How many people, at the possible moment, get a second chance to mend broken family relationships? The fact is most people end with ill relations with one or sometimes both parents. In this film, Royal Tenenbaum, father of three childhood geniouses turned adult nutcases, gets that opportunity to make it right. Wes Anderson's movies are always funny, but not in the typical American slapstick or "so stupid it's funny" way. It is a clever humor, and it is found in the characters themselves, rather than the things they do. There is no talking out of asses or slipping on banana peels. A major part of what makes this movie so great is this unique humor. For example, without ever verbally acknowledging this fact, Ben Stiller's character, Chaz, and his two young sons, have the same curly, afro like hair and wear identical red warm up suits with two white stripes down the side, every single day. It is never talked about, but it is always there, and everytime you see it, you laugh, all the way through the film.

The story follows the lives of three children of a rich jackass who separates from his wife for twenty-two years without ever filing for divorce. During this time, he lives in a fancy hotel room. When his money is gone, and he has no place to go, he tells his family that he is dieing so that they would let him live with them in their childhood home. Chaz and Margot hate their father. They are home because their lives have taken rotten turns and are depressed. The other son comes home when he hears the news of his father. I won't say what happens, you NEED to go find out for yourself.

The movie is unique in the very way the story is told, and the character's themselves are different from typical characters. It is a true original. The cast is stupendous. Gene Hackman won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Royal Tenenbaum. The writing is of the highest quality.

This is comedy and storytelling at it's best.

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