Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

A pair of young lovers flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out and find them.

Director:

Wes Anderson

Writers:

Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola

Stars:

Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Jared Gilman

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 28 wins & 54 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bruce Willis	...	Captain Sharp
Edward Norton	...	Scout Master Ward
Bill Murray	...	Walt Bishop
Frances McDormand	...	Laura Bishop
Tilda Swinton	...	Social Services
Jared Gilman	...	Sam
Kara Hayward	...	Suzy
Jason Schwartzman	...	Cousin Ben
Bob Balaban	...	The Narrator
Lucas Hedges	...	Redford
Charlie Kilgore	...	Lazy Eye
Andreas Sheikh	...	Panagle
Chandler Frantz	...	Gadge
Rob H. Campbell	...	Deluca (as Rob Campbell)
L.J. Foley	...	Izod

Storyline

Set on an island off the coast of New England in the 1960s, as a young boy and girl fall in love they are moved to run away together. Various factions of the town mobilize to search for them and the town is turned upside down -- which might not be such a bad thing.

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Plot Keywords:

search | storm | island | new england | running away | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 June 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Un reino bajo la luna

Filming Locations:

Conanicut Light, Jamestown, Rhode Island, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$16,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$522,996 (USA) (25 May 2012)

Gross:

$45,507,053 (USA) (26 October 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Indian Paintbrush, American Empirical Pictures, Moonrise

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Wes Anderson's sixth collaboration with Bill Murray.

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Goofs

When Redford is motivating his fellow Khaki Scouts to help Sam, Redford's hair changes position several times between one shot and the next.

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Quotes

Lionel: Where's my record player?

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Connections

References Melody (1971)

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Soundtracks

"The Heroic Weather Conditions, part 5: Lightning"
Composed by Alexandre Desplat

User Reviews

Possibly Anderson's best film in terms of style.

The year is 1965 and a remote North Eastern coastal community is plunged into confusion when it discovers that two kids have run away. Sam, a discontented Khaki Scout, and Suzy, a put-upon older sister and forgotten daughter, abscond into the forest to escape their dissatisfying existences. The responsible adults – Sam's Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton) and Suzy's parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand) – and the entire town set out on a frenzied search, which gets wild when the largest storm in recorded history touches down and puts everyone's life into question. What ensues is a battle between youth and age, hope and disillusionment, faith and cynicism.

In terms of story and character, Wes Anderson's previous films, especially The Royal Tenenbaums and The Darjeeling Limited, are superior. Even in the most compelling relationship in the film between Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis) and Sam doesn't embody Anderson's ability to take his characters into deep emotional places of hurt and healing without melodrama. However, the newest addition to the Anderson canon is a cinematic experience.

Moonrise Kingdom's story, co-written with Roman Coppola, takes a definite backseat to style, as Anderson saturates the entire film with a "Norman Rockwell-type of Americana". Stylistically, it may be Anderson's most masterful work, as the costumes, sets, and settings transport the viewer to an alternate universe, a place of wonder and adventure. The soundtrack is especially effective, as it recalls a time when things were simpler: Hank Williams was on the radio, and children listened to records instead of playing video games. However, Anderson isn't content with reminiscing about the year 1965. He takes this nostalgia and twists it, infusing the film with a twinge of sadness through the reality of life's disappointments. He doesn't reject the Rockwellian view of America, but argues that it doesn't tell the whole story.

Moonrise Kingdom is that place of beauty and passion that we all have been in at least once in our lives – the one place on earth where we believe that anything is possible. It has since been lost, but it persists in our memories in moments of nostalgia.