Rushmore

"[It] is something of an anomaly in American independent film, a funny and original entry in the seemingly exhausted tradition of quirky, low-budget road comedies" 

"'Rushmore' is packed with richly realized characters (...) Credit the film’s startling originality to director Wes Anderson" 

"[It] has a kind of effortless grace (...) When plotting replaces stage-setting and character development, the air goes out of the movie (…) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)" 

"It's too smart to be maudlin" 

"It's hard to explain why this movie is so enjoyable (...) If Anderson and Wilson continue working together, they stand to carve themselves a special corner of their own, as the Coen brothers have" 

"Released right before teen movies like 'She’s All That', '10 Things I Hate About You' and the raunchy 'AF American Pie' became all the rage, Wes Anderson’s 'Rushmore' gave us a coming-of-age tale that’s surreal, romantic and, somehow, more honest than all those films" 

"[Anderson's] direction is perfect. He doesn't force his characters to be weird. He just lets them be."