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About Schmidt
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Poignant tale of a newly retired and newly widowed 66-year-old (Jack Nicholson) who tries to reconnect with his daughter (Hope Davis) while hoping to abort her upcoming wedding. Nicholson shines in director Alexander Payne's bittersweet comedy about a man coming to terms with his unexceptional life and finding peace in tolerance, forgiveness and generosity of spirit. Implied affairs, fleeting nudity, occasional rough language and recurring profanity. A-III -- adults. (R) 2002.
Full Review
Newly retired and suddenly widowed, an Omaha, Neb., actuary heads out in his Winnebago for what becomes a journey of self-discovery in the wonderfully moving "About Schmidt" (New Line).
After a lifetime of working at an insurance company, Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson, likely to earn another Oscar nomination) finds himself at loose ends. His wife (June Squibb) is looking forward to traveling the country in their new RV, but in Warren's letters to the little Tanzanian boy he sponsors for $22 a month, the retired husband describes how annoying his wife can be now that he's home all the time.
But when he finds her dead on the kitchen floor from a blood clot, Warren is distraught and anchorless. After making a wrenching discovery about his wife, he decides to hit the road, destination Denver. There he hopes to persuade his semi-estranged daughter, Jeannie (Hope Davis), that her imminent wedding to waterbed salesman Randall (Dermot Mulroney) is a big mistake.
Along the way he makes nostalgic stops that lead him to reflect on his life and become eager to mend fences with his only child.
In Denver, not only is Warren turned off by underachiever Randall, he's appalled by the groom's divorced mom (Kathy Bates), who brags about her sexual capacity and looks ready to pounce on Warren, going as far as joining him in a hot tub, uninvited and au naturel! This is the last family Warren would want for his daughter, but as her wedding day dawns Warren sees little hope of dissuading her and keeping her affection.
Directed by Alexander Payne from his script with co-writer Jim Taylor, the film locates genuine human emotion and the cast delivers the goods in sharply drawn portrayals. But it is overwhelmingly Nicholson's artistry that drives the film from a simple story of an Everyman at a crossroads to an affecting portrait of grief and self-discovery.
Adding real comedy to the bittersweet story is the device whereby Warren in voiceover reads his candid letters to little 6-year-old Ndugu, which, while often hilarious, allows Warren to evaluate his 66-year-old life and where it is going.
In the film's most touching scene, Warren, having worked through his rage over his wife's transgressions, forgives her and regrets his own shortcomings as a husband. As he eyes the nighttime sky thinking of her, he is rewarded by a shooting star that moves him to make a grateful sign of the cross.
Warren also learns about the serenity in St. Francis' prayer and has occasion to forgive another traitorous friend (Len Cariou) in his life. These scenes of anger, resignation and acceptance ring true and all of the characters are treated with generosity and dignity despite their failings.
The movie's doleful tone is shot through with comical situations that are credible and never mean-spirited. And, just when the narrative is about to end on a melancholy, almost despairing note, something unexpected buoys Warren's spirits and gives him the impetus to continue life's journey toward the eternal.
"About Schmidt" is entertaining, but it is also profound in its gentle dissection of the human condition, which is what makes it so memorable.
Due to implied affairs, fleeting nudity, occasional rough language and recurring profanity, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.
Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic
merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating,
the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief
synopsis of the movie.
The classifications are as follows:
- A-I -- general patronage;
- A-II -- adults and adolescents;
- A-III -- adults;
- A-IV**
- L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
- O -- morally offensive.
** Discontinued classification. All archived movies that were originally in the A-IV category are now classified as L.
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