Rough and quirky, Bottle Rocket set the pace and style for director Wes Anderson’s iconic films while delivering a runny endearing take on a youthful heist film.

James Caan stars as a tough crime boss who won’t take no for an answer in the first film from wunderkind director Wes Anderson (Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums). When brothers Anthony and Dignan, played by real life brothers Owen and Luke Wilson, rob a small bookstore with their friend Bob, they go on the run and amongst their many Anderson-esque antics, meet James Caan’s Mr. Henry. Despite Bottle Rocket being the movie to launch the careers of the Wilson brothers and director Wes Anderson, Caan’s performance takes over as a great addition to the second half of the film.  

Indie darling Wes Anderson’s feature debut is part coming-of-age story and part gangster film based on his 1994 Sundance International Film Festival short. The three central assailants aren’t good at crime, resulting in hysterical mishaps all the way to the pay-off. Despite the feature being rejected from Sundance in 1996, Bottle Rocket has become a cult classic and paved the way for truly great actors and directors. Read more about the Sundance “failure” from former festival director John Cooper here. 

Wes Anderson | 1996 | 92 mins. | English