle Rocket is a 1994 short film by director Wes Anderson. ... James L. Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is a three-time Academy Award, nineteen-time Emmy and Golden Globe-winning American producer, writer, and film director. ... The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival in the state of Utah in the United States. ... For other uses, see Bottle Rocket (disambiguation). ...

Anderson lives in New York City, Los Angeles, and Paris, France. He is friends with filmmaker Noah Baumbach, actor/screenwriter Owen Wilson, and Sofia Coppola. His brother, Eric, is a set designer on his films. His other brother, Mel, is a doctor. His father has his own Public Relations business in Houston. Noah Baumbach (born September 3, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American independent film writer and director. ... Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and writer. ... Sofia Carmina Coppola (born May 14, 1971) is an American film director, actress, producer and Academy Award-winning screenwriter. ... This article should appear in one or more categories. ...

Film Work

Wes Anderson has been called an auteur,^[1] heavily involved in every aspect of his films' production: writing, cinematography, production design, music selection, etc. The term auteur (French for author) is used to describe film directors (or, more rarely, producers or writers) who are considered to have a distinctive, recognizable vision, because they (a) repeatedly return to the same subject matter, (b) habitually address a particular psychological or moral theme, (c) employ a recurring...

Influences

Anderson has acknowledged that French directors François Truffaut and Louis Malle influenced his penchant for sympathetic tragicomedy, unconventional mise-en-scene, and personal approach to filmmaking.^{[citation needed]} He often cites Mike Nichols' The Graduate as a recurring inspiration.^{[citation needed]} He has stated that he is a fan of Hal Ashby. Anderson is also noted for drawing on famous works of American literature, particularly those of F. Scott Fitzgerald and J.D. Salinger.^{[citation needed]} Fitzgerald's famous quote, "There are no second acts in American lives," applies to many of Anderson's characters, who tend to fall quickly from their initial success and renown (although many of them make limited comebacks). Salinger influences are seen in Bottle Rocket (Anthony and his sister's relationship parallels Phoebe and Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye, and both girls have a friend named Bernice) and Rushmore (Max is expelled from his prestigious school, as is Caulfield). The family structure in The Royal Tenenbaums also echoes Salinger's Glass family, each of the Glass children being renowned to some degree in the same way each of the Tenenbaum children achieve their respective success. Also, the scene in The Royal Tenenbaums where Etheline visits Margot who is soaking in the bathtub mirrors much of Franny and Zooey where Zooey is soaking in the tub, smoking and talking to his mother, Bessie^{[citation needed]}. It is also worth noting that in Saliger's short story Down at the Dinghy we learn that the married name of the oldest Glass sister, Boo Boo, is Tannenbaum. François Roland Truffaut (French IPA: ) (February 6, 1932 – October 21, 1984) was one of the founders of the French New Wave in filmmaking, and remains an icon of the French film industry. ... Louis Malle (October 30, 1932 – November 23, 1995) was an Academy Award nominated French film director, working in both French and English. ... Tragicomedy refers to fictional works that blend aspects of the genres of tragedy and comedy. ... In film theory, mise-en-scène [mizA~sEn] refers to everything that is to appear before the camera and its arrangement -- sets, props, actors, costumes, camera movements and performances. ... Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky) is an Academy Award winning movie director of films such as The Graduate and Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. He was born on November 6, 1931 in Berlin, to a Jewish Russian family. ... For the novel of the same name, see The Graduate (novel). ... Hal Ashby (September 2, 1929 - December 27, 1988) was an American film director and Academy Award winner. ... Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American Jazz Age author of novels and short stories. ... Jerome David Salinger (born January 1, 1919) is an American author best known for The Catcher in the Rye, a classic coming-of-age story that has enjoyed enduring popularity since its publication in 1951. ... For other uses, see Bottle Rocket (disambiguation). ... The Catcher in the Rye is a novel by J. D. Salinger. ... The Royal Tenenbaums is the 2001 dramatic comedy about three genius siblings who experience great success in youth, and even greater disappointment and failure after their eccentric father leaves them in their adolescent years. ... The Glass family is a group of fictional characters that have been featured in a number of J.D. Salingers short stories. ... The Royal Tenenbaums is the 2001 dramatic comedy about three genius siblings who experience great success in youth, and even greater disappointment and failure after their eccentric father leaves them in their adolescent years. ... Franny and Zooey is a 1961 pair of stories, published together in book form, by J. D. Salinger, the author best known for The Catcher in the Rye. ... This is a list of items from the BBC television series Doctor Who. ... Down at The Dinghy is a short story by J. D. Salinger that was originally published in Harpers in April of 1949. ...

Anderson's stylized films also borrow youthful aesthetic qualities from comics such as Charles Schulz's Peanuts (The Royal Tenenbaums/Rushmore). A less well-known aesthetic influence is the French photographer Jacques Henri Lartigue: the name Zissou derives from Lartigue's brother's name, and his old photos reveal similarities with Anderson's visuals.^{[citation needed]} Charles Monroe Schulz (November 26, 1922 - February 12, 2000) was a 20th-century American cartoonist best known for his Peanuts comic strip. ... For other uses, see Peanut (disambiguation). ... The Royal Tenenbaums is the 2001 dramatic comedy about three genius siblings who experience great success in youth, and even greater disappointment and failure after their eccentric father leaves them in their adolescent years. ... Rushmore is a 1998 movie directed by Wes Anderson about an eccentric teenager named Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) and his friendship with rich industrialist Herman Blume (Bill Murray), and their mutual love for elementary school teacher Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). ... Jacques Henri Lartigue was a French photographer and painter. ...

Anderson has recently acknowledged that he went to India to film his 2007 film, The Darjeeling Limited partly as a tribute to the legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray, whose "films have also inspired all my other movies in different ways". He dedicated the movie to Ray's memory.^[2] The Darjeeling Limited is a comedy-drama film of a journey through India by three brothers, played by Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman. ... Satyajit Ray (Bengali:  ) (May 2, 1921–April 23, 1992) was a Bengali Indian filmmaker and polymath. ...

Trademarks

Wes Anderson is known for making independent type stylistic films. His films most often contain a mixture of poignancy and dry humor. Anderson’s films typically make use of slow motion shots, as well as folk and early rock music. The characters in his films are often somewhat damaged but are viewed in a passionate light. The depiction of escapism and companionship through the use of chemicals seems to be one of his trademarks also. At least one or more of the main characters in all of his films smokes cigarettes or marijuana, excessively drinks, takes pills etc. Additionally, his films often feature a heavy-smoking female character. A recurring character in Anderson's films is a respected middle aged male who is essentially a fraud. All of Anderson's films, with the exception of The Darjeeling Limited, end with slow motion sequences. Also, with the exception of the independently financed Bottle Rocket, his films all contain a similar visual style, primarily through the use of vivid pastel colors.

Collaborators

Anderson's films feature many of the same actors, crew members, and other collaborators:

• Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, and Andrew Wilson
• Bill Murray
• Seymour Cassel
• Anjelica Huston
• Kumar Pallana and son Dipak Pallana
• Noah Baumbach co-wrote The Life Aquatic, and wrote/directed his own film, The Squid and the Whale, with Anderson as producer
• Robert Yeoman, A.S.C., cinematographer
• Mark Mothersbaugh, composer of original music
• Friends Stephen Dignan and Brian Tenenbaum (also character name inspirations)
• Eric Chase Anderson (Wes' brother)
• Jason Schwartzman

Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and writer. ... Luke Cunningham Wilson (born September 21, 1971) is an American film actor. ... Andrew Cunningham Wilson (born August 22, 1964) is a film actor from Dallas, Texas. ... William James Bill Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning American comedian and actor. ... Seymour Joseph Cassel (born January 22, 1935 or 1937[1]) is an Academy Award-nominated American character actor. ... Anjelica Huston (born July 8, 1951) is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe Award-winning American actress and former fashion model. ... Kumar Pallana (born in central India, 1919) is an Indian character actor and vaudevillian entertainer best known for his work with director Wes Anderson in four films: Bottle Rocket, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums and The Darjeeling Limited. ... Noah Baumbach (born September 3, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American independent film writer and director. ... The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is Wes Andersons fourth feature length film and was released in the U.S. on December 25, 2004. ... The Squid and the Whale is a 2005 drama film written and directed by Noah Baumbach. ... Robert David Yeoman, A.S.C. Robert Yeoman was born on 10 March, 1951 in Philidelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) is not a labor union or guild, but rather an educational, cultural and professional organization. ... Mark Mothersbaugh (born May 18, 1950, in Akron, Ohio) is an American musician, composer, singer, and painter. ... This article should appear in one or more categories. ... Jason Francesco Schwartzman (born June 26, 1980) is an American actor and musician. ...

Soundtracks

Anderson's films are as frequently acclaimed for their choice of soundtrack music, most notably the work of Mark Mothersbaugh in four of his five films. Other artists frequently featured in Anderson's soundtracks include:

• The Rolling Stones: "2000 Man" in Bottle Rocket, "I Am Waiting" in Rushmore, "She Smiled Sweetly" and "Ruby Tuesday" in The Royal Tenenbaums, "Play with Fire" in The Darjeeling Limited
• The Kinks: "Nothing in This World Can Stop Me Worrying About That Girl" in Rushmore; "This Time Tomorrow," "Strangers," and "Powerman" in The Darjeeling Limited
• The Who: "A Quick One While He's Away" in Rushmore
• Bob Dylan: "Main Title Theme (Billy)" and "Wigwam" in The Royal Tenenbaums
• David Bowie: Multiple songs in The Life Aquatic, performed by himself or (more frequently) in Portuguese by Seu Jorge
• Cat Stevens: "Here Comes My Baby" and "The Wind" in Rushmore
• John Lennon: "Oh Yoko" in Rushmore and "Look At Me" in The Royal Tenenbaums ("Hey Jude", written primarily by Paul McCartney, was also used at the beginning of the film.)

Rolling Stones redirects here. ... The Kinks were an English rock group formed in 1963 by lead singer-songwriter Ray Davies, his brother, lead guitarist and vocalist Dave Davies, and bassist Pete Quaife. ... The Who are a British rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... This article is about the recording artist. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 1947 January 8) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... Seu Jorge playing at the 2006 Coachella Festival Seu Jorge (b. ... Yusuf Islam[2] (born Steven Demetre Georgiou on 21 July 1948 in London), who was known as Cat Stevens from 1966 to 1978, is an English musician, singer-songwriter, educator, philanthropist and prominent convert to Islam. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ...

Recent work

In 2005, Anderson produced The Squid and the Whale, written and directed by Life Aquatic co-writer Noah Baumbach. It won two awards at the Sundance Film Festival.^{[citation needed]} In 2006, he directed and starred in a "My Life, My Card" American Express commercial. The Squid and the Whale is a 2005 drama film written and directed by Noah Baumbach. ... Noah Baumbach (born September 3, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American independent film writer and director. ... The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival in the state of Utah in the United States. ...

Owen Wilson reunited with Anderson on the 2007 film, The Darjeeling Limited. The script is written by Anderson, Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman.^[3] Anderson's stop-motion animation adaptation of the Roald Dahl book, Fantastic Mr Fox is slated for 2009 release. The Darjeeling Limited is a comedy-drama film of a journey through India by three brothers, played by Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman. ... Roman Coppola (born 22 April 1965 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) is an American film director and music video director. ... Jason Francesco Schwartzman (born June 26, 1980) is an American actor and musician. ... Stop motion is an animation technique which makes things that are static appear to be moving. ... Roald Dahl (IPA: ) (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a Welsh novelist, short story author and screenwriter of Norwegian parentage, famous as a writer for both children and adults. ... Fantastic Mr. ...

Acclaim and criticism

Critical reviews of Anderson's early work were positive, with some exceptions. His second film Rushmore was a critical darling, and many argued that Anderson would soon become a major artistic voice in American cinema.^{[citation needed]} Many critics noted a strong sense of sympathetic but intelligent humanism in Anderson's films that linked them to the work of Jean Renoir and François Truffaut.^{[citation needed]} Filmmaker Martin Scorsese is a fan of Anderson's, praising Bottle Rocket and Rushmore in an Esquire magazine article.^{[citation needed]} The Royal Tenenbaums was also a critical favorite and garnered Anderson an Academy Award nomination. The film was his first high-profile commercial success, featuring several established movie stars.^{[citation needed]} Rushmore is a 1998 movie directed by Wes Anderson about an eccentric teenager named Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) and his friendship with rich industrialist Herman Blume (Bill Murray), and their mutual love for elementary school teacher Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). ... Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (September 15, 1894 – February 12, 1979), born in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, France was a film director. ... François Roland Truffaut (French IPA: ) (February 6, 1932 – October 21, 1984) was one of the founders of the French New Wave in filmmaking, and remains an icon of the French film industry. ... Martin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese (IPA: AmE: ; Ita: []) (b. ... For other uses, see Bottle Rocket (disambiguation). ... Esquire is a magazine for men owned by the Hearst Corporation. ... The Royal Tenenbaums is the 2001 dramatic comedy about three genius siblings who experience great success in youth, and even greater disappointment and failure after their eccentric father leaves them in their adolescent years. ... // The Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. ...

In September 2006, following the disappointing commercial and critical reception of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Steely Dan's Walter Becker and Donald Fagen released a tongue-in-cheek "letter of intervention" of Anderson's artistic "malaise". Proclaiming themselves to be fans of "World Cinema" and Anderson in particular, they offered Anderson their soundtrack services for his The Darjeeling Limited, including lyrics for a title track.^[4] The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is Wes Andersons fourth feature length film and was released in the U.S. on December 25, 2004. ... Steely Dan is a Grammy-Award winning American jazz rock band centered on core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. ... The Darjeeling Limited is a comedy-drama film of a journey through India by three brothers, played by Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman. ...

Anderson has also been criticized by journalist Jonah Weiner for his allegedly shallow portrayals of non-white characters. [1] Reihan Salam of The Atlantic Monthly offered a rebuttal to this line of criticism. [2]

Advertising

In September 2007, Wes Anderson oversaw a series of six commercials for AT&T: “College Kid,” “Reporter,” “Mom,” “Architect,” “Actor” and “Businessman.” The campaign also includes online, print and outdoor advertising. These TV spots are part of AT&T's "Your Seamless World" national campaign from BBDO/New York. Each ad embodies Anderson's distinct style by focusing on a subject and having the environment around them change. Each of the six AT&T commercials introduces us to a different AT&T customer ranging from an architect, an actor and a mother to a reporter, salesman and student. As each of these people comes before the camera and talks about the different, far-reaching locales where he or she needs cell-phone service, the visuals behind the customer change dramatically to reflect the different destinations.

The "Reporter" piece was subject to controversy when several Lebanese-American groups protested its airing as ignorant given the complex and sensitive nature of the Lebanese political situation. The ad portrayed photojournalists dodging bullets on a Beirut rooftop while the city was being bombed. It was subsequently pulled from rotation after the assassination of Antoine Ghanem on September 19, 2007 with AT&T and BBDO issuing public apologies.[3]

Anderson also starred in and directed an American Express "My Life, My Card" commercial, which chronicled the "filming" of an action movie starring Jason Schwartzman. Anderson acts as if he is being interviewed by someone from American Express for the ad, while walking around completing tasks on set. It was aired on television and in movie theaters in both a short and extended version, during and shortly after the theatrical release of The Life Aquatic. American Express (NYSE: AXP), sometimes known as AmEx or Amex, is a diversified global financial services company, headquartered in New York City. ... Jason Francesco Schwartzman (born June 26, 1980) is an American actor and musician. ... The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is Wes Andersons fourth feature length film and was released in the U.S. on December 25, 2004. ...

Fashion

Anderson has become increasingly known for his contemporary suits, which he wears on most occasions from directing to giving talks. Many fashion critics have complimented him on his style, and use of traditional designs. At the London International Film Festival, Anderson commented that he was surprised at the attention, and that the suits were made by a gentleman on New York's 5th Avenue for him.^{[citation needed]} The Times BFI London Film Festival is the UKs largest public film event, screening 300 films from 60 countries. ... This article is about the state. ... Street sign at Fifth Avenue and East 57th street Fifth Avenue is a major thoroughfare in New York City. ...

Filmography

Feature films

• Bottle Rocket (1996)
• Rushmore (1998)
• The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
• The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
• The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
• Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

For other uses, see Bottle Rocket (disambiguation). ... Rushmore is a 1998 movie directed by Wes Anderson about an eccentric teenager named Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) and his friendship with rich industrialist Herman Blume (Bill Murray), and their mutual love for elementary school teacher Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). ... The Royal Tenenbaums is the 2001 dramatic comedy about three genius siblings who experience great success in youth, and even greater disappointment and failure after their eccentric father leaves them in their adolescent years. ... The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is Wes Andersons fourth feature length film and was released in the U.S. on December 25, 2004. ... The Darjeeling Limited is a comedy-drama film of a journey through India by three brothers, played by Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman. ... Fantastic Mr. ...

Short films

• Bottle Rocket (1994)
• Hotel Chevalier (2007)

For other uses, see Bottle Rocket (disambiguation). ... Hotel Chevalier is a 2007 short film by director Wes Anderson. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Walter Carl Becker (born February 20, 1950 in New York, New York) is the guitarist (and sometimes electric bassist) half of the duo at the core of the jazz-rock group Steely Dan. ... Donald Jay Fagen (born January 10, 1948 in Passaic, New Jersey) is an American musician and songwriter, best known as co-writer, co-founder, singer, and pianist with the jazz-rock band Steely Dan. ... Steely Dan is a Grammy-Award winning American jazz rock band centered on core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Into The Deep, in-depth Anderson profile at The Guardian
• "Wes Anderson", brief profile by Martin Scorsese
• Wes Anderson interviews Bill Murray at Interview
• Announcement of Wes Anderson's new film The Darjeeling Limited
• Wes Anderson at the Internet Movie Database
• IONCINEMA.com interview with Wes Anderson for The Darjeeling Limited
• The Rushmore Academy - The Films of Wes Anderson (fan site)
• Wes Anderson Interview on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos