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On the podcast this time, Stabby Steven and Sean are moving back home and dealing with some serious family issues in the 2001 film from Wes Anderson, The Royal Tenenbaums.

I can\u2019t even begin to imagine what the Thanksgiving dinners at the Tenenbaums must have been like. The holidays are a stressful time for a normal family, much less one that\u2019s probably pictured next to the dictionary definition of \u201cdysfunction.\u201d Imagine what that must have been like: sullen children wishing they could be anywhere else, a mother weighed down by her husband\u2019s behavior, and a father who\u2019s critiquing how dry the turkey is even as he insists on cutting and serving it himself.

That\u2019s not a holiday of which I would want to be a part. And yet, Owen Wilson\u2019s character, Eli Cash, wanted nothing more than to be a Tenenbaum. Different strokes, I guess.

When you\u2019re brought up and heralded by the media as a child geniuses\u2014nay, part of a trio of family geniuses\u2014then there\u2019s bound to be something a little off with you. Speaking of which, dear listener of this podcast, if you were a child genius or savant of some sort, please write in and tell us about your life. We\u2019d love to hear your tale.

We imagine it\u2019s probably similar to what the Tenenbaum children\u2014Richie, Chas, and the adopted daughter, Margot\u2014had to endure. Talk about pressure! It\u2019s no wonder that all three of them cracked in their own ways. Frankly, I\u2019d be surprised if any of them turned out to be \u201cnormal.\u201d Now that would be worth some serious attention.

None of this is helped by their asshole of a father, Royal. Ugh, that guy. It\u2019s a damn shame that it took some serious family tragedy for him to snap out of himself and appreciate what he has. He probably could have saved his marriage if he had done that sooner.

All of this nonsense makes for a captivating, fun, and endlessly watchable film. It\u2019s something that keeps rewarding you. Your first viewing will be a unique and enviable experience. Your tenth viewing will be just as enjoyable. Maybe some of the surprises will be gone, but there\u2019s enough depth here to draw you in as few films can.

(Recorded on July 19, 2021)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

The Royal Tenenbaums - IMDb

The Royal Tenenbaums trailer - YouTube

Gene Hackman - IMDb

Bill Murray - IMDb

Zombieland - IMDb

Lost in Translation - IMDb

Wes Anderson - IMDb

Rushmore - IMDb

The Grand Budapest Hotel - IMDb

Danny Glover - IMDb

Saw - IMDb

Gwyneth Paltrow - IMDb

Anjelica Huston - IMDb

Ben Stiller - IMDb

Luke Wilson - IMDb

Owen Wilson - IMDb

Kumar Pallana - IMDb

Seymour Cassel - IMDb

Colin Farrell - IMDb

Scrubs - IMDb