Selected by Micah Mertes | The Omaha World-Herald

“In the spring of ’99, when I was 14, Wes Anderson’s RUSHMORE finally made its way to theaters in Wichita, Kansas. Upon seeing it, I lost my mind a little bit. I’d always loved movies, but RUSHMORE was the first step in figuring out what it was I loved about them. Its style was so inventive and joyous, unlike anything I’d seen. But it was in fact like a lot of other movies. I just hadn’t seen them. My affinity for RUSHMORE led me down a path of great films that influenced Anderson, a path that has not yet ended. All of Anderson’s films are foremost about a love of movies, and with RUSHMORE, his best picture, he taught me how to love.” – M.M.

Micah Mertes writes movie reviews and features and helps guide the Omaha World-Herald’s infinite flow of content to the right place on Omaha.com. He comes from a small town outside Wichita, Kansas. He loves reading books and watching movies. He has a pet tortoise and a Boston terrier who aren’t on speaking terms.