Wes Anderson’s feature-length filmmaking has largely been met with critical acclaim, with widespread consensus among critics that, at the very least, Anderson is a modern-day auteur with a distinct directorial style.1 Critical studies of Anderson’s work range from large-authorship analyses, like Mark Browning’s 2011 book-length work, Wes Anderson: Why His Movies Matter, Tod Lippy’s “Wes Anderson,” or Devin Orgeron’s director study, to scholarship about more specific themes in Anderson’s filmmaking, such as Cynthia Felando’s work on women and aging, James MacDowell’s essay on tone and quirky sensibility, or Joshua Gooch’s discussion of fatherhood. While these works each have something important to offer readers, what is missing from the current scholarship surrounding Anderson is an analysis of his short films.
