The Royal Tenenbaums

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The Royal Tenenbaums

R

2001

1h 48m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

219 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three children and then they separated. All three children are extraordinary --- all geniuses. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure, and disaster. Most of this was generally considered to be their father's fault. "The Royal Tenenbaums" is the story of the family's sudden, unexpected reunion one recent winter.

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Critics Consensus

The Royal Tenenbaums is a delightful adult comedy with many quirks and a sense of poignancy. Many critics especially praised Hackman's performance.

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Joshua Rothkopf

In These Times

Mar 16, 2020

If it sounds bittersweet, it is, but like the best family albums, Tenenbaums is split wide with open-heartedness, and equally generous with its triumphs and failures.

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Jack Mathews

New York Daily News

Oct 1, 2014

3.5/4

This comedy-drama about a dysfunctional family of eccentric geniuses is exactly the kind of movie America could use. It's funny, poignant, laced with irresistibly flawed characters and focuses on the power of love in a family.

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Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Oct 1, 2014

The film manages to be both sarcastic and sentimental. As odd as the Tenenbaums are, the family remains bound by love.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Jan 7, 2026

4/4

When does dealing with family dysfunction not feel like a familiar slog? When it’s in the hands of filmmaker Wes Anderson and his unique blend of quirkiness, seldom better exemplified than in The Royal Tenenbaums

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Sarah Ward

Concrete Playground

Oct 16, 2025

The most melancholy, poignant and deeply felt of the director's features. And, in its visuals and its performances, it's also oh-so-rich with affecting detail.

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Chris Klimek

Washington City Paper

Sep 15, 2025

In this third feature, Anderson’s much-parodied signature style of framing and performance became fully formed.

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AR T

@nakeddisco 3 days ago

This is my go-to comfort movie for so many reasons… the depth, the character development, the cinematography, and the artistic nature of it all put together. The soundtrack only strengthens each moment, and it’s an all around A1 watch. This was Wes Anderson’s 3rd movie and what defined his style, more or less. While today his signature style is more of an artistic interpretation of story telling, akin to a play (I.e. scenes and story lines broken down by parts, set design stripped down to basic bones)- this film shows more of a traditional 3rd person vantage with background noise and more natural lifestyle scenes. He co-wrote this with actor Owen Wilson, who, along with his brother Luke Wilson, star in the film. Wes + Owen met in college at UT in ATX, and co-wrote Andersons first 3 films- this being the last collaborative project of the two.

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Henry D

@Henry_Domke 6 days ago

We love Wes Anderson, and this is classic Anderson: funny, clever, and a bit twisted. This was our fifth viewing, yet we were surprised by how little either of us remembered of the film’s details. There was plenty to rediscover and enjoy.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 18, 2026

The Royal Tenenbaums = a *4* star Movie!

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Joe E

@jescanuelas May 19, 2026

I couldn't help but appreciate the camera work but I found the film to be pretentious.

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Malka M

@tealbri40 May 19, 2026

The whole movie had this strange but beautiful feeling to it. I really enjoyed how awkward and emotionally distant the characters were because it made everything feel more honest. The colors and visuals were also extremely nice to look at. Roma

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Hayle F

@RT73632069 May 19, 2026

The movies ups and downs and back to back issues made it really fun to keep up with. Families issues and conflicts all to end in a divorce and heart attack made the film suspenseful and enticing to see

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Wes Anderson

Director

Gene Hackman

Royal Tenenbaum

Anjelica Huston

Etheline Tenenbaum

Ben Stiller

Chas Tenenbaum

Gwyneth Paltrow

Margot Tenenbaum

Luke Wilson

Richie Tenenbaum

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Synopsis

Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three children and then they separated. All three children are extraordinary --- all geniuses. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure, and disaster. Most of this was generally considered to be their father's fault. "The Royal Tenenbaums" is the story of the family's sudden, unexpected reunion one recent winter.

Director: Wes Anderson
Producer: Barry Mendel, Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin
Screenwriter: Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Criterion Collection
Production Co: Touchstone Pictures, American Empirical Pictures, Mordecai Films
Rating: R (Nudity|Drug Content|Sexuality|Some Language)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 23, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $52.4M
Runtime: 1h 48m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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