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.
Writing
Dignan's 75-year plan is peak delusional criminal mastermind.
Acting
Owen Wilson creates Dignan, a legend of misguided confidence.
Direction
Anderson's debut already shows his obsessive visual control.
Director
Wes Anderson
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was originally a 13-minute black-and-white short that got Anderson and the Wilsons fired from their jobs at Sundance.
James Caan took the Mr. Henry role as a favor and became Anderson's unlikely mentor, shaping how the director worked with established actors.
US
