By Jen Chaney
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Friday, November 28, 2008

The Criterion Collection has been good to Wes Anderson. Over the years, the studio has released meticulously crafted DVDs of his films "Rushmore," "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou," each time paying tribute to the writer-director's particular brand of off-kilter yet earnest filmmaking. Now there's a fourth DVD to add to that list.

"Bottle Rocket" ($39.95, R) -- Anderson's first feature and one that launched both his career and those of his buddies Owen and Luke Wilson -- arrived this week in a director-approved special edition that gives this overlooked indie gem the respect it deserves. As noted several times on the DVD's solid special features, "Bottle Rocket" was not well received by early audiences. ("It's in the lore that we had the worst [test] scores ever," producer Polly Platt says.) After watching this beautifully remastered release -- to be followed on Dec. 16 with a Blu-ray version (also $39.95) -- it's hard to understand why.

"Bottle Rocket," which follows three buddies as they attempt a series of increasingly ludicrous burglaries, unfolds a bit slowly. But its cast of eccentric, aimless characters, especially Owen Wilson's Dignan, are undeniably likable, and Anderson's direction -- even then featuring such signature moves as the slo-mo ending -- is remarkably assured for a Texas native suddenly plunked smack into the movie business.

As most Criterion releases do so well, this two-disc edition uses its bonus material to tell viewers the full story behind the film, from its early days as a Sundance Film Festival short to the lengthy, occasionally bumpy years in development. The strongest features are the 25-minute making-of featurette, which includes interviews with Anderson, the Wilsons, producer James L. Brooks and co-star James Caan; the original black-and-white short that inspired the movie; 11 deleted scenes; and a thoroughly engaging commentary track recorded by Anderson and Owen Wilson earlier this year. Less exciting? A semi-pretentious feature called "The Shafrazi Lectures," in which New York gallery owner Tony Shafrazi waxes poetic about the artistry behind various frames of the film.

The DVD also comes with a couple of special touches that have become Criterion standards: menu screens decorated with exceptionally detailed illustrations and a booklet featuring essays by Brooks and director Martin Scorsese, who lauds "Bottle Rocket" as a "picture without a trace of cynicism." The same could be said for this special-edition set, which, like the Anderson DVDs that preceded it, is filled with pure, simple cinematic joy.