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 About Schmidt 

What grade would you give this film?
A 44%  44%  [ 4 ]
B 44%  44%  [ 4 ]
C 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
D 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
F 11%  11%  [ 1 ]
Total votes : 9

 About Schmidt 
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College Boy Z

Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:40 pm
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Post About Schmidt
About Schmidt

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About Schmidt is a 2002 American drama/dark comedy film directed by Alexander Payne, starring Jack Nicholson as Warren Schmidt and Hope Davis as his daughter Jeannie. It is loosely based on the 1996 novel of the same title by Louis Begley. Many of the scenes were filmed on location, especially in Omaha, Nebraska and Denver, Colorado. According to the special features on the DVD, a number of non-professional local residents appeared in the film, portraying their real-life professions. The actual Woodmen of the World headquarters building in Omaha was used in the film, and Jack Nicholson was made an honorary member of the company during filming.

The main narrative of the film follows Schmidt as he retires from his pedestrian job, followed by the untimely death of his wife for whom he has lost affection. He goes on a road trip in order to attend the wedding of his only daughter to a man and into a family he does not particularly like. Events compel him to reflect on his life with a sense of futility that lasts until the final moments of the film. The film was both a commercial and critical success.


Sun Sep 04, 2005 3:41 am
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Extraordinary
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Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:25 am
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One of best films of 2002. Jack Nicholson is absolutely wonderful here.

A


Sun Sep 04, 2005 3:47 am
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Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:36 am
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Very good movie. I was really into it and Nicholson was great once again. Heartbreaking last scene. A-


Sun Sep 04, 2005 4:16 am
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Extraordinary

Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm
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About Schmidt: Rare Dud for Jack


Boring! I can't believe it was directed by the same guy that did Election! The tone was very uneven, and Jack is wasted playing this Schmidt character. This dud tries to sap it's vibe off of common tragic life experiences but ends up going nowhere...

1 out of 5.


Sat Jul 07, 2007 9:24 pm
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A hilarious and heartfelt gem.

A-


Sat Jul 07, 2007 11:25 pm
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ef star star kay
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Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:45 pm
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When I first watched it (I was 18 back then).. I didn't like it.. err.. much.. I don't know.. I just didn't get it..

About 4 years later, I watched it again..

Wow wow wow.. it's wonderful

A-

this same thing also happened with Contact and The Hours.. which I didn't like very much in the first viewing but now, they both are in my top ten of all time list.. ha!

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Sun Jul 08, 2007 12:19 pm
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Sbil

Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:38 pm
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Wonderful. Nicholson is perfect. A


Sun Jul 08, 2007 1:00 pm
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Nicholson and Bates shine here.

B+


Sun Jul 08, 2007 5:15 pm
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Post Re: About Schmidt
B



Being an Alexander Payne novice more or less, About Schmidt was only my second exposure to his body of work with the first being the ever-great Sideways. However, unlike that flick About Schmidt didn't strike a cord with me emotionally. By now I have seen Sideways for three times and it still doesn't fail to deliver. In fact, the repeat viewings actually enriched my appreciation of the film that I fell in love with after the first viewing already. About Schmidt didn't do the same to me.

It's not that Schmidt isn't a well-made movie because by any means, it is. Unlike Sideways, there's no real balance between great screenwriting and acting here. The spotlight clearly belongs to Jack Nicholson's Warren Schmidt. He carries the movie on his shoulders and does it remarkably well. It's a very unusual performance for Nicholson because the last thing I am used to is seeing Nicholson being devoid of all coolness and playing the most ordinary man possible. I think this casting twist works very well and pays off brilliantly. Nicholson is probably the last actor in his age you'd expect to play this role, yet he does and pulls it off effortlessly showing his tremendous range as an actor once again. Does it measure up to his classic turns in As Good As It Gets and Cuckoo's Nest? I wouldn't go that far, but it's certainly somewhere up there. Another ingenious "twist" was giving Nicholson an on-screen wife that was actually not attractive and that was his age. And he didn't even hook up once with any younger or good-looking actress during the film! Even Diane Keaton in Something's Gotta Give was younger than Nicholson and looked pretty decent for her age.

However Nicholson's great turn aside, there's not too much to be stunned by. The screenplay is good, but not nearly as sharp, witty and thoughtful as Sideways which managed to be one of the deepest and at the same time also one of the funniest films of its year. About Schmidt is basically more of a drama with occasional comedic elements sprinkled here and there, but never really turns into a comedy of sorts the way Sideways does. I guess Alexander Payne just matured well since then.

Much like Sideways, About Schmidt's ending is rather open, but while it worked perfectly in Sideways, I didn't feel like the story was complete in About Schmidt and wanted to see more. It also didn't get to my emotional side as well either (not to be blamed on Nicholson, though!). Aside from Nicholson, the film also features a very inspired turn by Kathy Bates, probably her best in a decade! Unfortunately her role is way too short to really register.

There are successful moments in this films. The letters he writes of Ngudu are full of wit, charm and human tragedy that the rest of the film sorely lacks, in my opinion. Also some of Schmidt's comments to and about his daughter's fiance are quite funny. However, on the whole it is just missing that special something that prevented me from connecting with the film and its characters. It could have used more wit and, frankly, more finished development for the character of Schmidt.

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