The 2012 film Moonrise Kingdom introduced millions of new fans to the charming images and detailed construction of Wes Anderson’s films, and it’s turning 10 years old this year. For many young audience members, this was the first romance film that accurately captured the feelings of childhood and rebellion.
Today, a decade later, the movie continues to be one of the most iconic of Anderson’s films, capturing many of his most common tropes and trademarks. Even the most casual of Anderson fans are likely to pick up a few fun facts over the years, but Moonrise Kingdom provides a bounty of them that viewers may not know.
The Setting Was A Surprise To Everyone
In a sort of surprising twist considering Anderson’s extreme care for details in his films, the setting of 1965 was chosen almost largely at random. This setting works very well with the themes of innocent young love, as well as the focus on family and caring for each other.
However, one of the most interesting ways that this setting influenced the cast is that the young leads had to deal with many surprises. The Moonrise Kingdom leads Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman learned about things like typewriters firsthand onset, leading to a lot of cute stories from the pair.
It Was Wes Anderson’s First Film Without Owen Wilson
Wes Anderson is well known for casting and working with several actors who make frequent appearances in his films. Some of the most common collaborators include Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Tilda Swinton. This film was the first one to lack such an actor.
The Moonrise Kingdom marks the first film by Wes Anderson to not feature Owen Wilson. Wilson appeared in every Anderson film from Bottle Rocket to Fantastic Mr. Fox, but at the time of filming Moonrise Kingdom Wilson was likely working on either Cars 2 or Midnight in Paris.
Sam’s Orphan Status Was Originally Explained
Sam being an orphan is the crux of his issues throughout the movie. Yet, despite the importance of this, how his parents passed is never explained. This is important since it emphasizes that the trauma itself isn’t the issue, but rather how we deal with loss and grief is what matters.
In the original writing of the script, it is revealed that the parents died in an accident with a drunk truck driver. The film is likely stronger thanks to the cut, but more importantly, the film’s tone of lighthearted childhood antics is maintained much more consistently without it.
Anderson’s Film Inspiration
Wes Anderson doesn’t usually make an effort to hide his inspirations. Throughout his career, he enjoys including small easter eggs to his favorite authors, directors, and artists throughout his movies. This movie is an homage to one such movie that is also about puppy love.
The 1971 movie Melody served as the core of inspiration for Anderson’s work on this film. Melody follows the story of two young children who fall in love and declare to their parents they are getting married. Themes of childhood love and rebellion tie the two films together closely.
The Art References The Island
The Bishop house features several very unique decorations that invoke Wes Anderson’s trademark warm and fuzzy feeling. But throughout the house, there are several paintings that might look eerily familiar to sharp-eyed viewers at first glance.
The paintings are of the island, as well as ships that are in the harbor. Some of the paintings include depictions of Camp Ivanhoe, the New Penzance Post Office, as well as the Bishop residence itself. These paintings are also seen during the credits, in which they can be better appreciated.
Laura’s Annoying Habit Comes From Real Life
Frances McDormand plays the mother of Suzy, Laura Bishop. Throughout the movie, she is shown as being very caring and protective, particularly when Suzy and Same go missing. But surprisingly, Laura’s most over-the-top aspect is inspired by a real-life person.
Laura’s use of a bullhorn throughout the film to yell at people is a uniquely realistic depiction of a panicked mother in distress. This use of a bullhorn comes from the film’s co-writer Roman Coppola, whose mother Eleanor would often use a bullhorn in a similar fashion, per Vanity Fair.
The Book Discovery Also Comes From Real Life
At one point in the film, Suzy reveals that she discovered that her parents had a book titled “Coping with a Troubled Child.” This is part of what incites her to run away from home. What many don’t know is that this discovery reflects something that happened to Anderson himself.
RELATED: 10 Best Travel Destinations For Fans Of Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson has discussed this before, but he had a similar experience in which he discovered a pamphlet about dealing with a ‘Troubled Child’ as well. He didn’t have the same reaction, but he stated it was strange knowing that it was referring to himself, despite having siblings.
The Film Was A Indie Smash Hit
Wes Anderson’s films were very well-established by the time Moonrise Kingdom was released, but it began its box-office life very small. the film’s first release was only to 4 theaters – two in New York City and two in LA. This small showing was not uncommon for indie movies, but the success that followed was very uncommon.
Moonrise Kingdom opened in 2012 and almost immediately earned over 167,250 dollars per screen among those four theaters. This incredible success continues to count the film among the highest-earning (on a per-theater basis) among live-action films.
The Corn Theme
This is a harder to explain aspect of the film but likely adds to the country-bumpkin and “Old-timey” feel of the film. Throughout the movie, corn makes appearances as a sort of leitmotif that underpins many of the most iconic scenes – and even the general color palette of the film.
At the core, the film is covered in bright yellows and oranges, providing the charmingly iconic color palette that Anderson loves. But what’s more, Sam smokes a corn-cob pipe, Scout Master Ward often reads “Indian Corn Magazine,” and in the dinner scene, the three Bishop boys eat nothing but corn.
