by Olivia M. Johnson
H
ouston is one of the fastest-changing metropolitan cities in the country. It seems to grow at a pace that Houstonians have become accustomed to, often seeing warehouses come down and townhomes go up. While our progress is valuable, it’s nice to have nostalgia for old Houston. Native Houstonian and filmmaker Wes Anderson gives us a look at Houston, circa 1996-98, in his fim Rushmore, which celebrates its 20th anniversary next year after it debuted at the Telluride Film Festival in 1998. Anderson was born and raised in Houston by his mother, Texas Ann Burroughs, a Realtor® and archeologist, and his father Melver Anderson, who worked in advertising and public relations. He began filmmaking at an early age, graduated from St. John’s School in 1987, and received his degree in Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin in 1990. At UT-Austin, Anderson met his partners, Dallas actors/brothers Owen and Luke Wilson, whom he collaborated with on his first film, Bottle Rocket, in 1996. Shortly thereafter, Anderson began filming in Houston for Rushmore, which stars Jason Schwartzman and acting legend Bill Murray. Rushmore follows a high school student, Max Fischer, at a prestigious private school, Rushmore
Academy, who develops a less-than-healthy crush on a teacher and befriends a schoolmate’s father, Herman Blume. Max is excellent at his extracurricular ventures, but he can’t seem to excel in his studies. Subsequently, he’s expelled and sent to a public school, Grover Cleveland High. St. John’s School, which sits just off Buffalo Speedway and Westheimer Road, portrays Rushmore Academy and is the most utilized location in the film as Rushmore Academy serves as the focal point of Max’s life throughout the film. Just across the street from St. John’s, Lamar High School is utilized to represent Grover Cleveland High. St. John’s is in the midst of an extensive renovation project to its campus. One of the initial key components is a dazzling 10,000-squarefoot communal space named Flores Hall, which opened in 2015 and is the main component of the new Campus Center building, which boasts 70,000 total square feet and was designed by architectural firm Curtis & Windham. The overarching Campus Master Plan remains an ongoing undertaking of significant scale that will transform St. John’s and usher in an exciting new era for students, faculty, and the school community.
The secret, I don’t know... I guess you’ve just gotta find something you love to do and then... do it for the rest of your life. For me, it’s going to Rushmore. Max Fischer
Lamar, meanwhile, has begun adding another building to the school, which is set for completion in 2018. This is the second renovation since the filming of Rushmore, the former being an athletic building added in 2006. Otherwise, Lamar has kept its infamous green and white stone art deco face. Another notable set location is the barbershop where Max’s father worked, Doug’s Barbershop on 11th Street, which still functions as a classic barbershop. The shop in the film is simple and dimly lit; the walls were notably bare. Now, Doug Dreher, the shop’s current owner, has flooded the walls with memorabilia, including street signs, newspaper articles, Rushmore photos and props, and photos of his family and customers. Dreher didn’t take over as owner until after filming but recalls when Anderson crash landed in the Heights. Seven days in 1996 were used to film six scenes;
I saved Latin. What did you ever do? Max Fischer
the following year, the crew returned for a reshoot of one scene – both times the filming prompted the street and neighborhood to shut down. In addition to the public spaces used, Anderson filmed two homes - one near Rice University in the West Edgemont neighborhood on North Boulevard and Dunlavy Street, and the other next to the Hollywood Cemetery off North Main Sreet and I-45 N Freeway on Emerald Ct. The 1938 North Boulevard home was used for Max’s teacher crush. Since filming, not much seems to have changed on the outside, as that is the only element of the home seen in the film. Sprawled out on a 16,000-squarefoot lot, the English/ Historic-style home’s white stucco walls and manicured lawn remain unspoiled, keeping the style and elegance of the home. However, the home on Emerald Court has taken on a new face. Max’s home is quite dated in the film. Built in 1924, the 1,200-squarefoot white bungalow is surrounded by a chain link fence, encompassing the shabby bushes and tiny porch. Following the remodel
in 2002, the home is now surrounded by a rod iron fence, has been repainted a vibrant orange/yellow, brick pavers have replaced the small yard, and the porch has been expanded. Owner Antonia Flores recalls Anderson’s crew coming to film for three days, removing windows, doors, grass, etc. all to make way for the crew and equipment. All the while, Flores and her family were kept in the home’s garage apartment. Anderson paid her for her time and home, but Flores says it went straight into repairing any damage suffered during the project. From there, the home began slowly taking Zon renovations. Additional locations around town include Del Mar Stadium, Hotel ZaZa, Memorial Park – Field One, the Hollywood Cemetery, the Forest Club, and the Kinkaid School. To this day, Rushmore fanatics are known to stop by the myriad filming location as a pilgrimage of sorts to take photos of the Wes Anderson history that is spread across the city of Houston from the iconic 1998 film.