Bottle Rocket (1996)

Bottle Rocket is a 1996 American crime comedy film directed by Wes Anderson in his feature film directorial debut. Written by Anderson and Owen Wilson and based on Anderson's 1992 short film of the same name, it marks the acting debuts of brothers Owen and Luke Wilson. Also featured are their older brother Andrew Wilson, Robert Musgrave, Lumi Cavazos, and James Caan. Principal photography took place in various locations throughout Texas.

Though not a commercial success due to its limited release in theaters by Sony Pictures Releasing on February 21, 1996, the film received acclaim from critics and launched the film careers of Anderson and the Wilson brothers. Director Martin Scorsese later named Bottle Rocket one of his top-ten favorite films of the 1990s.

Plot

In Arizona, Dignan "rescues" his friend Anthony from a voluntary psychiatric unit, where he has been staying for self-described exhaustion. Dignan has developed a 75-year plan that he shows to Anthony. The plan is to pull off several heists, and then meet up with a Mr. Henry, a landscaper and part-time criminal known to Dignan.

As a practice heist, the two friends break into Anthony's family's house, stealing specific items from a previously agreed upon list. Critiquing the heist, Dignan reveals that he took a pair of earrings not specified on the list. This upsets Anthony, as he purchased the earrings for his mother as a gift and specifically left them off the list. Anthony visits his little sister at her school and asks her to return the earrings.

Dignan recruits Bob Mapplethorpe as a getaway driver because he is the only person they know with a car. The three of them buy a gun and return to Bob's house to plan their next heist, which will be at a local bookstore. The group bickers as Dignan struggles to describe his intricate plan.

The group steals a small sum of money from the bookstore and goes "on the lam," stopping to stay at a motel. Anthony meets Inez, a Paraguayan motel housekeeper, and the two spark a romance despite a language barrier.

Bob learns that his marijuana crop at home has been discovered by police, and his older brother has been arrested. He leaves to help his brother without telling Dignan. Before leaving the motel themselves, Anthony gives Dignan a sealed envelope to give to Inez. Dignan delivers it to her while she is cleaning a room, not knowing that the envelope has most of his and Anthony's money inside.

As Dignan is leaving, Inez asks a Hispanic employee serving as informal translator to tell him that she loves Anthony. When the translator delivers the message he says, "Tell Anthony I love him." Dignan fails to realize he is speaking for Inez and does not deliver the message.

Dignan steals a car, and he and Anthony continue with the plan. The car breaks down and Anthony reveals that the envelope Dignan gave to Inez contained their cash. They have a confrontation and part ways.

Sometime later, Dignan, who has joined Mr. Henry's gang, tracks Anthony down and they reconcile. Dignan invites him to a heist with Mr. Henry which he accepts on the condition that Bob is allowed in as well.

The four of them plan to rob a safe at a cold storage facility. Mr. Henry becomes a role model for the others, standing up to Bob's abusive brother and tutoring Dignan on success. He invites the trio to a party, and visits them at the Mapplethorpes' house. Anthony learns of Inez's love for him and calls her. Her English has improved and they rekindle their relationship.

The group conducts their heist at the cold storage facility with Applejack and Kumar, accomplices from Mr. Henry's landscaping company. The plan falls apart, with Kumar unable to crack the safe, and Bob accidentally firing his gun, which in turn triggers a cardiac event in Applejack.

While the crew are busy with their heist, Mr. Henry cleans out the expensive furniture from Bob's home and makes off with it.

Anthony and Bob later visit Dignan in prison. While saying goodbye, Dignan begins rattling off an escape plan and tells his friends to get into position for a getaway. After a tense moment, the two realize Dignan is joking. Dignan says to Anthony, "Isn't it funny that you used to be in the nuthouse and now I'm in jail?" as he walks back into the prison.

Cast

Production

In 1992, Wes Anderson directed a 13-minute short film, titled Bottle Rocket. The short was filmed in black and white, and also starred Owen, Luke Wilson and Musgrave. The short had a similar plot to the later feature film. The film was screened at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, where it attracted the attention of filmmaker James L. Brooks, who agreed to finance a full-length version of the short.

With the exception of its introduction, which was shot at Camarillo State Mental Hospital in southern California, the feature-length film was shot in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Hillsboro, Texas. The scenes at Bob Mapplethorpe's house were filmed at the John Gillin Residence.

After the film failed to achieve commercial success, Owen Wilson considered joining the Marines. Bill Murray was considered for the role of Abe Henry.

Reception

Bottle Rocket received generally positive reviews from film critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an 86% rating based on 71 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The site's consensus describes the film as "Reservoir Dogs meets Breathless with a West Texas sensibility". On Metacritic, it has a 66/100 weighted average score based on 24 critics.

Martin Scorsese is a fan of the film, calling it one of his favorite movies of the 1990s. In a 2000 interview with Esquire, Scorsese praised Wes Anderson for his ability to "convey the simple joys and interactions between people so well and with such richness".

Home media

In 2008, Bottle Rocket was released on DVD and Blu-ray as part of The Criterion Collection. It was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray by Criterion on September 30, 2025, as part of the ten film collection The Wes Anderson Archive: Ten Films, Twenty-Five Years.

Soundtrack

Bottle Rocket (soundtrack)

References

External links

Bottle Rocket at IMDb

Bottle Rocket at Box Office Mojo

Bottle Rocket at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films

Bottle Rocket at Rotten Tomatoes

Screenplay by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson

Photos of Bottle Rocket Movie Locations As They Appear Today

Bottle Rocket an essay by James L. Brooks at The Criterion Collection