Rushmore presents a comedic slice of the life of protagonist Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) as he learns to leave the world of private school behind and stand on his own two feet. At Rushmore, Fischer is the king of the extracurricular activity. Among his many commitments, he is Debate Team Captain, Lacrosse Team Manager, Calligraphy Club President and Astronomy Society Founder. Because Rushmore benefits from his organizational skills, Max is tolerated, but no one at school particularly likes him. More significantly, with all his time spent on clubs and societies, Fischer is not what you could call an academic success.

In spite of these difficulties, Fischer forges a friendship with local businessman Herman Blume (Bill Murray), who sees some potential in Max’s drive. Blume becomes Max’s friend, mentor, and ultimately competitor for the affections of elementary school teacher Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). Cross is a likely candidate for Max’s first serious crush. She’s beautiful, sophisticated, educated, and compassionate. Of course, he falls in love. Complications arise when Max introduces Miss Cross to Blume, and finds that he may have sabotaged his own (non-existent) prospects for a relationship. To cope and keep hold of what is important to him, he must come to grips with reality outside the ivy-covered walls of Rushmore.

Director Wes Anderson and co-writer Owen Wilson blend the real and the surreal seamlessly, creating a movie that is both ridiculously exaggerated and completely universal. You’ll laugh as soon as you see Fischer’s yearbook, and the war between Blume and Fischer over Miss Cross is a comedy highlight. Settle in for a good laugh, and watch Rushmore today!

John Jewitt – Savage Branch

If, like me, you’re convinced that cats know more than they’re letting on, and that maybe, just maybe, they’re the ones who are behind the scenes pulling the strings, this is the book for you. I Can Has Cheezburger by Eric Nakagawa is an outgrowth of the Web site of the same name. This book provides a forum for photographers who have been fortunate enough to catch their cats deep in conspiratorial thought. The collection of images proves beyond a doubt (cough), that cats are running the show.

Each picture includes an appropriately comical caption in first-person cat-speak. Cats, it appears, have their own grammatical conventions, lexicon, and particular style of writing known as lolspeak. They also have a unique set of concerns revolving around food, self-image, and the appropriate application of their abundant power. Sometimes the cats focus on important members of their community, such as monorail kitteh and ceiling cat, and often they’re preoccupied with food, especially the titular cheezburger. The revelation that cats like burgers, though, is just the tip of the cat culture iceberg.

Take a look at I Can Has Cheezburger to discover the true extent of this feline conspiracy. You’ll be shocked! 

John Jewitt – Savage Branch

In Pushing Daisies the facts are these: young Ned realizes he has a special talent in being able to touch the dead and return them to life. But he also learns that for each person he revives, another someone or something will die exactly one minute later. To complicate matters even further, a second touch from Ned causes the originally resuscitated person or animal to permanently die.

Ned (played by Lee Pace) grows up to work as a pie maker, while his "special skill" is mined by private investigator Emerson Cod to assist in solving murder mysteries. And all would have been fine, had not one of the murder cases involved the pie maker’s childhood sweetheart Charlotte Charles, otherwise known as Chuck. Once Ned brings Chuck back to life, his dilemma is knowing he can never touch his love again.

Pushing Daisies has all the elements of an outstanding show — mystery, romance, comedy, and drama. Additionally, there is a stellar supporting cast, including story narrator Jim Dale. If you have listened to any of the Harry Potter novels in audiobook format, you’ll definitely recognize Dale’s voice. Kristin Chenoweth plays Olivia Snook, who while working with Ned in his shop The Pie Hole, feels the need to burst into song to express her love for him. This is perfect casting considering Chenoweth’s Broadway background.

Pushing Daisies is a must-see for those who enjoy fast-paced, quirky shows about the humor of death and the drama of life.

Robert Bates – Glenwood Branch

If you want to watch a captivating and heart-warming comedy, My Lovely Sam-Soon is a drama that will satisfy your viewing palate. The story and lead female character defy the conventional mold of Korean drama (K-drama). Because the English subtitles work so well, this exceptional K-drama can be easily enjoyed by anyone.

The female lead character, Kim Sam-Soon (Kim Suh Ah), plays a thirty-year-old, overweight, unmarried woman. Her outspoken, obstinate, and occasionally foul-mouthed and bad-tempered character bucks the cutie stereotype. Sam-Soon’s feelings of unattractiveness due to her chubby image are all too real for her. These feelings lead to her constant desire to change her self-image by changing her name! On Christmas Eve, she loses her boyfriend and runs into the owner of a French restaurant, Hyeon Jin-Heon, played by Hyun Bin. The two keep crossing paths, and eventually Sam-Soon works as the pastry chef in his restaurant.

All the characters are colorful and well-acted. Henry Kim (Korean-American Daniel Henney) provides many comedic exchanges. Henney plays an American doctor traveling with his patient, who happens to be the former girlfriend of Hyeon Jin-Heon. It is a riot to watch him learn the Korean language and culture. Additional comedy arises from the relationship between Sam-Soon’s divorced sister with the sous chef at Jin-Heon’s restaurant . Numerous witty exchanges, as well as serious love and life lessons, grace this exceptional story.

My Lovely Sam- Soon is indeed an outstanding drama to watch. You will not regret spending time with this gem. No wonder it received the Korean prestigious 2005 Baeksang Awards – Grand Prize for TV Drama.

Mai-Leng Ong – Administration Office

A two-part post in praise of the post-millennial Bill Murray, and a couple of great mood movies. Today’s featured new classic is Lost in Translation (Sophia Coppola). Watch for a forthcoming review of Broken Flowers (Jim Jarmusch).

Lost in Translation is atmospheric and powerful, with the backdrop of Tokyo co-starring and conveying the sense of loneliness, isolation, and social dislocation felt by both of the central characters. Murray stars as fading movie actor Bob Harris, who is in Tokyo to make a whiskey commercial… Suntory Time. His deteriorating marriage is reduced to a discussion of similar-colored carpet samples conducted over the phone, and he’s not particularly interested in anything except the paycheck that’s coming for his work in the commercial. During consecutive nights at the high-end but sterile hotel bar, he connects with the similarly alienated Charlotte, (Scarlett Johannson). Charlotte is newly married, but finds herself emotionally distanced from her workaholic photographer husband. He’s in his element while Charlotte’s obviously a long way removed from hers, and he’s to busy to notice.

Left alone in the city, Charlotte and Bob develop a passionate but platonic relationship as they set out to explore Tokyo together. They’re good for each other. Bob rediscovers his interest in the world around him thanks to Charlotte and her young, hip, Tokyo friends. Charlotte discards her abstract, philosophical perspective on life and matures in Bob’s company. Lost in Translation is a wonderful mood movie that is evocative, atmospheric and engaging, and well worth a first or second look. More to come on Sophia Coppola’s movies, including the exceptional Marie Antoinette, which screens at Savage Branch on Wednesday, July 16 at 7:00 pm.

If you’re looking for movies that take you on a journey that you don’t want to end, take a look at Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, and check tomorrow to read about Murray in Broken Flowers.

John Jewitt – Savage Branch