"The Royal Tenenbaums" The Criterion Collection DVD

Guide Rating -

"The Royal Tenenbaums" found a loyal audience and gathered critical accolades when it was released in 2001. The film tells the story of the Tenenbaum family - mother Etheline, father Royal, and their three children, Chas, Richie, and Margot (the 'adopted' one). The children gained their fortunes and found fame early in life. Chas bred Dalmatian mice and had a talent for real estate. Richie was a tennis phenom who went on to play professionally, and Margot was a playwright who won a Braverman Grant in the 9th grade. Royal left the family while the children were still young, and never had much to do with them during their teen years.

Years later, Royal's fortune changes and, in an effort to reconnect with his family, he tries to become actively involved in his family's life once again. What ensues as he tries to weasel his way back into the lives of his children and estranged wife is eloquently summed up with the film's tagline: "Family Isn't A Word... It's A Sentence."

"The Royal Tenenbaums" two-disc DVD set contains hours of extra bonus features. In fact, the DVD set contains so much material that viewing everything in one sitting is almost impossible without plenty of stretching and a few breaks to rest your eyes. Fans of the film will definitely not be disappointed with the DVD's vast collection of goodies.

Bonus Features:
-Commentary by director Wes Anderson
-Widescreen digital transfer supervised by director Wes Anderson
-"With the Filmmaker: Portraits by Albert Maysles" - Featurette with Wes Anderson
-Video interviews with actors Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anjelica Huston, Gene Hackman, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Bill Murray, and Danny Glover
-"The Peter Bradley Show" - Featurette with cast member interviews
-Behind-the-scenes footage and outtakes
-Theatrical trailers
-"The Art of the Movie" - Richie's murals and paintings, still photographs by set photographer James Hamilton, book and magazine covers, and storyboards
-Collectible insert featuring Eric Anderson's drawings

Summary:
"The Royal Tenenbaums" Criterion Collection comes packaged to resemble a novel. Everything from the package itself to the DVD's menus are totally in keeping with the look and feel of the film. The only thing keeping the DVD from getting my 5 star rating is my personal desire to have heard Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson provide commentary for the film.

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