ABOUT SCHMIDT
Released: December 13, 2003
Alexander Payne, who gave us the Reese Witherspoon high school drama/comedy "Election" in 1999 returns with not only his best movie so far but also Jack Nicholson's best performance since, well, his last movie "The Pledge". Nicholson plays Warren Schmidt, a man in his 60's. While trying to run his daughter's life, he realizes that he wasted his. This movie reminds me of the ideas expressed in "The Big Kahuna". One day, without warning, you discover that you've become old. And maybe you've lived a good life but not really advanced yourself any closer to your dream. Schmidt makes this discovery and sets out to make things right. His adult daughter, played by Hope Davis, is distant and not willing to leave her new town or soon-to-be husband (Dermot Mulroney). Little things, like how the Davis character tells Schmidt that she's a hot shot in a big computer company only to inadvertently reveal to him on the phone that she's merely the mailroom clerk at a computer company. The self discovery Schmidt arrives at comes with meeting many interesting and unique people, played in a respecting manner by Kathy Bates, Howard Hesseman among others. Payne has a touch that dignifies the charatcers, which not many directors can pull off in this kind of movie. Most only create stereotypical caricatures of people. Go see "About Schmidt" for two artists working at their best - Payne is a good director whom we will see a lot more of and Nicholson is a veteran actor showing he's still got the magic.
125 Minutes
New Line Cinema/Warner Bros.