Bottle Rocket Poster

Bottle Rocket (1996)

R 02/21/1996 Comedy, Crime, Drama 1h 31m
67%
User
Score
6.9/10
86%
67/100

They're not really criminals, but everyone's got to have a dream.

Overview

Upon his release from a mental hospital following a nervous breakdown, the directionless Anthony joins his friend Dignan, who seems far less sane than the former. Dignan has hatched a harebrained scheme for an as-yet-unspecified crime spree that somehow involves his former boss, the (supposedly) legendary Mr. Henry.

Wes Anderson

Director

Owen Wilson

Writer

Top Billed Cast

Luke Wilson

Luke Wilson

Anthony Adams

Owen Wilson

Owen Wilson

Dignan

Robert Musgrave

Robert Musgrave

Bob Mapplethorpe

Lumi Cavazos

Lumi Cavazos

Inez

James Caan

James Caan

Mr. Abe Henry

Andrew Wilson

Andrew Wilson

John "Future Man" Mapplethorpe

Teddy Wilson

Teddy Wilson

Hector Mapplethorpe

Donny Caicedo

Donny Caicedo

Rocky

Ned Dowd

Ned Dowd

Dr. Nichols

Full Cast & Crew →

Media

Bottle Rocket (1996) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

Bottle Rocket (1996) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

BOTTLE ROCKET | Storyboards by Wes Anderson | MUBI

BOTTLE ROCKET | Storyboards by Wes Anderson | MUBI

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Reviews

A review by Len Smith

Written on April 26, 2022

It's always staggering to me that _Bottle Rocket_ is almost universally considered one of Wes Anderson's worst movies. Seeing the sub-70% rating on this website nearly broke my heart. And since there were no reviews of the film, I decided it was my duty as a _Bottle Rocket_ stan to make a feeble attempt at evangelizing on its behalf.

People complain about how twee and pretentious Anderson's movies come across. Yet, somehow, as one of his movies that largely sidesteps those pitfalls, Bottle Rocket usually gets shit on the most. Part of the "problem" is that there's a subtlety to the humor and the storytelling that is unmatched in Anderson's filmography. It's not as "mainstream quirky" as a _Moonrise Kingdom_, nor does it have the flashiness (relatively speaking) of a _Rushmore_ or a _Lif...

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A review by r96sk

Written on July 8, 2025

<em>'Bottle Rocket'</em> felt like it was running on fumes for me, the conclusion is an improvement on what procedes but it doesn't quite do enough to salvage my feelings towards this Wes Anderson feature directorial debut. With that noted, I didn't explicitly dislike it either.

Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson make their acting bows, quite interesting that the brothers don't actually portray brothers; kinda refreshing to see, actually. Robert Musgrave and James Caan are also involved. Owen is the standout in my opinion, though the main trio are on a similar-ish level.

It coulda done with more laughs, but that's obviously a personal thing - no doubt many will find it funny, just not me; albeit with a few chuckles scattered in there. It also isn't the most Wes Anderson-y film, with his sig...

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