Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three children and then they separated. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure, and disaster, generally considered to be their father’s fault. After years of estrangement, Royal deceptively announces a terminal illness to orchestrate a return to his remarkable but scattered family, seeking to win back their love. Gene Hackman delivers one of his unforgettable performances as the “displaced patriarch” – a role written for him, despite his hesitations to take it on – at the heart of Wes Anderson’s witty and “melan-comic” drama. Anderson’s signature style frames this poignant story of a flawed father’s halting attempts at reconciliation with his family, exploring forgiveness as its characters stumble, sometimes unconsciously, towards redemption and connection. 

In memory of Gene Hackman.

This screening is presented in conjunction with The Cleveland Orchestra’s Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival