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The Royal Tenenbaums is Wes Anderson’s 2001 film about a gifted family whose adult lives have fallen far short of their childhood promise. This guide covers the premise and cast, explains the film’s release and runtime records, and distinguishes the standalone Criterion Blu-ray from the multi-film 4K set.
What is The Royal Tenenbaums about?
Royal and Etheline Tenenbaum’s three children—Chas, Margot and Richie—show exceptional promise when young. As adults, they face failure and disappointment. Their estranged father, Royal, returns and sets an unexpected family reunion in motion. Criterion describes the story in terms of melancholy and redemption.
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The Royal Tenenbaums | $4.25 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Royal Tenenbaums [DVD] | $22.94 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Royal Tenenbaums | $3.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Royal Tenenbaums [DVD] | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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![ROYAL TENENBAUMS BY HACKMAN,GENE (DVD) [2 DISCS]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Mu30j4knL._SL160_.jpg)
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ROYAL TENENBAUMS BY HACKMAN,GENE (DVD) [2 DISCS] | $7.47 | Buy on Amazon |
The film was directed by Wes Anderson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Owen Wilson. Anderson also produced it. Its principal creative credits include Robert Yeoman as cinematographer, David Wasco for production design, Dylan Tichenor as editor, Karen Patch for costume design and Mark Mothersbaugh for music.
Who is in The Royal Tenenbaums?
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Gene Hackman | Royal Tenenbaum |
| Anjelica Huston | Etheline Tenenbaum |
| Ben Stiller | Chas Tenenbaum |
| Gwyneth Paltrow | Margot Tenenbaum |
| Luke Wilson | Richie Tenenbaum |
| Owen Wilson | Eli Cash |
| Bill Murray | Raleigh St. Clair |
| Alec Baldwin | Narrator |
When was it released, and how long is it?
The film is from 2001. Release-date records differ: the AFI Catalog lists a New York Film Festival screening on October 5, 2001, a New York opening on December 14 and a Los Angeles opening on December 25. D23 instead gives December 14 for both city openings and December 21 for general release. Because the accounts conflict, those dates should be read as attributed records rather than a single settled chronology.
#1 Best Overall
- Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three children--Chas, Richie, and Margot--they were a family of geniuses and then they separated. Chas started buying real estate in his early teens and seemed to have had a preternatural understanding of international finance. Margot was a playwright and received a Braverman grant of fifty thousand dollars in the ninth grade. Richie was a junior champion
Runtime listings also differ. Criterion’s current catalog lists 110 minutes, while the AFI Catalog lists 108 minutes; the figure depends on which record is being cited.
AFI identifies Touchstone Pictures as the production company and Buena Vista Pictures Distribution as distributor. D23 records an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. D23 also notes that the filmmakers used a dilapidated limestone mini-mansion in Harlem’s historic Hamilton Heights neighborhood as the Tenenbaum house.
Rank #2
- Polish Release, cover may contain Polish text/markings. The disk has English subtitles.
Is The Royal Tenenbaums available on Blu-ray or 4K?
Criterion lists a standalone Blu-ray for the film and includes it in The Wes Anderson Archive: Ten Films, Twenty-Five Years, a 20-disc 4K UHD and Blu-ray collection. The archive contains ten 4K UHD discs and ten Blu-rays, but it is a multi-film set, not a standalone 4K edition of The Royal Tenenbaums.
| Edition | Format and contents | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Criterion standalone edition | Blu-ray with a restored digital transfer supervised by Wes Anderson and film-specific supplements. | Viewers seeking this film and its extras without buying a collection. |
| The Wes Anderson Archive: Ten Films, Twenty-Five Years | 20 discs: ten 4K UHD discs and ten Blu-rays; includes the film among ten Anderson titles and more than twenty-five hours of special features. | Viewers who want the included films and the 4K UHD format as part of a larger collection. |
What is on the standalone Criterion Blu-ray?
Criterion lists a restored digital transfer supervised by Anderson, along with supplements focused on the film and its production:
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- Audio commentary by Wes Anderson.
- A feature about Anderson by Albert Maysles.
- Cast interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.
- Outtakes and The Peter Bradley Show.
- A scrapbook of Richie’s art, photographs, covers and storyboards.
- Trailers, English subtitles for deaf and hard of hearing viewers, and an essay by Kent Jones.
What should buyers check?
Availability and compatibility can change, so check the seller’s current listing for stock, disc format and region compatibility before buying. Choose the standalone Blu-ray if the film and its supplements are the priority; consider the archive if you want the other included Anderson films as well. Current streaming availability is not established here and should be checked for your territory and date.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Commentary and extras
Rank #4
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