Wes Anderson

Films that deal with childhood typically marginalize youth as an age of purity and disregard its harsh aspects. Though one might relate melancholy, detachment, and failure to maturity, filmmaker Wes Anderson appropriately associates them with children. However, he does so in an amiable manner that neither loses charm nor allows the adults to forget the child inside. By shrewdly using adult characters that behave like children, Anderson casts childhood’s magical sense of wonder onto the viewer. Through this unique approach, the audience can genuinely perceive the phenomenon of childhood. Immature adult characters are only one of the many ways that Anderson captivates the viewer’s inner-child. Essentially, Anderson’s films lead audiences down enchanting paths and towards childhood with their subtle humor, oddball characters, delicate filming techniques, and fantastical sets/costumes.

Anderson’s elaborate sets immediately jump out of the screen and evoke a sense of Neverland. With both Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums located in a timeless Houston (Anderson’s childhood hometown) and New York respectively, Anderson dismisses any relevance of his films to modern day society. Instead of imparting any social