Two from my list, I think.
The first Vacation is the only one which fully commits to Clark Griswold's sociopathy, and is therefore the only one worth considering. This film is about the madness that accompanies what the American Dreamer imagines for his American Family. And Chevy Chase is perfect casting for the darkness lurking inside this very particularly loathsome kind of father figure. He embraces both the ugliness of the character, but somehow makes him relatable as he suffers through the family he himself is making suffer. One of the rare films that makes me consistently laugh throughout.
Rushmore: Anderson has never been better and will never be better. As he has become a master of whatever it is he does, he might have a lot more impressive films when it comes to honing his specific cinematic voice, but this is the one that gives just enough of a glimpse of his style, and then leaves enough room for characters like Max Fischer and Herman Blume to fully inhabit. As a result, he's never made a more human film, filled with his characters doubt and folly and jealousy and obsession and love. And by letting Fischer and Blume live inside of a world which at least somewhat resembles a real place, the humor of their situation has more gravity. It doesn't all just float away on Wes Anderson brand whimsy (which, don't get me wrong, is a beautiful thing, but I sometimes wish he hadn't gotten so good at what he does....would let a little more natural light from the actors he hires to shine through)
The first Vacation is the only one which fully commits to Clark Griswold's sociopathy, and is therefore the only one worth considering. This film is about the madness that accompanies what the American Dreamer imagines for his American Family. And Chevy Chase is perfect casting for the darkness lurking inside this very particularly loathsome kind of father figure. He embraces both the ugliness of the character, but somehow makes him relatable as he suffers through the family he himself is making suffer. One of the rare films that makes me consistently laugh throughout.
Rushmore: Anderson has never been better and will never be better. As he has become a master of whatever it is he does, he might have a lot more impressive films when it comes to honing his specific cinematic voice, but this is the one that gives just enough of a glimpse of his style, and then leaves enough room for characters like Max Fischer and Herman Blume to fully inhabit. As a result, he's never made a more human film, filled with his characters doubt and folly and jealousy and obsession and love. And by letting Fischer and Blume live inside of a world which at least somewhat resembles a real place, the humor of their situation has more gravity. It doesn't all just float away on Wes Anderson brand whimsy (which, don't get me wrong, is a beautiful thing, but I sometimes wish he hadn't gotten so good at what he does....would let a little more natural light from the actors he hires to shine through)