As Max’s father shows Max his new haircut in the mirror, he is hoping that Max will finally validate him, because he is ashamed that he cannot provide financially for Max in the way that Max wants him to.  All Max wants is to go back to Rushmore, but he cannot because of his father's low income, and his loss of his scholarship. The disappointed mood is prominent because of the dark, blue-tinted hue of the scene.  Max's unimpressed, quizzical facial expression demonstrates his lack caring, where his father's facial expression is eager to please Max. Also, the way the frame angles the mirror to make his father looking ahead, but Max looking to the side reinforces this point.  The relatively close up range of the shot of the frame also insists on the point that Max first thinks of himself, not his father, because his father is in the background. When Mr. Blume says,  “Take dead aim on the rich boys” in the assembly, it reinforces the significance of wealth in this modern society, and Max’s families lack therof.  An item that could’ve been placed in this scene would be Holden’s red hunting hat, hanging on the chair in the background.  For Holden, his hunting hat represented comfort; it was his security blanket.  This connects to the film because Max’s Dad’s “security blanket” is Max. Since his wife, Max’s mom, passed away, Max is the last part of her, and his dad sees that in him.  This is much like the way Holden’s red hat is his “security blanket” concerning his deceased brother, Allie.