Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three children and they then separated. All 3 children are exceptional -- most of geniuses. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure, and disaster. Most of this was generally regarded to be their father's fault. "The Royal Tenenbaums" is the narrative of the family's sudden, unexpected reunion one recent winter.