II don't know about you, but the most prevalent emotion I recall from my high school years is a healthy, vibrant fear. I feared women, I feared bad grades, I feared failure in general. Most of all, I feared that I'd never make it into a good college and become a mature grown-up human with a job and kids and wife. While my body transformed and my attitudes fluctuated daily, fear was just about the only constant.

The characters in Rushmore are likewise fueled by fear. Only one of the film's stars portrays a teenager and acts out of true adolescent fear, but there is a sense in which all of the major characters are forced to confront teenage terrors anew, even though they're well beyond puberty. Though their behavior often seems fearless, they are motivated by pure paranoid fear.

The title refers to the school where the lead character of the film, Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), has become something of a legend. He does terribly in his classes, courting failure and expulsion on a regular basis, yet he contributes tirelessly to the school's extracurricular activities, everything from theater to fencing and beekeeping. When he crosses paths with a beautiful young first-grade teacher (Olivia Williams), he becomes quickly infatuated, and sets about "courting" her in his teenage way. He enlists the help of Herman Blume (Bill Murray) in his schemes, and the three quickly form a revolving triangle of deceit, affection and confusion.

Herman falls hopelessly in love with Rosemary, but Max is obsessed with Rosemary, so Max lashes out at both when he discovers they've been secretly conducting an affair behind his back. Herman behaves as childishly as Max, matching Max's adolescent pranks blow-for-blow and ultimately driving Rosemary away. Losing Rosemary forces Herman to confront his own behavior, motivated by a massive black loneliness that seems poised to consume him at points. Likewise, Rosemary is forced to confront her sorrow about the death of her husband, and whether that might be her true motivation for fearing a relationship with Herman. Ultimately, each character must confront their fears--of loneliness, of companionship, of not being taken seriously and respected--and overcome them to grow as people.

Yet at the film's conclusion, it's not even clear if the central character has learned anything about coping with his own fears. Though there is somewhat of a tidy resoultion for Herman and Rosemary, Max finds no such happy ending. He's found a girl his age to fall in love with and he continues his outlandish writing and performing in school plays. But his new love interest, Margaret Yang (Sara Tanaka), behaves as childishly as he does, and though the two seem to find a merging in their spirits, they never seem to realize that said spirits require much more growth and change to reach maturity.

The film's ending is a great example of the richness that courses through the entire script. There are plenty of laughs on the surface, but it's the darkness resting beneath that makes the action so compelling. You'll find yourself chuckling at Max's antics even as your heart breaks for his immature misunderstanding of how human relationships work. Part of the credit for the film's complexity goes not just to screenwriter and director Wes Anderson, but also to the actors for amazing performances across the board. Murray's failure to gain a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Academy Awards might be this year's biggest Oscar tragedy. He often dominates the film with his most dangerous and edgy role since the early eighties, one that's enhanced by a healthy dose of humanity. He's as fascinating to watch as he was in Caddyshack or Stripes, but this character has more soul than either of those purely comedic performances. It's brilliant work that deserves far more recognition than it recieved. Schwartzman is also a major discovery as Max, somehow managing to turn this potentially grating character into a compassionate figure, full of life and humor alongside the bitterness. Also striking in their performances are Williams as the infinitely patient teacher Rosemary and veteran character actor Seymour Cassel as Bert Fischer, Max's long-suffering father.

Rushmore is simply a joy to watch, and at the same time there's nothing simple about it, because it offers no easy answers to the predicaments of its characters. The plot may move into outlandish territory on occasion, but the characters are never anything less than riveting. The movie is character-driven in the simplest and most affecting way. It's a funny, sympathetic portrayal of three people who face fear every day, and learn through each other how to deal with those fears. When you leave the theater after seeing the film, you'll be truly sorry to have let these dynamic characters go.