It features then-newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward leading a cast including Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Bob Balaban. The children dress as animals before floods cause them to seek shelter in the church, Kozlovic observed. [14] While Anderson said that he wrote the part of Captain Sharp imagining the deceased James Stewart playing him, he thought Willis could be the "iconic policeman" once the screenplay was completed. Zaher questioned if the children's sexuality could have been portrayed in a more appropriate way. | [83] In 2018, Variety named Moonrise Kingdom as Anderson's seventh best of nine films, saying Sam and Suzy did not feel real. [3], When he was 12, Anderson lived in Texas with two brothers. [79] Rex Reed dismissed it as "juvenile gibberish" displaying "lunatic fragments of surrealism". [92], The Huffington Post journalist Mina Zaher criticized the depiction of the sexual awakening between Sam and Suzy, expressing discomfort with the scene where Sam touches Suzy's breasts, calling it "a step further or perhaps too far". Instead, it is perfectly executed, wonderfully acted poignant beauty, with fantastic performances across the board (especially from newcomers Gilman and Hayward). He described the starting idea for the story as a memory of fantasized young love: [3] The auditions took eight months at different schools. Suzy's parents take her home. [67] Moonrise Kingdom was also listed on many critics' top 10 lists of the year. Although Anderson could not envision one young auditioner, Lucas Hedges, as Sam, he felt the boy was talented enough to be given an important role and cast him as Redford. Release Dates [11] All the child actors were novices. [36] This dialogue is spoken with "self-aware deadpan" performances. The soundtrack also features music by Britten, a composer notable for his many works for children's voices. View production, box office, & company info. [12][13] Schwartzman said he accepted the role of Cousin Ben without asking for a larger part, because in his experience Anderson always planned thoroughly what was best for his films, including casting characters. "[4] In June 2011, it was reported Harvey Keitel joined the cast after most of the other principal actors. Production. He looks like he has been painted by Norman Rockwell. [36], The narrative features collapsing families,[37] represented by the Bishops' failing marriage. (Their characters inspired many Halloween costumes in 2012. [38] Sam is also disowned by his foster family for behaviors like arson while sleepwalking. [8] François Truffaut's 1959 French film The 400 Blows about juvenile delinquency was also an influence. Father at Childrens Play [72] Peter Travers positively reviewed the actors' performances, calling Norton engaging, Balaban "delightful" and Willis agreeable. Looking for something to watch? The movie's sort of set to it. It is about a young orphan (Gilman) who escapes from a scouting … [98], 2012 romantic comedy-drama film by Wes Anderson, Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, its list of greatest films of the twenty-first century, The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, BBC's 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century, List of accolades received by Moonrise Kingdom, Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Feature, Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, "Wes Anderson Talks Moonrise Kingdom, His Next Film, Doing Another Stop-Motion Movie and More", "Wes Anderson, Creating A Singular 'Kingdom, "The Playlist Interview From Cannes: Wes Anderson Discusses The Nostalgia, Music, & Making Of 'Moonrise Kingdom, "Wes Anderson on Moonrise Kingdom, First Loves, and Cohabitating with Bill Murray", "Cannes 2012: Wes Anderson on Making 'Moonrise Kingdom' and His Cannes Debut (Q&A)", "Wes Anderson talks about 'Moonrise Kingdom' and his Cannes debut", "Behind 'Moonrise Kingdom's' Unconventional But Steady March to the Oscars", "Fleming Q&A's 'Moonrise Kingdom' Director Wes Anderson", "Meet the Kids From Moonrise Kingdom, Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward", "Bill Murray and Wes Anderson reunite for 'Moonrise Kingdom, "Jason Schwartzman on Ghost Stories, Boy Scouts, and Ignoring the Moonrise Kingdom Kids", "Wes Anderson on directing Bruce Willis, Edward Norton for the first time", "New Set Photos for Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom; Harvey Keitel Confirmed to Join Cast", "Moving Storyboards and Drumming: Wes Anderson Maps Out the Peculiar Genius of "Moonrise Kingdom, "An Exclusive Interview with Kasia Walicka-Maimone, Costume Designer of 'Moonrise Kingdom, "Wes Anderson's New Movie Moonrise Kingdom Starring Willis, Norton, and Murray Goes to Focus Features", "Creating "Moonrise Kingdom" in Rhode Island with Wes Anderson's production designer Adam Stockhausen - The Boston Globe", "Cinematographer Robert Yeoman Talks Super 16 Style on Moonrise Kingdom", "Wes Anderson's 'Moonrise Kingdom' Opens Cannes on a Sweet Note", "Scouting Out a Paradise: Books, Music and No Adults", "Bill Murray talks about a director he likes, Wes Anderson of 'Moonrise Kingdom, "Unsafe Houses: Moonrise Kingdom and Wes Anderson's Conflicted Comedies of Escape", "Make Your Own Mixtape: 17 Songs From Wes Anderson's Films That Are Not On The Official Soundtracks", "Moonrise Kingdom: What's the Britten music used in Wes Anderson's new movie? [19] Cinematographer Robert Yeoman shot the film on Super 16mm film (with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio), using Aaton Xterà and A-Minima cameras. [52], With many Britten tracks taken from recordings conducted or supervised by the composer himself, the music includes The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Introduction/Theme; Fugue), conducted by Leonard Bernstein; Friday Afternoons ("Cuckoo"; "Old Abram Brown"); Simple Symphony ("Playful Pizzicato"); Noye's Fludde (various excerpts, including the processions of animals into and out of the ark, and "The spacious firmament on high"); and A Midsummer Night's Dream ("On the ground, sleep sound"). You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. [89], The film was also nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. I just experienced the period of dreaming about what might happen, when I was at that age. Technical Specs, See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro, Fort Lebanon Khaki Scout [44] Roger Ebert identified the color scheme as emphasizing green in the grass, khaki in the Scouts camp and uniforms, and some red, creating "the feeling of magical realism". [42], In the scene where the Khaki Scouts meet with Cousin Ben, writer Michael Frierson observed how the tracking shot is combined with "clipped, military dialogue". [71] The New York Times's Manohla Dargis reviewed Anderson and Coppola's screenplay as a "beautifully coordinated admixture of droll humor, deadpan and slapstick". Moonrise Kingdom is a 2012 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson, written by Anderson and Roman Coppola. A writer encounters the owner of an aging high-class hotel, who tells him of his early years serving as a lobby boy in the hotel's glorious years under an exceptional concierge. (uncredited), Church Play Attendee Linares particularly commented on the use of the animated maps, which make Anderson's universe more credible, and also have metaphorical significance. [18], Anderson used Google Earth for initial location scouting, searching for places where they could find Suzy's house and "naked wildlife", considering Canada, Michigan and New England. [32], However, film scholar Kim Wilkins rejected the notion that Moonrise Kingdom is a romance film. The budget was US$16 million,[9] and his producers Steven Rales and Scott Rudin agreed to back the project. Suzy Bishop, also 12, lives on the island with her parents Walt and Laura, both attorneys, and her three younger brothers in a house called Summer's End. "[18] In addition to the books and maps, Anderson said the crew spent a substantial amount of time creating the watercolor paintings, needle-points and other original props. During the storm, Sharp decides to become Sam's legal guardian, allowing him to stay on New Penzance Island and maintain contact with Suzy. [39], Academic James MacDowell evaluated the film's style as displaying "the director's trademark flat, symmetrical, tableau framings of carefully arranged characters within colorful, fastidiously decorated sets" with "patent unnaturalism and self-consciousness". [54] The soundtrack album reached number 187 on Billboard's Top Current Albums chart.