Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Scarttenow Junction

Author(s): Pat
Location: New York

“Scarttenow Junction"

Written and Directed by Wes Anderson

Principal Cast:

Owen Wilson (Henry Nina Scarttenow Jr.)
Jodie Foster (Joannie Maria Scarttenow-Lubeski)
Luke Wilson (Garry Pinta Scarttenow)
Jeremy Piven (Chris Santa Scarttenow)
Uma Thurman (Melody Scarttenow)
Rachel Weisz (Susanna)
Jeff Goldblum (Steve Lubeski)
Jason Schwartzman (Winchell Fulton)
Bill Murray (Quincy Gage)
Angelica Huston (Olivia Stockborough)
Gael Garcia Bernal (Diego Juarez)
Christopher Walken (Henry Scarttenow Sr.)

Genre: Comedy

Tagline: "Do you know what it’s like going through life with the middle name Nina?"

Synopsis: Wes Anderson’s new dramedy “Scarttenow Junction” follows the story of four siblings brought together by the sudden death of their father. Henry (Owen Wilson), a TV game show host, gets the message on-air that his father (Christopher Walken) has died and he ends up making a fool of himself on live TV. He immediately returns to the family home in Massachusetts only to find that the family he left behind had changed a great deal since his departure 10 years earlier. His sister Joannie (Jodie Foster) married a popular neuro-surgeon (Jeff Goldblum) and became a liberal politician against her father’s wishes. His brothers, Garry (Luke Wilson) and Chris (Jeremy Piven), invested in a new age microwave that ended up bankrupting the two just as Garry had impregnated his then-girlfriend/now-wife (Uma Thurman), who is not satisfied with her new husband. At the reading of their father’s will by their family lawyer (Bill Murray), the siblings learn that their father, the man who gave them middle names after Columbus’ boats, devised a plan that would award one sibling with all of his inheritance if they succeeded in a cross-country scavanger hunt. They each embark on the mission separately and come across new revelations about their father’s life that he wanted to tell them but failed to do so. Some of those include illegitmate children (Jason Schwartzman, Gael Garcia Bernal), Joannie’s real mother (Angelica Huston), and the woman (Rachel Weisz) Henry Sr. thought would be perfect for his socially awkward son, Henry Jr. The siblings are disconnected in the beginning and fall apart even more as greed begins to get the best of them, but in the end they come to terms with their lives and the secrets their father left behind.

What the press would say:

“Scarttenow Junction” is, by far, the best cinematic achievement of stellar writer/director Wes Anderson, who penned such comic gems as “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “The Life Aquatic”. The film follows four siblings on a scavanger hunt across the country for the money left behind by their father, and along the way they learn several secrets about their father’s mysterious life and some secrets amongst themselves. The script is exceptional with moments of downright hilarity infused with tearjerking scenes that connect with the viewer in an unparalleled way. The best performance in the movie comes from its main focus Owen Wilson, as a failing celebrity who deserted his family to further his career but he wishes to reconnect with them. His pain about his father’s death combined with his infatuation with his father’s former secretary, played very well by Rachel Weisz, allows for the viewer to see an amazing change in his tragic character. Jodie Foster takes the second lead as Wilson’s sister who may-or-may-not be his actually sister. The scene when Foster learns that she may not really be in the family is so heartbreaking and believeable that it is almost hard to watch. Jeff Goldblum and Jeremy Piven also perform well as brother-in-law and brother to Henry, respectively, who don’t seem to get along throughout most of the film and provide the best comic scenes. Uma Thurman also does well as the wife of another brother, played by Luke Wilson, who doesn’t want to deal with her husband’s family. Angelica Huston rounds out the exceptional cast as Henry Sr.’s mistress who claims to be Foster’s mother and wants a cut of the money. All around, the film is an amazing movie and the crowning achievement of Wes Anderson’s amazing film career.

FYC

Best Picture
Best Director-Wes Anderson
Best Original Screenplay
Best Actor-Owen Wilson
Best Actress-Jodie Foster
Best Supporting Actor-Jeff Goldblum
Best Supporting Actor-Jeremy Piven
Best Supporting Actress-Angelica Huston
Best Supporting Actress-Uma Thurman
Best Supporting Actress-Rachel Weisz
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography

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