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How Wes Anderson recast NYC for ''Tenenbaums'' | 1011891294__royalt_l
'ROYAL' FLUSH Anderson powwows with Owen Wilson
Wilson and Anderson: James Hamilton

Anderson then moved to Harlem and set about constructing his intensely detailed world. Says Paltrow, who plays Margot, the adopted Tenenbaum, ''We were having lunch and he was like, 'I want your hair to be exactly that color,' and pointed to my Helmut Lang camel-colored leather blazer.'' ''He does go into enormous detail, but at very unexpected moments, over unexpected things,'' seconds Olivia Williams, who costarred in ''Rushmore'' and shot a cameo for ''Tenenbaums'' (she played Owen Wilson's wife but was subsequently cut). ''The precise inflection of a line or the position of a cigarette. Everything [is in his head]. Every single thing. Colors, shapes, clothes, blocking.''

It's a control that bespeaks the deeply personal nature of Anderson's work. His mother, like Huston's Etheline Tenenbaum, is an archaeologist; she even provided the actress with her 1970s-era eyeglasses. The filmmaker shot ''Rushmore'' at his old prep school. Those kiddie spaceship pictures? Anderson's. Even the name ''Tenenbaum'' belongs to a childhood friend.

It all adds up to a rich, incredibly specific world, which some critics -- including EW's Lisa Schwarzbaum -- have praised but others have derided as cutesy and contrived. Wrote New York Times critic A.O. Scott in his review of the film: ''Yes, yes, you're charming, you're brilliant. Now say good night and go to bed.'' ''I keep getting this thing. I mean, [David Edelstein in Slate] referred to me as arch. I mean, arch,'' says Anderson, his voice rising with genuine confusion. ''That's not where I'm coming from. Arch is not, I mean, if I understand his use of the word correctly, it really has nothing to do with me. I think of A.O. Scott as arch. Edelstein is arch!''

If criticism of Anderson extends beyond the world of journalism, it doesn't appear to be having much effect at the box office. Disney's Touchstone banner has been expanding ''The Royal Tenenbaums'' slowly and with spectacular success. At press time, the film had grossed just under $21 million and stirred up serious speculation that Hackman and the screenplay are headed for Oscar nominations. And if that happens, the focus will again fall squarely on the gangly filmmaker with those goofy glasses.

''Wes reminds me more of fictional characters than anyone I know,'' says Huston. ''He's like something out of Dr. Seuss. I like being in his aura. It's a pleasant place to be.''

Additional reporting by Scott Brown


Posted Jan 25, 2002 | Order Article Reprints
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