What do your mom's house, a Barnes and Noble, and a cold storage warehouse have in common? Apparently, according to the motley crew of "criminals" in this movie, they're the perfect locations for a heist. 

Criminals is an exaggeration, hence the quotations. Boy, are these guys inept. Anthony (Luke Wilson), Dignan (Owen Wilson), Bob (Robert Musgraves) and friends are really just preppy fellows who need a little excitement in their lives. With Dignan as the so-called mastermind, they hatch utterly ludicrous plans and find their ways into and somehow out of trouble as they pull stunts during ridiculous robberies that really only work out in the movies. Even though they don't necessarily have the brains to fully pull them off, they've got heart. And Spunk. And lots of Privilege. 

For a film debut, especially from Wes Anderson, this is impressive. As this was his first feature film, he didn't have the funds to go full-out candyland like in The Grand Budapest Hotel or The Royal Tenenbaums. The aesthetic is there, though. It peeks through in flashes of grandma wallpaper and artfully arranged maps on tables. The fact that the movie isn't drowning in his usual aesthetic actually feels a little refreshing. It allows one to focus on the characters and script, which was also penned by himself and Owen Wilson. Though this didn't achieve high success among audiences, critics enjoyed it, as well as Martin Scorsese. According to Martin, what gives this movie its staying power is Anderson's ability to "convey the simple joys and interactions between people so well and with such richness." A true statement indeed, this is an endearing sleeper-hit that any hardcore Anderson fan should watch to take a look at his progress from then to now.