"No, there's no school bus in the movie," acknowledges Anderson.

"He doesn't fly," explains Schwartzman.

So much for the significance of the bus. The film's title, however, is another thing. Bottle Rocket, Anderson's first feature, was a low-budget shaggy-dog story, fanciful ephemera as befits the namesake pyrotechnic. Rushmore, the name of the private school in which Schwartzman's character Max Fischer seeks love, success, and a passing grade, suggests something more monolithic, enduring -- monumental.

Anderson agrees. "When we [he and co-writer Owen Wilson, who collaborated on Bottle Rocket] were trying to think of the title, we wanted something really American. It was so much the iconic American thing. That's why eventually we came up with Rushmore. The character has that pioneer spirit -- ingenuity and resilience."

And loss and disappointment and depression. Maybe it's all the driving, but the mood today seems dark.

"In my opinion," agrees Anderson, "Schwartzy seems a little fruity right now."

"Fruity! Why am I fruity?"

"I don't know. You seem like you're getting down or something."

"No, I'm just looking at the floor."

Schwartzman's objections notwithstanding, and despite the film's genuine hilarity and high spirits, Rushmore does convey a pervasive wistfulness.

"In an early version, Max tried to commit suicide," Anderson agrees. "There's definitely sadness through the whole thing. It got sadder the more we worked on it."

Schwartzman responded to that sadness. Like Max, he's lost a parent -- his father (his mother is the actress Talia Shire) died when he was 14.

"Four years ago. It's tough, and that was one thing that I could really relate to with Max. When you lose a parent at an early age, it can change the way you do things, and the reasons why. Max lost his mom when he was real young. I think that's why he's so motivated. Maybe he's trying to re-create some sort of family."

Meanwhile, for this temporary family on tour, the high points have included Jason's stint on Letterman a week ago Friday and, in keeping with the funereal theme, a visit to the Vietnam War Memorial.

"We tried to look up the name Max Fischer," says Anderson. "But there was no Max Fischer who died in Vietnam. There was an Edward S. Fischer, so we found him. Then we ran up to the Lincoln Memorial and saw Lincoln."

"Had our moment," says Schwartzman.