Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, Moonrise Kingdom tells the story of two twelve-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore – and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle.
Direction
Peak Wes Anderson symmetry — every frame a diorama.
Production
That hand-painted map intro deserves its own Oscar.
Score
Benjamin Britten's orchestral pieces structure the entire narrative.
Director
Wes Anderson
Jared Gilman
Sam Shakusky
Kara Hayward
Suzy Bishop
Bruce Willis
Captain Sharp
Edward Norton
Scout Master Ward
Bill Murray
Mr. Bishop
Frances McDormand
Mrs. Bishop
Tilda Swinton
Social Services
Jason Schwartzman
Cousin Ben
Bob Balaban
The Narrator
Lucas Hedges
Redford
Charlie Kilgore
Lazy Eye
Harvey Keitel
Commander Pierce
Gabriel Rush
Skotak
Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick
Roosevelt
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward were both first-time actors discovered through open casting calls; Anderson specifically wanted untrained performances to capture authentic awkwardness.
The film's 1965 setting captures the last moment before American childhood lost its wild independence — no helicopter parents, just kids with maps and dangerous tools.
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