Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three kids and they then split. All three kids are exceptional -- all geniuses. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure, and disaster. The majority of it has been generally considered to be their father's fault. "The Royal Tenenbaums" is the narrative of the family's sudden, unexpected reunion one recent winter.