Bottle Rocket

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2:43

Bottle Rocket

R

1996

1h 31m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

73 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

In Wes Anderson's first feature film, Anthony has just been released from a mental hospital, only to find his wacky friend Dignan determined to begin an outrageous crime spree. After recruiting their neighbor, Bob, the team embarks on a road trip in search of Dignan's previous boss, Mr. Henry. But the more they learn, the more they realize that they do not know the first thing about crime.

Critics Consensus

Bottle Rocket is Reservoir Dogs meets Breathless with a West Texas sensibility.

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David Hunter

The Hollywood Reporter

02/21/2018

The performers look like they're having a lot of fun, but there is a great deal of skill on display.

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Kenneth Turan

Los Angeles Times

03/04/2014

A confident, eccentric debut about a trio of shambling and guileless friends who become the Candides of crime, Rocket feels particularly refreshing because it never compromises on its delicate deadpan sensibility.

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Bruce Diones

The New Yorker

03/04/2014

[Bottle Rocket] meanders pleasantly, like a road movie, with a seventies-style, anything-goes offhandedness that whisks the audience through the rough spots.

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Sarah Ward

Concrete Playground

Oct 16

Establishes many of the filmmaker's trademarks from the outset — including his penchant for witty interactions, as well as his love of dressing his characters in coordinated outfits.

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Joe Leydon

The Moving Picture Show

11/09/2023

In tone, style and content, this quirky little movie recalls the low-key comedies of Bill Forsythe ("Local Hero," "Housekeeping"), the poet laureate of melancholy whimsy.

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Farah Cheded

A Good Movie To Watch

09/29/2023

Wes Anderson’s debut might lack the meticulous visual style he's synonymous with, but it's full of the charm and understated emotion we love him for.

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Erik B

@Atma-X Mar 30

A charming, meandering film about a trio of listless young men who are yearning for adventure. Very much indicative of Wes Anderson's style, but maybe one of his most "normal" movies. What the hell kinda name is Dignan?

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Tyler P.

@TylerPhoenixMD Dec 20

I don’t care what anyone says this movie is a classic. It’s the beginnings of some of the best movies! You can tell all the inspiration that comes from it.

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Woodruff F

@Woodrufffoley Dec 2

The best and only good Wes Anderson film ha ha

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Nov 24

It wasn’t my favorite. Was it supposed to be funny? I feel like it could have been funnier, and maybe could have turned it into a full on comedy.

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Russell B

@ThomH Oct 8

A confident, eccentric debut about a trio of shambling and guileless friends who become the Candides of crime, Rocket feels particularly refreshing because it never compromises on its delicate deadpan sensibility.

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gumboil w

@RT48865888 Sep 19

if you like Napoleon dynamite you will most likely love this. one of the most under appreciated films of all time. this is a master piece and now one of my favourite movies. they nailed this sort of hopelessness that's both beautiful and tragic at the same time. the movies message is aim low but make it. its not trying to be quirky. but its quirky adjacent. a romanticised emptyness that really resonated with me. I felt on the verge of crying the whole time despite nothing sad happening on screen. its all an underlying melancholy somehow captured beautifully in this movie. this movie is eye candy if you love worn-out vintage motels and grain elevators . monuments of a lost time. still struggling to exist in our modern world where they do not fit.

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Wes Anderson

Director

Owen Wilson

Dignan

Luke Wilson

Anthony Adams

Robert Musgrave

Bob Mapplethorpe

Andrew Wilson

John Mapplethorpe (Future Man)

Lumi Cavazos

Inez

Bottle Rocket: Official Clip - The Job Falls Apart

2:06

Bottle Rocket: Official Clip - They'll Never Catch Me

2:10

Bottle Rocket: Official Clip - Little Banana

2:05

Bottle Rocket: Official Clip - Dignan Blows Up

2:04

Bottle Rocket: Official Clip - Keep the Gun on the Table!

2:06

Bottle Rocket: Official Clip - Future Man and Stacy

2:13

Bottle Rocket: Official Clip - Bob Mapplethorpe, Potential Getaway Driver

2:12

Bottle Rocket: Official Clip - It Was for Exhaustion

1:37

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Bottle Rocket: Trailer 1

2:43

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Synopsis

In Wes Anderson's first feature film, Anthony has just been released from a mental hospital, only to find his wacky friend Dignan determined to begin an outrageous crime spree. After recruiting their neighbor, Bob, the team embarks on a road trip in search of Dignan's previous boss, Mr. Henry. But the more they learn, the more they realize that they do not know the first thing about crime.

Director: Wes Anderson
Producer: Cynthia Hargrave, Polly Platt
Screenwriter: Owen Wilson, Wes Anderson
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Gracie Films, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 21, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 18, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $488.6K
Runtime: 1h 31m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SR