The Royal Tenenbaums

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The Royal Tenenbaums

R

Released Dec 14, 2001

1h 48m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

217 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three children and then they separated. All three children are extraordinary --- all geniuses. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure, and disaster. Most of this was generally considered to be their father's fault. "The Royal Tenenbaums" is the story of the family's sudden, unexpected reunion one recent winter.

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Critics Consensus

The Royal Tenenbaums is a delightful adult comedy with many quirks and a sense of poignancy. Many critics especially praised Hackman's performance.

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Joshua Rothkopf

In These Times

If it sounds bittersweet, it is, but like the best family albums, Tenenbaums is split wide with open-heartedness, and equally generous with its triumphs and failures.

Mar 16, 2020

Full Review

Jack Mathews

New York Daily News

This comedy-drama about a dysfunctional family of eccentric geniuses is exactly the kind of movie America could use. It's funny, poignant, laced with irresistibly flawed characters and focuses on the power of love in a family.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 1, 2014

Full Review

Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

The film manages to be both sarcastic and sentimental. As odd as the Tenenbaums are, the family remains bound by love.

Oct 1, 2014

Full Review

JD Duran

InSession Film

The Royal Tenenbaums isn't just Wes Anderson's best film, it's one of the best films of all-time.

Rated: A+

Oct 25, 2023

Full Review

Cory Woodroof

For the Win (USA Today)

The film that saw Wes Anderson absolutely perfect his style and his command over an ensemble, The Royal Tenenbaums is a major work.

Jun 28, 2023

Full Review

Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

A family who seemingly has it all, a large collection of parents, siblings, children all under the same roof, and yet every single one of them, even Royal, still feels like an outsider.

Rated: 8/10

Sep 22, 2022

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Dustin H

The worst movie I've ever seen. My ex and I seen this in theaters and we lasted longer then most. There was only 1 couple that was left in the theater when we got our stuff and left like so many others.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

11/17/24

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Bronwyn D

Acting was good (obviously- great Cast). But it just didn't have the same appeal to me that it did to most others. Not my type of movie, I guess. I thought it was dumb, for the most part.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/15/24

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Dionisis T

One of the director's quite good films and definitely a film that I liked for its spine and good flow!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/07/24

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julie b

Gorgeous from the first frame, soundtrack on point, and made me feel many different ways. Of all the feelings my fave was joy - like the sequence of “brewing some recklessness into the boys”. Very good blending of sad and funny in a way that isn’t heavy handed on either side.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/23/24

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Andy K

One of Wes Anderson's best films. The entire cast is wonderful.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/06/24

Full Review

Audience Member

By far one of my favorites of Wes Anderson. The deadpan, almost matter-of-fact delivery of each line made moments where emotions were tense really stand through. Fantastic narrative, star-studded cast, witty humor and depth all work together to make this movie truly memorable. The Royal Tenenbaums, written by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson, as well as directed by Anderson, follows the lives of the eponymous Tenembaum family. The family consists of an adopted daughter (something mentioned repeatedly throughout the film and what turns out to be a major plot catalyst), two complicated sons, an abarrent mother, and an estranged father. Each character is struggling with something, from abandonment to addictions to depression to mourning, to, well, confusing feelings towards a certain family member. These struggles, though internal, are shown to affect the lives of those around the Tenembaums in more ways than one as the viewer a marriage fall apart, an attempted suicide, a psychotic break, a false medical emergency, and a bender. I'd absolutely recommend to anyone, but especially those who like Fantastic Mr. Fox, Whiplash, Beautiful Boy, and Little Miss Sunshine.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/31/24

Full Review

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Wes Anderson

Director

Gene Hackman

Royal Tenenbaum

Anjelica Huston

Etheline Tenenbaum

Ben Stiller

Chas Tenenbaum

Gwyneth Paltrow

Margot Tenenbaum

Luke Wilson

Richie Tenenbaum

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The Royal Tenenbaums: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three children and then they separated. All three children are extraordinary --- all geniuses. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure, and disaster. Most of this was generally considered to be their father's fault. "The Royal Tenenbaums" is the story of the family's sudden, unexpected reunion one recent winter.

Director: Wes Anderson
Producer: Barry Mendel, Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin
Screenwriter: Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Criterion Collection
Production Co: Touchstone Pictures, Mordecai Films, American Empirical Pictures
Rating: R (Nudity|Drug Content|Sexuality|Some Language)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 23, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $52.4M
Runtime: 1h 48m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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