About Schmidt - Thoughts and Reviews

[dh1989]

http://us.ent4.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/new_line_cinema/about_schmidt/jack_nicholson/schmidt.jpg

Plot: Jack Nicholson stars as Warren Schmidt, a man who is set adrift following retirement and the sudden death of his wife. Uncertain about his future as well as his past, Warren packs up his 30-foot Winnebago to set out on a journey across the Nebraska plains to attend his daughter's (Hope Davis) wedding to a waterbed salesman (Dermot Mulroney). But every step he takes seems wrong, and Warren seems destined to end his life as he lived it: a failure. But along the way, Warren recounts his journey and shares his observations with an unexpected friend - a poor Tanzanian boy he is sponsoring for 73 cents a day. In his long letters to the boy, Warren begins to see himself and the life he has lived with new eyes.

I am very exicted to see this film. The reason for my excitement can be found in one name: Jack Nicholson. The man is brilliant in almost all of his work from Batman to As Good As It Gets(a brilliant film). This movie has a great trailer also, and is from the makers of Election, but overall I just want to see it for Jack. What do you schmoes think of this film?

http://us.ent4.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/new_line_cinema/about_schmidt/jack_nicholson/schmidt2.jpg

[dh1989]

Bump! C'mon no Jack fans on here?

[sleekproductions]

Jack is an amazing actor, and I loved election. This should be pretty good! And at least a definite oscar nod for Mr. N!

[Jerk Shapiro]

This movie is definite Oscar bait. Either for the film or for Jack. He's a great actor, and this is going to be another one of his great performances.

[Nate6]

I think it looks great! Great writer/director, awesome cast, cool premise. Look for a possible Oscar #4 for Jack and maybe even #2 for Kathy Bates (she won the Board of Review Supporting Actress award).

[idealdiscountdude]

Here's The Poster:

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0257360/poster2.jpg

[XCoRyX]

well until reading that plot by dh1989,i didnt know shit about this one...it actually seems like something i might enjoy,just not playing anywhere i dont think...and i have WAY more things ahead of this one to see....i will definetly rent this one though.

[dh1989]

Here is another version of the final poster....

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0257360/schmidt_poster.jpg

[XCoRyX]

from my interpretation,this IS a comedy right?

[dh1989]

It is a comedic drama. It does have tons of comedy in it, but it is also a dramatic tale of the man, Warren Schmidt, and his journey cross-country, which is also a journey of self-discovery. Actually, the heck with this, go rent the high school politics satire Election, with Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick, and see the tone of that flick. :)

Some photos from Election, which for some odd reason are in black and white, while the film is 100% color...

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0126886/1-4.jpg

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0126886/1-5.jpg

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0126886/1-6.jpg

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0126886/1-3.jpg

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0126886/1-2.jpg

[blankpage]

This film looks great. Big Oscar bait for Nick, and Kathy. I will defanitly go check this film out.

[XCoRyX]

im likely to see this if its playing around here,i hear its only playing on 6 screens....not cool....

[Jerk Shapiro]

Bump. I want to see some reviews on this film.

[XCoRyX]

its nowhere to be found around here in philadelphia...if i am correct,it gets a bigger theater count in a week or 2 right?i sure hope so,i want to check this one out badly.

[Scarface98.9]

This'll expand later on, so don't expect many reviews for at least a week

[ANTBond007]

About Schmidt was released in six theaters this weekend. Luckily, Cinema Center here in Omaha got it, so I caught it on Saturday night. A very solid 9/10.

And I would again like to point out that Election was filmed at my current high school. I get off on that ;)

[inglourious basterd]

Why are we comparing it to election?


I am just curious...please leave any spoilers out.

[notchreturns]

Here is a positive review from the always reliable James Berardinelli....

***/****

When you're young, you live your life looking forward. The future looms larger and more full of promise than the past, and everyone not afflicted with incurable pessimism believes that the best is yet to come. But all things age, and die, and wither away, and there comes a time when every human being must pause and take stock of his or her mortality. It can be a hard thing to acknowledge that the expanse of the past is wider and more fertile than the ever-shrinking distance to the future's horizon, yet this is a reality that no one can escape.

Until recently, Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) was like so many millions of American workers, leading a life bounded by conformity and routine. Now, at age 66, he has been forced to leave behind his assistant vice president job at a Nebraska-based insurance company, and amble into the great unknown of retirement. Suddenly, life seems to be closing in on Warren. Helen (June Squibb), his wife of 42 years, is getting on his nerves, he despises the man (Dermot Mulroney) about to marry his beloved daughter, Jeannie (Hope Davis), and, most importantly, when he looks back at his six-plus decades of life, he can't see any way that he has made a difference. So, after watching a television infomercial, he writes out a check to a "Save the Children" organization and "adopts" a six-year old Tanzanian boy named Ndugu. Then, unexpectedly, Helen dies and Warren finds himself alone. So he packs his bags, climbs into the spacious RV sitting in his driveway, and heads off to visit his daughter – after making a few stops along the way.

About Schmidt is an unsentimental yet effective portrait of a character struggling with the essential questions of life. Although it has moments of cynicism, this is not a cynical film. Although it contains instances of humor, it is not a comedy. And, although it contains elements of the road trip genre, it is not a road trip movie. Instead, this is an opportunity to spend two hours in the company of a fairly ordinary man who no longer understands the point of anything.

About Schmidt is at its best when the satirical and comedic elements are low-key and unforced. With the darkly funny Election, director Alexander Payne displayed a deft hand when combining serious issues with humor. He is not as successful here. At times, such as when Warren finds himself unwillingly sharing a hot tub with a naked woman (played with gusto by an uninhibited Kathy Bates), the laughs seem awkward and out-of-place. This results in an uneven, uncertain tone.

One thing that is rock-solid throughout is the performance of Jack Nicholson. Nicholson carries the movie, and does so by not just being Jack, but by using an understated approach to playing Warren. This isn't a flamboyant, over-the-top individual, but a sad, quiet man who looks at the world though lenses tinted with despair. This is one of Nicholson's best acting assignments in years, and the smart money has him at least being nominated for a Best Actor Oscar next year.

About Schmidt is on the long side. Some of the road trip detours drag a little and there are perhaps a few too many "colorful" characters. (For example, the vignette with Warren's exuberant, temporary RV neighbors comes across as little more than an opportunity to tack about 10 minutes onto the running length.) The catharsis at the end hits the right note, giving the viewer a sense of closure without betraying the character or cheapening what has gone before. On balance, I recommend the movie both for Nicholson's performance and for the opportunity to spend some time with the kind of man that we often meet in real life, but rarely see on screen.

[notchreturns]

Here is a VERY positive review from Peter Travers of Rolling Stone...

****/****

Get this: Jack Nicholson -- still the epitome of cool at sixty-five -- starring as an unhip, unhappy Nebraska actuary in About Schmidt. There's no bad-boy DNA in Warren Schmidt. He's recently retired and stuck in Omaha with Helen (June Squibb), his dowdy wife of forty-two years: "Who is this old woman living in my house?"
This is Nicholson without the devilish glint, without the raised eyebrow. It is also Nicholson at his bravest and riskiest. By banking his fires and staying alert to the smallest details, he delivers a monumental performance that blasts your expectations and batters your heart.

About Schmidt may well win Nicholson his fourth Oscar. But the real fun comes in watching him work with Alexander Payne, who is a major talent but also an off-Hollywood director (he's from Omaha, like Schmidt) who cooks up blistering satires (Citizen Ruth, Election) with his writing partner, Jim Taylor. Both are gloss-free mavericks, not given to coddling audiences.

The laughs sting in About Schmidt, which is basically a road movie as Schmidt reacts to Helen's death by taking to the highway in a Winnebago. His eventual destination is Denver, where his only child, Jeannie (Hope Davis), will marry Randall (Dermot Mulroney), a mullet-headed water-bed salesman who Schmidt believes is beneath her.

Schmidt travels a bumpy road in that Winnebago, and the film hits a few plot holes. Payne has been accused of condescending to his characters. But Davis, as the neglected daughter, and Mulroney, as her husband, show bruises unlinked to caricature. Kathy Bates is a nonstop pleasure as Randall's full-bodied mom, a force of nature who drops her clothes to jump in a hot tub with Schmidt, the one scene (and it's a pip) where Nicholson gives his eyebrow a hilarious workout.

For all the laughs, About Schmidt cuts deepest when it stays most intimate: in the letters Schmidt writes to Ndugu, a six-year-old Tanzanian orphan he helps support; in the wedding speech he delivers without expressing the resentment he feels; in the final release that leaves him (and us) devastated. Nicholson's acting sets a new gold standard, making Schmidt a movie you won't forget.

[ANTBond007]

I do agree with Berardinelli on one post -- the RV "cook-out," while funny, goes on too long and its payoff (Nicholson hitting on the wife) doesn't work very well.

[XCoRyX]

damn,this movie isnt playing around here,i cant get around to checking it out!!!!:(

[Puck Bond]

About Schmidt is a quiet, understated little film about making a difference in people's lives and wether or not those who know and love us will remember us when we are gone and features a good performance by one of America's great actors. Jack Nicholson stars as Warren Schmidt, a 66 year old man who has just retired from the insurance industry and lives in Nebraska with his demanding wife of 40 some odd years. Warren's life is boring and dull nothing is happening in his life and he wonders is this all that there is left for him. Out of curiosity or charity Warren decides to sponsor a young orphan boy from Tanzania, after watching one of those commercials on TV. This really provides the heart for the film as we hear what Warren writes in his letters to the young boy and it serves as narration for what is happening in Warren's life. After his wife dies rather suddenly, Warren decides to get away and takes a trip in the new RV they had bought. He hopes to go to Colorado and meet with his daughter Jeannie played by Hope Davis, who is recently engaged to Randall, a man who Warren disapproves of, who is very rough around the edges and is the epitomy of white trash. However, Randall has a good heart and good intentions and even offers Warren a business oportunity. Warren also meets other folks along the way and the rest of Radanll's family including his mother Roberta played by Kathy Bates the sort of fiesty no nonsense character she always seems to play. I'll also say right now I did not need to see Kathy Bates stepping into a hot-tub...an image that was frightening! Beyond that this film really isn't much more. Nicholson dominates the film and he is funny and amusing in a sad and pathetic kind of way. Overall About Schmidt really didn't leave a lasting impression on me, although it had a good cast and a nice performance by Jack Nicholson.

[blankpage]

Originally posted by XCoRyX
damn,this movie isnt playing around here,i cant get around to checking it out!!!!:(

Well, About Schmidt is playing in my area. Would have you known. And I have seen it.

It is a really good film. It is funny as well. But it doesn't have it's emotional moments. Many of the schmoes should enjoy it. Jack Nicholson was great. Oscar Nom for him most likely. Kathy Bates is halarious. But there will be one scene that will haunt my dreams for ever. If you want to know what it is, just PM me. Or if you have any questions, or thoughts about the film, just PM me.Anyway, it was a good film. A quiet, small,nice kind of film. Some might find that it was unsatisfying, and some of it wasn't answered for you. But overall, A great, great film.

8/10 or ****(out of 5)

[Strider]

About Schmidt (2002)

Rated R for Language and Some Brief Nudity

Director: Alexander Payne

Starring Jack Nicholson, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, and Kathy Bates.

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0257360/schmidt_547.jpg

"Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) is a recently retired insurance executive. One day, he finds his wife of 42 years dead, and discovers his only daughter, Jeannie (Hope Davis) is getting married sooner than he had hoped for. Schmidt then begins to run his daughter's life, however, realizing that he has lost his."

Do we always cherish our loved ones, and appreciate their company as much as we should? If one day, they unfortunately died or left us, how much would we miss them? These are a couple of questions brought up in "About Schmidt", a hilarious and touching dramedy.

Jack Nicholson is truly one of the most remarkable actors that has ever graced the silver screen, and he will keep this title forever on. In "About Schmidt", Nicholson delivers one of his greatest and most memorable performances of his entire career.

Nicholson plays Warren Schmidt, a sarcastic and witty man who is afraid of being alone, and the future. He's also bored with life, and has a half positive and half negative outlook on his life. Nicholson plays the character wonderfully, and is the perfect actor to play a role such as this. What a great actor this man is!

Alexander Payne, the man responsible of the critically praised 1999 dark-comedy "Election" serves as the screenwriter and director of "About Schmidt". Payne really out-shines himself here, he takes us on journey with a man who is just barely suffering the pain of experiencing something I'm sure no one wants to experience in their lives, loneliness. Payne's screenplay, which is adapted from the novel the film is based upon, is terrific as well.

When it comes to living your life, are you at peace with what the future has in store for you, or are you afraid? Yet again, this is another question raised in "About Schmidt", and a question the title character has to confront eventually.

"About Schmidt" is a powerful and thought-provoking film with a magnificent performance by Jack Nicholson, and a superb directing job by Alexander Payne. This film is most definitely a true work of brilliance.

I loved it!

Running Time: 2 hours 5 minutes

Grade: 10/10 or ***** out of ***** stars

Strider

[Haddonfield]

im going to keep this short and sweet...

go see this movie, it is GREAT!!!!!!!

[Jerk Shapiro]

Well I know it's not coming to "movie hell" (see location). So I'll have to wait until video for this piece of brilliance.

[blankpage]

Originally posted by MOVIE-Maniac 8
Well I know it's not coming to "movie hell" (see location). So I'll have to wait until video for this piece of brilliance.

Well, you never know Maniac. I remember how you were upset that "Moonlight Mile" didn't come to Movie Hell. Then it did. So, there is a possible chance it could.

[DieHardBruceFan]

I really enjoyed this film and it will definitetly be added to my Top 10 list for 2002. And how could you not marvel at Jack's performance? He is truly one of the greats.
Short and simple: GO SEE THIS FLICK!

P.S. Don't be fooled by the trailers. This isn't a wacky comedy. Instead, it is a film about soul-searching that happens to have some hilarious moments.

[Fergus]

ABOUT SCHMIDT

http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/90/37/31m.jpg

I'm still replaying this film in my mind, trying to figure out the reason why I feel disappointed by Alexander Payne's new film. My expectations were high for this sort of film (not ridiculously high) but up there just because Jack Nicholson headlines the film. The plot of the film centers around (and I knew this beforehand) Warren Schmidt discovering, and coping with his mediocre existence. The purpose, I suppose after watching this was to not be ambitious, but to explore a shallow man, who hasn't done much in his life, and is wondering thoughts like, "who is this old woman who lives in my house?" Payne paints Schmidt's boring life all too clearly, and I was intrigued until about the hour mark, when I began to face boredom...til about the final half hour. I was waiting for something else to come along in this man's life, something big, but that was the point I guess...and the irony of it as well....I was disappointed by a film about being "disappointed"...with one's life...very ironic. Trust me, I like the idea of it, not to mention it being very thought provoking. And when all is said and done, I was sad for the guy, even if the ending is uplifting in a superficial sort of way.

Jack Nicholson turns in the 3rd Best Performance of the year, behind Day-Lewis (GONY) and Robin Williams (OHP). And is it me, or does Nicholson look strange? He doesn' t look like "Jack" at all...his face is rounder, sort of a "roundish-square"...he looks fat and flabby...but then there's Kathy Bates....WHEW!! I do not want to see that again!

But I could've done without the scenes like the wedding reception, or the dinner with the couple in the Winnebago trailer park. Scenes like that weighed down the film; I wanted it to take off...but then again, I must repeat to myself...."That was the point!" And all over again I feel disappointed. Then I think, oh, there was that one great scene when Jack first starts "writing", and narrating at the same time...brilliant scene through and through. Or then it could be the fact that the trailer gave away almost ALL the movie...and it didn't have any surprises left up its sleeve once I finally sat in the theater with my soda and pretzel at 10:25 in the morning. Yes, I do believe had I not seen that trailer that I would've been more impressed with the film. And now that I think about it, the trailer was more of a CliffNotes version of the movie, a very good CliffNotes version, and gave away almost everything. BUT, that "almost" was mostly given away during prerelease buzz and stuff like that.

I can't think about those things though, the film is what it is. Okay, we have a near brilliant script, adapted from a book, brought to film, flawlessly acted by Nicholson. Great direction from Payne. I love the observation of old folks who haven't lived an illustrious life, but dammit, it's missing something....oh yeah, "ambition," but that's the point dammit! Now I'm disappointed once more....aww, f**k it, I'd rather see it one more time, just to get a better idea of the film. Sorry, no rating as of yet, but just know I thought it was a good movie, just not a great one.

(8/10).....my artificial rating.

[Jim H]

I hate film reviews that REALLY give away the ending, even if only in a general way. Grumble.

[XCoRyX]

its finally playing around here now...so i can try and go see it,depending on if they will let me in,is it really that deserving of an R rating?just wondering...i thought it would be pg-13.i sure hope i can get in to see this,and hope this dont turn out like equilibrium and rules of attraction did for me,which meant not seeing it in theaters!

[dh1989]

I should be seeing this tommorow. I am very excited. All of the schmoe reviews have whet my interest even more than previously. I have heard Nicholson gives one of his best performances. Looking back at all of his films, Warren Schmidt must be amazing to top some of Jack's earlier portrayals.


And I felt like posting this bio that schocked me. How can ONE man be so accomplished? Its not fair...... :(. Just Kidding. :)

With his cheshire-cat grin, devil-may-care attitude and potent charisma, Jack Nicholson emerged as the most popular and celebrated actor of his generation. A classic anti-hero, he typified the new breed of Hollywood star -- rebellious, contentious and defiantly non-conformist. A supremely versatile talent, he uniquely defined the zeitgeist of the 1970s, a decade which his screen presence dominated virtually from start to finish, and remained an enduring counterculture icon for the duration of his long and renowned career. Born April 22, 1937 in Neptune, New Jersey, and raised by his mother and grandmother, Nicholson travelled to California at the age of 17, with the intent of returning east to attend college. It never happened -- he became so enamored of the west coast that he stayed, landing a job as an office boy in MGM's animation department.

Nicholson soon began studying acting with the area group the Players Ring Theater, eventually appearing on television as well as on stage. While performing theatrically, Nicholson was spotted by "B"-movie mogul Roger Corman, who cast him in the lead role in the 1958 quickie The Cry Baby Killer. He continued playing troubled teens in Corman's 1960 efforts Too Soon to Love and The Wild Ride before appearing in the Irving Lerner adaptation of the novel Studs Lonigan. The picture failed miserably, and soon Nicholson was back in drive-in fare, next appearing in Little Shop of Horrors. He did not reappear on-screen prior to the 1962 Fox "B"-western The Broken Land. It was then back to the Corman camp for 1963's The Raven. For the follow-up, The Terror, he worked with a then-unknown Francis Ford Coppola and Monte Hellman. A year later, he enjoyed his second flirtation with mainstream Hollywood in the war comedy Ensign Pulver.

Under Hellman, Nicholson next appeared in both Back Door to Hell and Flight to Fury, which though filmed back-to-back were released two years apart. Together, they also co-produced a pair of 1967 Corman westerns, Ride in the Whirlwind and The Shooting. A brief appearance in the exploitation tale Hell's Angels on Wheels followed before Nicholson wrote the acid-culture drama The Trip, which co-starred Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda. He also penned 1968's Head, a psychedelic saga starring the television pop group the Monkees which was directed by Bob Rafelson, and he wrote and co-starred in Psych-Out. After rejecting a role in Bonnie and Clyde, Nicholson was approached by Hopper and Fonda to star in their 1969 counterculture epic Easy Rider. As an ill-fated, alcoholic civil-rights lawyer, Nicholson immediately shot to stardom, earning a "Best Supporting Actor" Oscar nomination as the film quickly achieved landmark status.

Nicholson then appeared briefly in the 1970 Barbra Streisand musical On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, followed by another classic -- Rafelson's Five Easy Pieces, in which he starred as a drifter alienated from his family and the world around him; his notorious diner scene remains among the definitive moments in American cinematic history. The film was much acclaimed, earning a "Best Picture" Oscar nomination; Nicholson also received a "Best Actor" bid, and was now firmly established among the Hollywood elite. He next wrote, produced, directed and starred in 1971's Drive, He Said, which met with little notice. However, the follow-up, Mike Nichols' Carnal Knowledge, was another hit. After accepting a supporting role in Henry Jaglom's 1972 effort A Safe Place, Nicholson reunited with Rafelson for The King of Marvin Gardens, followed in 1973 by the Hal Ashby hit The Last Detail, which won him "Best Actor" honors at the Cannes Film Festival as well as another Academy Award nomination.

Nicholson earned yet one more Oscar nomination as detective Jake Gittes in Roman Polanski's brilliant 1974 neo-noir Chinatown, universally hailed among the decade's greatest motion pictures. The next year was even more triumphant: first Nicholson starred in Michelangelo Antonioni's The Passenger, and then delivered a memorable supporting turn in the Ken Russell musical Tommy. The Fortune, co-starring Warren Beatty and Stockard Channing, followed, before the year ended with Milos Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; the winner of five Oscars, including "Best Picture" and, finally, "Best Actor." The film earned over $60 million and firmly established Nicholson as the screen's most popular star -- so popular, in fact, that he was able to turn down roles in projects including The Sting, The Godfather and Apocalypse Now without suffering any ill effects.

Nicholson did agree to co-star in 1977's The Missouri Breaks for the opportunity to work with his hero, Marlon Brando; despite their combined drawing power, however, the film was not a hit. Nor was his next directorial effort, 1978's Goin' South. A maniacal turn in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 horror tale The Shining proved much more successful, and a year later he starred in Rafelson's remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice. An Oscar-nominated supporting role in Beatty's epic Reds followed. Even when a film fell far short of expectations -- as was certainly the case with 1982's The Border, for example -- Nicholson somehow remained impervious to damage. Audiences loved him regardless, as did critics and even his peers -- in 1983 he won a "Best Supporting Oscar" for his work in James L. Brooks' much-acclaimed comedy-drama Terms of Endearment, and two years later netted another "Best Actor" nomination for John Huston's superb black comedy Prizzi's Honor, a performance which also won him an unprecedented fifth award from the New York reviewers.

The following year, Heartburn was less well-received, but in 1987 Nicholson starred as the Devil in the hit The Witches of Eastwick -- a role few denied he was born to play. The by-now-requisite Academy Award nomination followed for his performance in Hector Babenco's Depression-era tale Ironweed, his ninth to date -- a total matched only by Spencer Tracy. Nicholson did not resurface until 1989, starring as the Joker in a wildly over-the-top performance in Tim Burton's blockbuster Batman. The 1990s began with the long-awaited and often-delayed Chinatown sequel The Two Jakes, which Nicholson also directed. Three more films followed in 1992 -- Rafelson's poorly-received Man Trouble, the biopic Hoffa, and A Few Good Men, for which he earned another "Best Supporting Actor" nod. For Mike Nichols, he next starred in 1994's Wolf, followed a year later by Sean Penn's The Crossing Guard. In 1996, Nicholson appeared in Blood and Wine, Burton's Mars Attacks! and The Evening Star, reprising his Terms of Endearment role.

In 1997, Nicholson enjoyed a sort of career renaissance with James L. Brooks' As Good As it Gets, an enormously successful film that netted a third Oscar (for "Best Actor) for Nicholson, as well as a Best Actress Oscar for his co-star Helen Hunt. Nicholson and Hunt also picked up Golden Globes for their performances, two of many awards lavished upon the film. Subsequently taking a four-year exile from film, Nicholson stepped back in front of the camera under the direction of actor-turned-director Sean Penn for the police drama The Pledge. A quiet character study concerning a veteran detective who promises to solve the murder of a young girl, the film earned moderately positive reviews though it found only a small following at the box office. Though many agreed that Nicholson's overall performance in The Pledge was subtly effective, it was the following year that the legendary actor would find himself back in the critic's good graces. As the eponymous character of About Schmidt, Nicholson once again delivered an effectively restrained performance as a disillusioned father troubled by his daughter's impending nuptuals.

Nicholson's personal life has been one befitting a man who has made his mark playing so many devilishly charming characters. He has fathered a number of children from his relationships with various women, including a daughter, Lorraine (born in 1990), and a son, Raymond (born in 1992) with Rebecca Broussard. It was Broussard's pregnancy with their first child that ended Nicholson's 17-year relationship with a woman who is known for her similarly enduring charisma, the actress Angelica Huston. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

WOW!

[Jerk Shapiro]

Originally posted by blankpage
Well, you never know Maniac. I remember how you were upset that "Moonlight Mile" didn't come to Movie Hell. Then it did. So, there is a possible chance it could.


You are correct sir...but then again, Moonlight Mile did have a wider release it's opening weekend. But, you're right. Ya' never know.

I'll have my fingers crossed.;)

[XCoRyX]

im happy this film did good at the box office,nice cash i'd say.....its rated r which makes it hard for me to get into but im gonna try and pull and double header with this and just married next weekend.

[bskutle]

The biggest thing that entered my thoughts while watching the latest from co-writer-director Alexander ("Citizen Ruth," "Election") Payne's latest is that it's the first time I've ever seen Jack Nicholson- as Midwestern retiree Warren Schmidt- play a real person, and not just a variation of his "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" persona. It's perhaps the most moving and memorable performance of his storied career. The movie itself finds harsh truth in Warren's solo drive across the Midwest in a Winnebago after his wife passes away, and in the way his daughter (Hope Davis) reacts to his badgering and complaining that the man she's set to marries (Dermot Mulroney)- and the family she's inheriting (including an excellent Kathy Bates as the groom's overly-cheerful mother)- is beneath her. There's sly comedy in the way Schmidt pours his every thought and feeling into the letters he writes to a 6-year old Tanzanian boy named Ndugu, and indelible feeling in the way the boy- through a guardian who reads Schmidt's letters to him- makes Schmidt feel like his life has been worth something in the end. About the only thing I can think of to say about the film in a negative light is that Mulroney's family seems a little stereotypical redneck so that the audience can agree with Schmidt's point-of-view on the matter. The rest rings of poignant truth that makes that complaint virtually irrelevant.

[idealdiscountdude]

Moderator Bump!

[Jim H]

One thing that Nicholson bio didn't mention - Jack grew up believing his grandmother was his mother and his mother was his sister. His mother had him very young. He only found out the truth a few years ago. Kind of sad actually.

[meltingman]

A wonderfuly witty and funny film with several amazing moments which may be very funny or sad. As much as I enjoyed this wonderful film, but I still think I liked ELECTION even more. Watching ABOUT SCHMIDT I must have been in synch with the viewer behind me because we were laughing at loud at the same times. The film does move slow in certain scenes, which is forgiveable, The highlights outweigh the drollness, which I fell were appropriate to the character of Schmidt. I was certain the overly friendly couple in the trailer park were hiding a real motivation for their friendlyness, like to cheat or hurt the main character, but I guess I was wrong. This film is very fresh and poignant. I was proud of Schmidt in his wedding speech for his daughter. Just as I am proud of the writer and director of this film. I put it on my must see list.

[Scooter]

About Schmidt- 10/10
My favorite movie of the year... Jack Nicholson was amazing as Warren Schmidt. Hilarious movie.... but Kathy Bates naked.... i dont think was neccesary....gross.... but the movie was great

[Tommy Doyle]

About Schmidt

The second movie I've eagerly been anticipating this year, and the second time I've been let down. (Adaptation was the first).

The first few minutes of this film had promise. The first half hour even. "Who is this woman living in my house?" After that I thought... here we go, I'm in for a good ride. Then the movie actually started.

I'm sorry to be on the opposite end of everyone else's reviews, but this movie bored me. I think I probably looked at my watch thirty times hoping and praying that two hours had gone by. Someone else said it in this post. It's ironic that I was disappointed by a movie about disappointment. Nothing happened in this movie, which is by far and away the point of the film, or at least I felt it was, but NOTHING happened. (I know, finally something he did touched someone's life. He was finally going to be leaving behind a little piece of him that meant something... by that time, I didn't care).

I'm not a person who needs action and adventure in their movies. Some of my favorite movies of all time have been quiet little drama's, much like this one, but they had something to rope me into a movie. This had nothing. I didn't care about Warren Schmidt's life. I didn't care that he felt he had never done anything purposeful. The reason? He never gave me a reason! Not once did I see a glimmer of something in his eye to make me feel the least bit intrigued by the character. Sure Jack Nicholson's performance was okay (Kathy Bates was better), but I think the only reason Nicholson is getting so much attention for this role is because it's so different than his usual crazy guy roles... that doesn't make it a good performance.

I came to the conclusion somewhere during the movie, that if I wanted to watch a movie about someone's life and how it really means nothing or at least that's how the character perceives it, I would set up a video camera in my living room and tape me. Eight hours while I'm at work and everything... at least then I would be able to relate to the character.

Kathy Bates' breast and Jack Nicholson's ass do not a movie make... and that's enough of that subject.

It may sound a little harsh and cold hearted, but I honestly just didn't care. I'm supposed to feel sorry for a man who's life has meant nothing? Well here's a suggestion, get off your butt and do something! Don't let your annoying self absorbed idiotic daughter stop you from doing something you want to do, DO SOMETHING!! If you try and then fail, that's when I'll care, because at least you gave it a shot. And going out on a little road trip and sleeping on the top of your motor home ain't trying something. It's avoiding something... something I would recommend people to do with this film.

Sorry for the rantings... the movie is still fresh in my mind.

About Schmidt Rating * out of ***** or 2/10

[Asokan]

Oh, well... I was disappointed because of all the obvious reasons:

1. Jack Nicholson improves on every new role.
Well he didn't on this one. It's a strong performance, but no matter how much he downplays it, his cynism, irony and coolness comes through this supposedly fucked up, boring character. He's the only reason to see this rather misjudged film. He was far superior in the equally understated, if more effective THE PLEDGE.

2. Alexander Payne directed the excellent ELECTION.
Well, he screwed up this one. His attempt at subtlety and genuine emotions between his unlikeable characters doesn't work out. His previous film had so much energy, too bad this one bored me almost to death.

As for the rest of the movie's elements (Kathy Bates naked?!?! Wuaaaaarghfhhd!!!!!!!!), less said is better. Not a bad film per se, but just one where a lot of talent doesn't gel, as with many other films of 2002.

[dh1989]

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0257360/schmidt_2256.jpg

"About Schmidt" is arguably one of the year's best movies, and one of Jack Nicholson's best performances. Whatever you call it, there is no denying the one simple fact: it's excellent.

I respect this movie for being a quiet film, it makes it oh so more powerful. It is never "manipulative", as some film snobs call other recent "tearjerkers", but is still powerfully moving.

Nicholson, who I consider one of Hollywood's best actors, gives a knock-out performance. Every emotion and every word is perfect. A charming, yet achingly sad performance. He deeply deserves that Oscar for Best Actor. The best performance of 2002.

Kathy Bates is great, as usual. She is charming, offbeat, and portrays an entirely interesting character gracefully. As for her "nude scene", it is not gross, it does not show much, and if you won't see this film because of that: don't call yourself a film fan.

Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor's script is the heart and soul of a beautifully emotional film. It is offbeat, but has so much to say about making a difference, loving and cherising those close to you, and how to deal with the loss of dearly loved person. It is quiet, subtle, or whatever word you want to use, but it still speaks volumes, and moved me. "About Schmidt" has the power to make you examine your own life. Now how many films can we honestly say do that? How many? A few, in my opinion.

I already gave props to Mr. Payne for a sweet script, but he is an even better director. The movie has a style unto itself, and it is never slow nor does it "rush" through anything.

The movie may be called "pointless" or "random". Yes, it is "random", but every random event comes together to the final shot: a heartbreaking mosaic.

There are a few flaws: yes, but you know what? I am not going to say them. They are "nit-picky", and I don't want to say anything remotely negative about a film I admire this much.

So if you get the chance, make sure you see this film. It is better than mostly everything else you'll see in theatres right now. I believe missing it would be a terrible mistake.

9/10