Back in early 2000, Esquire magazine ran an article wherein they asked a number of hotshot critics their opinion as to who "the next Scorsese" might be. David O. Russell (Spanking the Monkey, Three Kings) and Alexander Payne (Election, About Schmidt) were mentioned and I remember someone thought Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia) might be a good candidate. Longtime movie critic Andrew Sarris picked Kevin Smith (Clerks) and The New York Times' Elvis Mitchell went with the Wachowski brothers (a questionable choice, I wonder if he now regrets it?).

The magazine also posed the question to Scorsese himself. Interestingly enough, the great auteur passed the baton to Wes Anderson, a relative newcomer, based on two films: Bottle Rocket and Rushmore (The Royal Tenenbaums had yet to be released).

I also recall, around the same time frame, Scorsese weighing in with his top ten movies from the 1990s. Sitting across the aisle from Roger Ebert, the influential director made it known that Bottle Rocket was, indeed, a favorite. This was very high praise and while I won't go so far as to agree with him, I think I know what he's responding to. For, in many ways, Bottle Rocket is an extraordinary debut.

While I don't know whether Wes Anderson is "the next Scorsese" or not, I do know that Bottle Rocket is worth seeing (so, too, is "Rushmore" although I'm less enthusiastic in regards to "The Royal Tenenbaums"). In the simplest of terms, Bottle Rocket works because of Anderson's enormous affection for his characters.

That affection may seem misplaced or inappropriate in light of the fact that the story involves three twentysomething slackers who embark on a crime spree. And the question is seriously raised when, late in the film, Dignan (co-writer Owen Wilson), the gang's leader and mastermind, declares himself innocent. Caught red-handed in a botched robbery attempt, he's hardly innocent although certainly inept. Nevertheless we feel for the guy because we've come to understand him, to see him as naïve and immature, to see him, in other words, in a favorable light.

If Bottle Rocket is beginning to sound like something Quentin Tarantino might have penned, think again. It's not a heavy drama; it's not Reservoir Dogs. No, it's much lighter than that, a comedy, although ultimately a rather touching one.

Set primarily in Texas, the movie opens in Arizona. It is here that Anthony (Luke Wilson, Owen's real-life brother) is seen escaping from a voluntary mental hospital. We soon discover this "escape" is merely a ruse to appease his buddy Dignan. Anthony leaves the facility freely and of his own accord, albeit out the window instead of the front door.

On a bus trip back to their home turf, Dignan goes over the 75-year plan he's outlined for the two of them, which begins with a practice burglary (at Anthony's house, his parents away) and progresses to an actual bookstore robbery where several employees are held at gunpoint. A third friend, Bob Mapplethorpe (Robert Musgrave), has joined the team at this point. Bob's the getaway driver in that he's the only one among the trio who owns a car.

On the lam the three check into a middle of nowhere motel where Dignan tries to convince the other two that crime pays ("I don't think we get anywhere by complaining guys"). Here Anthony falls in love with Inez (Lumi Cavazos), a Paraguayan housemaid who speaks little English and Bob learns his bullying brother has been arrested back home. Soon the gang falls apart as Bob checks out, taking his car with him, and a fight breaks out between Anthony and Dignan when the former gives away most of their loot to Inez ("You don't give a five hundred dollar tip to the housekeeper—that's inappropriate").

The second half of Bottle Rocket sees the gang reunited, for better or worse, with Dignan planning a major caper under the tutelage of Mr. Henry (James Caan), an enigmatic local gangster. Mr. Henry owns the landscaping company (the "Lawn Wranglers") where Dignan once worked—a front, apparently, for his more dubious enterprises. Mr. Henry feels Dignan has "the guts of a damn lion" but it takes more than courage to pull off a successful heist and so an elaborate plan to rob a cold-storage warehouse in matching yellow jumpsuits goes predictably awry.

Bottle Rocket won't win you over with its meandering plot. The movie succeeds solely on the strength of its characters and their comic misadventures (the fact that the principals give solid performances helps). Anderson, too, is well served by cinematographer Robert Yeoman (who shot Drugstore Cowboy, a favorite from the 1980s) and editor David Moritz. Bottle Rocket is occasionally very funny. It's also fast-paced and consistently engaging.

The modest film is full of charming moments and subtle nuances. I'm particularly fond of a tender scene between Anthony and his grade-school sister that recalls Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. But that is just one among many.

I also appreciate Anderson's careful attention to the soundtrack (this is true of his other films as well). Here he nicely integrates three rather offbeat songs ("2000 Man" from The Rolling Stones, "Over And Done With" by The Proclaimers, and Love's "Alone Again or"). Place the director next to Tarantino in his ability to create a memorable soundtrack.

I don't know, maybe Dignan's enthusiasm is catchy, but I found Bottle Rocket enjoyable, though its appeal (like the titular firework) may be short-lived. Three stars and I eagerly anticipate Anderson's latest, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou.


Recommended: Yes