I love this movie for many of the same reasons that other reviews here have listed...Dignan, the asburdity of his plans, how human and real everyone acts, etc. But another wonderful quality is the beautiful romance  between Anthony (Luke Wilson) and Inez (Lumi Cavazos). It's a sweet, and  again, REAL portrayal of a breathless yet awkward affair between an Anglo  suburban guy who can't speak Spanish and a Paraguayan motel cleaner who  can't really speak English. Still, they both have in common a feeling of  drift and aimlessness (why else would Anthony allow Dignan to involve him  in Dignan's ridiculous schmes?)that allows them to form a wordless bond.  This is the kind of character portrayal at which the Wilson-Anderson films  excel. I must say, though, that I prefer "Bottle Rocket" over  "Rushmore". Maybe it's just sentimental because I saw  "Bottle Rocket" first--they're both wonderful films.