TC Candler's Review A-

Where did my life go?

Warren R. Schmidt is an old man who has always lacked the conviction to follow his youthful dreams. He finds himself enduring an unwanted retirement, sleeping next to a strange woman (his wife) every night, and dreading his daughter's impending marriage to a white trash loser who sells waterbeds and gets involved with pyramid schemes that aren't really pyramid schemes. He is tired and bored and disgusted and miserable... and he tells it all to Ndugu, his 'Childreach foster son' from Tanzania, to whom he writes letters and sends $22 checks every month. When his wife dies, Warren embarks on a Winnebago trip to visit his daughter's in-laws-to-be, the week before the wedding. This is the story of Warren's adventure into the world of 'oblivious people' who are simply unaware of the depth of his misery.

A poignant and touching performance by Jack Nicholson highlights this tragic comedy about a man who arrives at the tail end of a mundane and wasted life, only to discover that it's even sadder than he feared. This is the story of a man who is desperate to start living and making a difference in the world just as he becomes aware that his time is running out.

It sounds more depressing than it actually is... I laughed out loud more times than I could count. The tale of Warren R. Schmidt is a profound one that is masterfully hidden beneath a goofy exterior. I laughed so much that I didn't realize how much I started to care about the characters. I was quite amazed at how easily I cried as the final scene rolled... and all the credit for that must go to Jack Nicholson who gives yet another Oscar worthy performance.

The older you are (and I don't mean in terms of literal years), the more you will appreciate this film. Warren's letters to little Ndugu are like life lessons veiled as comedy. This film will stay with me for a long time.

© Written by TC Candler

How We Rated This Film TC Candler - A- Richard Propes - A- Jacob Hall - A

Richard Propes' Comment

I went into this film expecting the great performance by Jack Nicholson...yet, despite all the great reviews, accolades and feedback from friends nothing quite prepared me for his performance. As I nearly always do, I enjoyed Kathy Bates but this was truly Nicholson's film. One big surprise...I was warned by friends about how sad this film would be. While certainly there was great sadness, I found it to be tremendously life affirming and funny in a "real life" sort of way.

Jacob Hall's Comment

What makes "About Schmidt" so good? What makes it such a wonderful film? The list goes on. Perhaps what makes it a symbol of excellence is the theme. The them affects everyone person in the world. Everyone gets old, everyone worries about death, everyone is scared of pain and hurt, and everyone wants to see their loved ones happy. Warren Schmidt is the embodiment of a depressed man. In his mind, his life has been nothing to anybody. He knows that he will be forgotten. He wants to be happy, and he wants his daughter to be happy. His quest is something that we all must go through at some point in our life. Whether you have experienced it or not, you know what Schmidt feels. There is one scene in "About Schmidt," where Schmidt is driving along the highway and finds himself alongside a truck transporting steer. The steer and Schmidt make eye contact and they are locked for a moment. What does this mean? Perhaps it represents Schmidt's realization that a human lives for only so long, but we all are led to the slaughter, whether it happens naturally or unnaturally.

Of course, don't think that "About Schmidt" as a pure tragedy. Oh, no. It is a very tragic movie, but it has many moments of pure comedy. At one point, Schmidt decides to visit his childhood home, only to realize that it is now a tire store. The entire sequence never begs for a laugh, but it is played as such a ridiculous situation that we laugh, but we don't laugh at Schmidt, we laugh at the situation. The rest of the humor follows suit. Schmidt never makes a true fool out of himself, but the situations he gets involved in are very foolish. Not since "Rain Man" has there been such clever, honest humor that allows us to laugh with the movie, but never at it.

As you have gathered above, the script is wonderful. It's slow, but it must be slow for it to work. Schmidt's journey is slow. Alexander Payne directs with a simple touch of brilliance.

This is also Jack Nicholson's best performance. He ditches all of his Jack-isms (raised eyebrow, crazy manner, ect), and he plays a normal man, a first for him. He proves that he is not a great actor, but an extraordinary actor. The rest of the cast is great, but the other stand-out is Kathy Bates as Schmidt's future in-law and one of the most screwed up people you will ever see on screen.

The first time I watched "About Schmidt," I rated it as an A-, and said that I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. After a second viewing, the movie has found it's way into my heart. I cried at the end and laughed throughout. This movie is like a good book: I'll watch it in my youth, in middle age, and finally at old age, where this film will undoubtedly be upgraded to a well-deserved A+.