Bill Murray in an Oscar-nominated movie? If Disney has its way, that won't be a joke. "Rushmore," a drama about a prep-school boy (played by newcomer Jason Schwartzman) and his relationships with his mentor (Murray) and beautiful teacher ("The Postman"’s Olivia Williams), has been making the festival rounds for months in preparation for its February release. Now, thanks to critical kudos at the Telluride, Toronto, and New York film festivals, Disney has decided to release the flick for one week in December in New York and L.A. to make it eligible for Oscar nominations. (With nominations announced in January, it would be a perfect promotional push, should "Rushmore" score any nods.) "It’s nothing I expected," director Wes Anderson ("Bottle Rocket") tells EW Online. "When I got the call from Disney, I downplayed it a little. My first instinct about things is to keep as low a profile as possible." Disney is hoping "Rushmore" won’t do the same.

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