Royal Father Knows Best

By Desiree May C. Diangson

What makes an ultimate entertainment?

A bunch of action-packed war movies, fictional movies obscured by advanced digital effects? Or a surprisingly touching family comedy featuring a cast of some of the most unique individuals ever to be featured in films?

If you prefer the latter, then you must hear about the newest flick with the all-star cast that puts the func in dysfunctional, The Royal Tenenbaums.

The Royal Tenenbaums is a strange but amusing comedy that focuses on a peculiar dysfunctional family. According to Director Wes Anderson and writer/actor Owen Wilson, the movie is told in storybook fashion - more like a spoof on the family in The Prince of Tides in 1991.

The plot is simple; it tells what is different. The movie had its own pair of monster parents, a pensive sportsman, a disturbed writer, and an angry son.

Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) is the patriarch of this fascinating family. A successful New York litigator, he was kicked out by his wife Etheline (Anjelica Huston).

Royal and Etheline had three brilliant kids before separating: Chas (Ben Stiller) had a preternatural instinct for real estate, Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) was an award-winning playwright by ninth grade, and Richie (Luke Wilson) was a junior champion tennis player. But despite these promising beginnings, the family fell apart after decades of lies, betrayals, and failures.

While being evicted from his apartment, Royal learns that his ex-wife has been engaged to a fellow bridge player (Danny Glover). Alarmed by this news, Royal begs Etheline to take him back into the house so that he may correct whatever mistakes he had done to his family.

To bring back his family together, Royal announces that he's got only six weeks to live due to stomach cancer - and the adventure of this film begins.

So, sit back,relax, and enjoy the film. After all, 'father knows best' - or in this case, 'father knows worst'.

Starring: Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Danny Glover, Bill Murray
Director:Wes Anderson
Writers: Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson
Studio: Buena Vista