the royal tenenbaums

David O. Russell Had to Lie to Wes Anderson About Liking The Royal Tenenbaums

Best buds! Photo: Getty Images

In 2001, 43-and-a-half-year-old auteur David O. Russell told a fib. As Russell told the Daily Beast, he was left cold by his first viewing of The Royal Tenenbaums — an uncomfortable situation, to say the least, as its director, Wes Anderson, was one of his close friends. And, in a situation likely unique to his profession, his discomfort was only exacerbated by the fact that Anderson was three feet away. “I watched the movie sitting next to him. Still didn’t get it,” he recalled. “Had to sit through dinner and lie, like you do to your best friends: ‘I thought this was beautiful and this was beautiful’ … if you want to support other artists you have to learn how to do that.” Now, thanks to his son, Russell says he’s reconsidered the movie’s merits: What he now supposes is maybe it isn’t bad. “It became one of my favorite movies,” he says.

David O. Russell Lied About Royal Tenenbaums