The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Theatrical release poster
Directed byWes Anderson
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRobert Yeoman
Edited byDavid Moritz
Music byMark Mothersbaugh
Production
companies
Distributed byBuena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release dates
  • November 20, 2004 (2004-11-20) (Los Angeles)
  • December 25, 2004 (2004-12-25) (United States)
Running time
118 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$50 million
Box office$34.8 million

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is a 2004 American adventure comedy-drama film written by Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach and directed by Anderson.[1][2] It is Anderson's fourth feature-length film and was released in the United States on December 25, 2004.

The film stars Bill Murray as Steve Zissou, an eccentric oceanographer who sets out with his crew to exact revenge on the "jaguar shark" that ate his partner Esteban. Zissou is both a parody of and homage to French diving pioneer Jacques Cousteau, to whom the film is dedicated.

The film also features Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, Michael Gambon, Jeff Goldblum, Anjelica Huston, and Bud Cort. Seu Jorge has a minor part, but contributes heavily to the film's soundtrack. It was filmed in and around Rome, Naples, Ponza, and the Italian Riviera.[citation needed]

The film was released to mixed reviews and was a box office flop.[3] In the decade following its release it has garnered a cult following, and is now viewed more positively by both critics and fans.[4][5][6][7] It was also since remastered and re-released by The Criterion Collection in 2014.[8]

  1. ^ A. O. Scott (December 10, 2004). "A Seagoing Showcase of Human Collectibles". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Michael Wilmington (December 22, 2004). "'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013.
  3. ^ Blake, Jason (October 4, 2005). "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou - Film Reviews - Film - Entertainment". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  4. ^ "Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic is much better than its initial reviews claimed". The A.V. Club. May 28, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  5. ^ VanDerWerff, Emily (March 26, 2017). "The Life Aquatic might not be Wes Anderson's best film. But it is his greatest". Vox. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  6. ^ Reed, Ryan (December 24, 2014). "In Defense of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, 10 Years Later". Esquire. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  7. ^ Jones, Riley (June 26, 2017). "Adidas Finally Releases the Shoes From Cult Classic 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou'". Footwear News. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  8. ^ "Review: Wes Anderson's the Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou on Criterion Blu-ray". Slant Magazine. May 21, 2014.