The Darjeeling Limited vs Stand By Me

Certain actors carry with them an aura of laid-back goodness so clear you smile just from seeing them on screen. For me, Woody Harrelson has this, as does Drew Barrymore. It’s something besides talent—possibly better than talent—and few of even our more celebrated actors possess it. As soon as Owen Wilson appears on screen in The Darjeeling Limited, I leaned in and felt something I seldom feel for movie characters until I’ve gotten to know them: worry. Wilson’s Francis looks awful; he’s been in a motorcycle wreck, and his face is bandaged from all directions. Wilson has been through a lot in real life too, of course, which I’m sure added to my reaction. But mainly, it’s that rare, relaxed, good-guy charisma Wilson’s got in spades. I was on his side from the beginning. When Francis says, “I guess I’ve got a little more healing to do”, I wanted him to get it (and found it impossible not to wish the same for the actor playing him.)

Francis has gathered his two brothers, Peter and Jack (Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman, respectively) on a train through India, where they can reconnect after over a year apart, and possibly find some common ground as friends, as well as closure over the death of their father (who left them a huge set of luggage that gets so much camera time it deserves, and gets, a credit.) Each brother brings along some sadness and conflict. Peter is nervous about his pending fatherhood, because his marriage is on shaky ground. He’s also perhaps the most distraught over his father’s death. Peter has responded by pilfering his father’s lesser belongings, like razors and prescription glasses. Likewise, Jack has just ended a relationship he hated (and that his brothers didn’t approve of). We see the final day of it in a short film preceding The Darjeeling Limited, called The Hotel Chevalier, and featuring a sharp performance by a short-haired, raspy-talking, toothpick-chewing, and nothing-wearing Natalie Portman. The brothers seem happy to see each other, sort of, but not crazy about traveling together. As a result, they spend much of their trip fighting and self-medicating, passing their various prescriptions around the table like condiments.

And the train moves on, and the brothers learn about each other and life and how to be happy. Kind of. It’s that kind of movie, but luckily, The Darjeeling Limited doesn’t have that kind of director. Wes Anderson has directed The Darjeeling Limited with the same ear for dialogue and music he’s shown in each of his previous movies. Wilson, Brody and Schwartzman all bring that familiar blend of whimsy and melancholy Anderson specializes in. The brothers are a darker bunch than we’ve seen before in a Wes Anderson movie, but they’re gifted and dedicated to their family. A flashback to the father’s funeral is one of the more powerful emotional moments in Anderson’s filmography, made all the more so because of its juxtaposition with the funeral of a boy in India . This is good stuff. And it should go without saying that The Darjeeling Limited is a really special movie visually. As with the house in The Royal Tenenbaums and the ship in The Life Aquatic, the train in The Darjeeling Limited is practically a character. This time there’s local flavor as well, with India shot in the vibrant colors of a Bollywood film. There are two great cameos in The Darjeeling Limited—from Anderson vets—but I won’t spoil them here. I do have a question for you to ponder: Is the business man the father?

How long has it been since you guys have seen Stand By Me? Too long, I bet. Same here. It’s a lot like The Darjeeling Limited. It’s got male bonding; weird, funny characters; a trip that changes lives; and in young River Phoenix that elusive quality of goodness that fills the screen like few actors do. To watch Stand by Me is to feel for this kid, and to want everything to be okay for him. I don’t even want to get into a quick recap, because sitting here imagining the rediscovery of this movie's pleasures—among them the great dialogue, like Tarantino writing for Opie Taylor; and the great performances from all the boys, especially River Phoenix and Corey Feldman—makes me want to rewatch it right this instant.. Rob Reiner did a great job on Stand by Me. It’s probably his best work. Rob Reiner’s always a capable director, but there’s something more in Stand by Me that we haven’t always gotten in his subsequent films. Makes you wonder how he might benefit from a train ride with Wes Anderson.

The Darjeeling Limited: A

Stand by Me: A