# Help Me Understand Wes Anderson Films (Moonrise Kingdom) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 31, 2012, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641 "2012-12-31T06:29:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/21 "2013-01-01T04:34:50Z")
> [@grude](#): > > The Darjeeling Limited had some of the most obnoxious characters to ever grace the screen, I absolutely hate the fact I had to spent two hours with them. Indeed. Halfway through the movie, they mentioned a man-eating tiger. Ever seen From Dusk Till Dawn? It’s a movie that starts off like some sort of lowlife criminal flick, and transitions halfway through into a vampire horror movie. I desperately wanted Darjeeling Limited to experience a similar tone-shift, as the horrible brothers were picked off one by one by the carnivore. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/22 "2013-01-01T18:56:10Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > No, it isn’t this. I actually like offbeat quirky movies. I specifically dislike like “Hollywood” movies. I don’t like being spoon fed movie clues. I like tragedy, and so on. > > Also to address madmonk28’s points, I loved the overly staged aspect of the show. It was visually beautiful. > > Regarding the story/ plot. Yes I know the plot. But it was a plot in as much as Forrest Gump had a plot. I could rattle off the chain of events but it was written in a way that didn’t create any tension. Nothing to make me want to hang around for the next scene. > > The main characters themselves barely seemed to have any interest in each other. They seemed to have a ‘sure, whatever’ attitude about everything they did. > > I’m glad he he found his market. And I’m glad some enjoy his stuff but it baffles me. It’s totally cool that you didn’t like this movie. I am not sure you know why (as douchey as that sounds.) When you say it “was written in a way that didn’t create tension.” That is what I mean by “Hollywood tropes and cues to ellicit an emotional response.” Generally movies are written in a way to get people to feel a certain way. Conflicts are used at certain points in a narrative to rachet up stress or just too create a “story.” Believe it or not, story telling tends to be very formulaic. x+x= sadness, x-y= catharsis, x+y=joy, etc. What i think Wes does is that he uses these devices but he kind of uses them ironically. Usually in his films there is some majorly contrived, conflict towards the end that shakes everyone to their senses. Spoilers! In Moonrise, it was that storm. In Steve Zissou it was the kidnapping. In Darjeeling, the kids death. In The Tenenbaums, the car accident. etc, etc. I think this probably takes people out of the story or turns people off. Another criticism I can see is that characters can be one dimensional (to the point where alot of them wear uniforms!) The broadness makes people not “relate” to them. The other thing is of course the overall artistic design. He has a very distinct visual aesthetic that people have a tough time with. Another thing is the camera work. His camera work and frame composition (or whoever is the cinematographer) borrows heavily from 2 sources (Stanley Kubrick and The French New Wave.) You don’t see camera work in many films that use these more experimental styles. That can take people out of the film. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/23 "2013-01-01T18:58:21Z")
> [@grude](#): > > The Darjeeling Limited had some of the most obnoxious characters to ever grace the screen, I absolutely hate the fact I had to spent two hours with them. If you think those guys are bad, do yourself a favor and don’t watch any Kevin Smith movies… ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/24 "2013-01-01T19:34:07Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > …not to be judgmental or anything :). > > My favorite movies include City of Lost Children and Brazil. I think it’s fair to say I’m not especially interested in “typical Hollywood reality.” And I’ve hated each WA movie I’ve seen more than the last. > > I think he’s like Judd Apatow. They both make movies about pitiful man-children. One such movie is fine, because the characters are fascinating terrible freaks. But after awhile the schtick gets old. Who was the pitiful man child in _Moonrise Kngdom_? I guess Bill Murray came close, but even he was a successful lawyer, though one trapped in a loveless dying marriage. Bruce Willis and Ed Norton’s characters displayed physical and moral courage. Can’t really think of anyone who fits the bill. ETA: this was my favorite movie of 2012, though _The Avengers_ came in a close second. I agree with **tomcar** that it had a fairly linear, straightforward plot. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/25 "2013-01-01T20:18:49Z")
All movies are mannered. The only thing distinguishing them is that they are mannered in different ways. You won’t realize this for many years until you go back to see one of today’s films and say to yourself, “Wow, this movie is so typically 2013. How did people watch this without realizing how weird the films then were?” This is why it’s a good idea to see movies which come from many different times, which were made in many different countries, and which display many different styles. It teaches you that your own tastes are not universal. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/26 "2013-01-01T23:58:16Z")
I like Wes Anderson movies in general, although for some reason I was a bit underwhelmed by _Moonrise Kingdom_. Maybe I’d just heard too much beforehand about how great it was, how it was Anderson’s best movie ever, how people who don’t even like Wes Anderson liked it, etc. Tangent, but I also generally like Tim Burton but thought his _Dark Shadows_ movie was pretty weak. Partway through I started thinking how much better it would have been if Wes Anderson had directed it. A dark comedy about regular 1970s folks interacting with vampires and witches might seem like material best suited to Burton, but this was _also_ a movie about an extended family of eccentric white people living in a big old decaying house together. They have a live-in psychiatrist, a detail that seems almost like something from a parody of a Wes Anderson movie. With some recasting of the lead roles (e.g. swap Angelica Huston for Michelle Pfeiffer) it would have been a pretty typical Anderson movie, only with vampires, which sounds entertaining to me. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/27 "2013-01-02T01:13:05Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Who was the pitiful man child in _Moonrise Kngdom_? I guess Bill Murray came close, but even he was a successful lawyer, though one trapped in a loveless dying marriage. Bruce Willis and Ed Norton’s characters displayed physical and moral courage. Can’t really think of anyone who fits the bill. Hmmm…looking over my contributions, I’m realizing I’m perilously close to threadshitting, because while I’m talking with people in general about my problems with Wes Anderson movies (I’ve seen four of them), I haven’t seen Moonrise Kingdom. Several people told me that despite my strong dislike for Darjeeling Limited I’d love Fantastic Mr. Fox, and that movie filled me with such rage that I swore the director off forever. Several people have told me that despite my hatred of Fox, I’d enjoy Moonrise Kingdom, but I’m not willing to risk it. It may be that the loathsome narcissists that star in and ruin his previous pictures don’t show up in this one, but I’ll never know :). ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/28 "2013-01-02T05:13:13Z")
I’ve enjoyed all of Anderson’s movies with the exception of _Darjeeling Limited_. I thought _Moonrise Kingdom_ was great. If you don’t like Wes Anderson movies then you probably shouldn’t watch Wes Anderson movies. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/29 "2013-01-02T05:30:57Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Hmmm…looking over my contributions, I’m realizing I’m perilously close to threadshitting, because while I’m talking with people in general about my problems with Wes Anderson movies (I’ve seen four of them), I haven’t seen Moonrise Kingdom. Several people told me that despite my strong dislike for Darjeeling Limited I’d love Fantastic Mr. Fox, and that movie filled me with such rage that I swore the director off forever. Several people have told me that despite my hatred of Fox, I’d enjoy Moonrise Kingdom, but I’m not willing to risk it. > > It may be that the loathsome narcissists that star in and ruin his previous pictures don’t show up in this one, but I’ll never know :). Don’t let not having seen a movie get in the way of arguing it’s merits! 😉 But yeah, if Mr. Fox fills you with rage, I would cut back on the Wes Anderson viewing. I do think that Darjeeling and Moonrise are about as far from each other on the WA spectrum as movies can be. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/30 "2013-01-02T11:56:18Z")
> [@tomcar](#): > > Don’t let not having seen a movie get in the way of arguing it’s merits! 😉 In my defense, I’ve made no argument whatsoever about Moonrise Kingdom. I’ve only argued about Anderson in general. But since the thread is at least nominally about MK, I should step away from it. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/31 "2013-01-02T12:57:50Z")
> [@tomcar](#): > > I do think that Darjeeling and Moonrise are about as far from each other on the WA spectrum as movies can be. Oddly enough, I agree, although I preferred \*Darjeeling \*over _Moonrise_. I’m a big Anderson fan, but the latter film left me cold. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/32 "2013-01-02T17:38:10Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Hmmm…looking over my contributions, I’m realizing I’m perilously close to threadshitting, because while I’m talking with people in general about my problems with Wes Anderson movies (I’ve seen four of them), I haven’t seen Moonrise Kingdom. Several people told me that despite my strong dislike for Darjeeling Limited I’d love Fantastic Mr. Fox, and that movie filled me with such rage that I swore the director off forever. Several people have told me that despite my hatred of Fox, I’d enjoy Moonrise Kingdom, but I’m not willing to risk it. > > It may be that the loathsome narcissists that star in and ruin his previous pictures don’t show up in this one, but I’ll never know :). For what it’s worth, I really really hated the lead character in _Rushmore_. I just couldn’t get into the movie, I hated him so much; that conniving, narcissistic petulant asshole. I didn’t like most of the Characters in _The Royal Tennenbaums_ either, and skipped Darjeeling and Life Aquatic. I only went to Moonrise because it was boiling hot outside and my friend and I were looking for something to do. I’m glad I did. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/33 "2013-01-02T19:19:18Z")
They’re non-representational art. Compare _Moonrise Kingdom_ to Chagall’s [painting](http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/marc-chagall/the-birthday-1915), _Birthday_. Neither one is meant to be a depiction of how real people act and interact. Rather, they flatten certain aspects of those interactions and exaggerate others out of proportion to highlight them. For Chagall, that was energy and surprise; for Anderson, in this as in most of his movies, it’s alienation from established order. You might also compare the adults in _Moonrise Kingdom_ to those of _Peanuts_. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/34 "2013-01-02T19:46:13Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > They’re non-representational art. Compare _Moonrise Kingdom_ to Chagall’s [painting](http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/marc-chagall/the-birthday-1915), _Birthday_. Neither one is meant to be a depiction of how real people act and interact. Rather, they flatten certain aspects of those interactions and exaggerate others out of proportion to highlight them. For Chagall, that was energy and surprise; for Anderson, in this as in most of his movies, it’s alienation from established order. You might also compare the adults in _Moonrise Kingdom_ to those of _Peanuts_. That reminds me, a new CGI-animated _Peanuts_ movie has been greenlighted by the studios. Wes Anderson would be my first pick to helm this project (although, if this were the case, I would prefer to see him do a live-action versionl). ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/35 "2013-01-02T20:11:55Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > They’re non-representational art. Compare _Moonrise Kingdom_ to Chagall’s [painting](http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/marc-chagall/the-birthday-1915), _Birthday_. Neither one is meant to be a depiction of how real people act and interact. Rather, they flatten certain aspects of those interactions and exaggerate others out of proportion to highlight them. For Chagall, that was energy and surprise; for Anderson, in this as in most of his movies, it’s alienation from established order. You might also compare the adults in _Moonrise Kingdom_ to those of _Peanuts_. Thats an excellent point. Like all abstraction in art, sometimes it brings people in closer and sometimes it pushes people away. You can look at Birthday and say “That is ridiculous and silly!” or “That is so romantic and bittersweet!” Same can be done with Moonrise. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/36 "2013-01-02T20:17:18Z")
I think people covered most of the points about Wes Anderson films: Whimsical Lack of traditional Hollywood tropes Deadpan Irony Slightly absurd One or more Wilson brother Jason Schwarzman Bill Murray Majorly contrived event towards the end that shakes everyone to their senses (although I disagree with it being the kidnapping in Steve Zissou. I’d say it was the helicopter crash). ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/37 "2013-01-02T20:32:01Z")
**Bottle Rocket** is probably my favorite movie ever. I don’t think I love any other movies by Wes Anderson. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/38 "2013-01-02T20:55:24Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Not a huge fan of Wes Anderson, but I really like Moonrise Kingdom. > > Hard to nail down the reason, but it seemed almost like someone was telling me a story of their youth - with many funny embellishments that may or may not be true - but still a compelling story. > > We all do this in our own way - crazy neighborhood lady from your youth is suddenly not only crazy but has a huge mole on her nose and wears bizarre hats (when in reality, she might have had a freckle on her cheek and wore a normal straw hat when working in the garden). > > So this film was chock full of exaggerated background characters - but the the crux of the story - running away with your little girlfriend and having people search for you is still there; perhaps just a wee bit embellished here and there after having told the story 100 times over the years. > > I liked the film and felt like I was a kid again - and the cast of characters and ensuing events was exactly the way a kid would have seen this unfold. I’ve heard that from a lot of sources (MK is the first Wes Anderson movie people like). I think the main reason tends to be what you highlighted - the main story revolves around kids. But not just kids, but kids from the 1960s. So all of the quirky anacronisms that arise in other Anderson films, which tend to annoy people, seem to ‘fit’. And the fact that its told in the past about kids gives it a slight fairy tale feel - hence, it can do strange things and exaggerate personalities and people are less interested in it feeling ‘realistic’. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/39 "2013-01-02T21:32:52Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I think people covered most of the points about Wes Anderson films: > Whimsical > Lack of traditional Hollywood tropes > Deadpan > Irony > Slightly absurd > One or more Wilson brother > Jason Schwarzman > Bill Murray > Majorly contrived event towards the end that shakes everyone to their senses (although I disagree with it being the kidnapping in Steve Zissou. I’d say it was the helicopter crash). And don’t forget Uniforms! Yeah, you are probably right about Zissou. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen it. For me, it is visually one of the most beautiful, creative WA movies, but the story itself is probably my least favorite. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641/40 "2013-01-02T21:41:42Z")
> [@tomcar](#): > > And don’t forget Uniforms! The [yellow jumpsuits](http://www.wilson-brothers.com/luke/photos/new/07/bottle-rocket-promo4.jpg) in Bottle Rocket were one of my favorite things about that movie. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-wes-anderson-films-moonrise-kingdom/645641.md?page=3)