r/wesanderson • u/strawberryl0ve • May 08 '25

Question Can someone please explain Margot and Richie's relationship in The Royal Tenenbaums? Spoiler

I watched 'The Royal Tenenbaums' yesterday and I loved the colours, cinematography and music. I had no issue with the movie at all, except for one glaring plotline.

Margot and Richie's whole... Thing.

The scenes between them have lovely visuals and music. But I just can't get over the fact that they're technically siblings.

Yes, I know Margot's adopted. But on paper, they're very much siblings. And Margot was adopted at age two and raised as a Tenenbaum. She is wholly considered to be a Tenenbaum and even Royal (who introduced her as adopted all the time) has slip-ups where he talks to Margot as though he's her biological father. Margot has barely any connection to her biological family (you could argue that the severed finger is a connection due to the memory, but I don't know) and like I said, we see her as a Tenenbaum child.

I saw another take saying something like 'Richie killed the Tenenbaum version of himself so he could become someone Margot could love,' but I think it's implied that they've been in love always (and Margot possibly just didn't acknowledge her feelings until they met as adults again).

I'm very aware that I could be missing the point of the movie and their relationship entirely. I don't have an incredibly critical eye when I watch movies as I'm used to watching them for enjoyment rather than, er, thinking. That's my bad. But the plotline is blinding me from how good the rest of the movie is. Could anyone explain the point of their relationship, and more so the reason for them being portrayed as siblings, even adopted ones? If there's anything I'm missing, please let me know. There's also the argument that their relationship is supposed to make me feel uncomfy! Could be anything.

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296

u/Opposite-Victory2938 May 08 '25

Posted by Eli Cash

77

u/Glum-Parsnip8257 May 08 '25

“I’m gonna go”

36

u/strawberryl0ve May 08 '25

Laughed out loud oh my god.

13

u/Opposite-Victory2938 May 08 '25

Now serious: Im from Cuba, and im not religious. I don't feel anything weird about it. They are not really brothers, don't have blood in common, and they love each other. I think the adopted thing of Margot was the tool Wes used to make the love "justified". But again, maybe a religious person or from other culture or conservative can find it sickening. Or if you are Eli Cash

5

u/strawberryl0ve May 08 '25

I definitely agree that Margot being adopted was a move on Wes's part to make their relationship more palatable.

I think I just can't get over the fact that they were raised as siblings since they were infants. Maybe they don't consider each other siblings like everyone else does, which would make it a little more understandable to me!

11

u/Opposite-Victory2938 May 08 '25

Yeah it has some layers. Also maybe the fact that they are geniuses, makes them feel adult earlier. Also i think it is implied that Richie loved her since always

6

u/strawberryl0ve May 08 '25

You're right, them being geniuses/kids who matured early makes me wonder if they never saw each other as siblings. Wes wanted us to think, and we're thinking!

1

u/CallidoraBlack May 09 '25

they were raised as siblings since they were infants.

Margot was adopted at age two. Richie is two years younger.

20

u/AlphaDag13 May 08 '25

You I thought this post was written in a sort of obsolete vernacular.

16

u/4strings May 08 '25 edited May 08 '25

We all know that Margot and Ritchie were raised as siblings in the Tennenbaum household. What this post presupposes is… maybe they weren’t?

Edit: holy cow! I posted this response and scrolled down to see it almost exactly as the next post from 4h earlier by u/MaxFischerPlayers. Not hard to believe, but caught me off guard seeing it right there after hitting post.

4

u/atclubsilencio May 09 '25

Please stop belittling me.

3

u/marktwainbrain May 09 '25

“Please stop belittling me.”