Cate Blanchett as: Jane Winslett-Richardson

Directed by: Wes Anderson
Selected Cast: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe & Jeff Goldblum
Written by: Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach
Release Year: 2004
Genre: Adventure / Comedy / Drama
MPAA Rating: R

 

 

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When his partner is killed by the mysterious and possibly nonexistent Jaguar Shark, Steve Zissou and his Team Zissou crew set off for an expedition to hunt down the creature. Along with his estranged wife, a beautiful journalist and a co-pilot who could possibly be Zissou’s son, the crew set off for one wild expedition.

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Quotes from Others

• Wes Anderson:
  — “Some actors are learning their lines until the moment they start to speak. Cate [Blanchett] can visualize her entire performance in her mind before she ever says a word.”

Trivia & Facts

• Filmed in Italy and France.
• Cate Blanchett and the cast were nominated for Best Ensemble at the Critics Choice Awards, more accolades here.
• The film was part of the In Competition lineup at the 55th Berlin International Film Festival.
• Gwyneth Paltrow was originally set to play Jane Winslett-Richardson, but couldn’t because of schedule conflicts. Nicole Kidman expressed interest and Wes Anderson hired her. Kidman was forced to bow out due to other commitments, and Julianne Moore requested the role. However, it eventually went to Cate Blanchett. Anderson admitted the character name was inspired by actress Kate Winslet and the characters name is probably to honor Winslet.
• Jane Winslett-Richardson is loosely modelled on Jane Goodall.
• Steve Zissou was written with Bill Murray in mind and according to Wes Anderson, it “could have been no one else.”
• Cate Blanchett never rehearsed with the crew and hadn’t even met most of them before filming the nighttime electric jellyfish scene in which she first appears in the movie to add spontaneity to the scene.
• Bill Murray would serenade the cast and crew in moments of downtime to stave off boredom. Murray, however, is not noted for his musical abilities so Owen Wilson bought a fusball table to keep everyone entertained.
• While being fitted for her pregnancy prosthetic – which involved being wrapped in a full body cast – Cate Blanchett fainted. She was rather surprised by this as she had never fainted before and learned in the next few days that she actually was pregnant.
•  When Wes Anderson learned of Cate Blanchett’s real life pregnancy, he jokingly accused her of taking method acting too far.

 Los Angeles premiere, 20 November 2004; Berlinale press conference, 16 February 2005