Let Margot Tenenbaum be your guide to a bath essential for relaxation

Against the rule of holiday movies that are always repetitive, it seems like it was an oversight that we somehow got rid of. Royal Tenenbaums out of normal rotation. It’s true, there’s been little publicity about the season in Wes Anderson classic, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. They, of course, bear a resemblance to the traditional carol. The plot revolves around a dysfunctional family (a staple of the genre) and an original stylized set of tables and chairs that look like gifts of their own, all wrapped in Scalamandre wallpaper and silk wrap. A keen ear would even pick up the spooky lines in the Vince Guaraldi Trilogy’s “Christmas Time Is Here,” where a smashed car is marked “Gypsy Cab Co.”. to Margot Ferry (Gwyneth Paltrow) to her mother’s house. “But why is this necessary?” her neurologist husband (Bill Murray) asked, as he followed her to the sidewalk. “Because I was in a challenging period and I needed a change,” she replied.

That’s an understandable sentiment, given how the most recent turn of the pandemic has dented a sense of precarious order. One solution — for those convalescing or just nursing blues — is to take a page from Margot’s books and soak in a long, escapist bath. (If nearby electronics are involved, take the usual precautions; the character’s shoebox-sized television, positioned at the edge of the tub, is at least tethered to the radiator. )

The winter soak is more than the liquid equivalent of Margot’s classic fur coat. “I am sure there are things that cannot be cured by a good bath, but I cannot think of them,” Sylvia Plath wrote in Bell Hu. Medical literaturealso shows a range of benefits, with previous research showing improved mood states in relation to depression, stress and anxiety; Soaking in a bath (as opposed to a shower) has also been linked to increased blood flow. Paltrow herself has evolved from a fictional bathing fanatic into a real-life person. “Between work, shared anxiety, two teenagers, and making sure everyone gets their fill, taking time to take care of yourself can feel gratuitous. It’s not, “she told British Vogue last spring, during the early stages of the strike. The Goop founder tries to soak in the tub for 20 minutes every night. She added: “There is usually a large amount of Japanese whiskey.

Honestly, I’m drinking some myself right now — my vacation plans have drifted away this week, with new ones starting to take shape. Meanwhile, this tweaking of bath essentials serves as inspiration for a dip in the tub. There are high-vibe supplements, like San Francisco-based Bath Culture’s exciting Mind and Body soaps. Binu Binu’s seoye Ink was like the right foothold for the secret cigarettes that Margot, a lapsed playwright, kept in a box of cotton swabs. A Dusen Dusen plaid bathrobe lends an Andersonian flair, while black eyeliner delivers the necessary hotness. But there are also lucid equivalents that a bath can bring: crisp plaid Baina towels, Nécessaire’s scalp-focused shampoo and conditioner, revitalizing Goop soaks. Here’s hoping it does the trick.