Bottle Rocket (1996)
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A group of friends attempts to execute a series of elaborate heists while navigating personal relationships and failed plans.
The story
In Arizona, Dignan 'rescues' his friend Anthony from a voluntary psychiatric unit. Dignan presents Anthony with a 75-year plan involving a series of heists to eventually meet a criminal known as Mr. Henry. The two friends begin with a practice heist at Anthony's family home, stealing specific items from a list. However, tensions arise when Dignan takes an unlisted item. They eventually recruit Bob Mapplethorpe as a getaway driver to plan a bookstore robbery. As the group bickers and struggles with the logistics of Dignan's intricate plans, they begin to move 'on the lam,' staying at a motel where Anthony begins a romance with a housekeeper.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Dignan 'rescues' Anthony from a psychiatric unit and proposes a 75-year plan of heists. After a practice heist at Anthony's family home causes friction over a pair of earrings, they recruit Bob Mapplethorpe. They plan a bookstore robbery but end up 'on the lam' at a motel, where Anthony meets Inez. Bob leaves to help his brother whose marijuana crop was discovered. Dignan accidentally gives Inez an envelope containing most of the group's money, thinking it was a message of love. After the car breaks down and the money is revealed missing, Dignan and Anthony part ways. Dignan eventually joins Mr. Henry's gang and reconciles with Anthony, who joins him on the condition that Bob is included. They plan a safe robbery at a cold storage facility with accomplices. The plan fails when the safe cannot be cracked and Bob accidentally fires his gun, causing a cardiac event in their accomplice Applejack. While the crew is distracted, Mr. Henry steals furniture from Bob's home. The film ends with Dignan in prison, where he jokingly tells his friends to prepare for an escape as he walks back into his cell.
- First release year
- 1996
- Runtime (minutes)
- 91
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English; Spanish
- Directors
- Wes Anderson
- Writers
- Owen C. Wilson · writer; Wes Anderson · writer
- Cast and characters
- Owen Wilson · Dignan; Luke Wilson · Anthony Adams; Robert Musgrave · Bob Mapplethorpe; Andrew Wilson · Jon Mapplethorpe / Future Man; Lumi Cavazos · Inez; James Caan · Abe Henry
- Genres
- crime comedy; buddy comedy; heist
- Themes
- Friendship; Crime; Failure; Ambition
- Tone and mood
- Comedy; Crime; Dry
- Premise and plot tags
- Heist; Buddy Comedy; Crime Comedy
- Source material / true-story basis
- Bottle Rocket by Owen C. Wilson and Wes Anderson (1992 short film)
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics and launched the careers of Wes Anderson and the Wilson brothers. It was noted for its 'West Texas sensibility' and was named a favorite by Martin Scorsese.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 86% · review count: 71; Metacritic · score: 66 · scale: 100 · review count: 24
- Production trivia
- It was Wes Anderson's feature film directorial debut.; Bill Murray was considered for the role of Abe Henry.; Owen Wilson considered joining the Marines after the film failed to achieve commercial success.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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