Top Box Office Movies - About Schmidt

About Schmidt (2002) New Line Cinema
2 hrs. 4 mins.
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, June Squibb, Len Cariou, Howard Hesseman, Chris Huse
Directed by: Alexander Payne

About Schmidt

Rating:

E-MAIL GIANCARLO DE LISI

Photo: New Line Cinema

Director Alexander Payne first caught my eye with his 1999 eye opener ‘Election’. Matthew Broderick and an undiscovered Reese Witherspoon starred in that fine film dealing with conflict and pride. In his newest outing, Payne directs the sublime Jack Nicholson in one of his richest roles and conflict and pride are also brought to the forefront in a delightful little film entitled ‘About Schmidt’.

Payne engineers a rich screenplay which stems from a novel by Louis Begley. Payne’s screenplay allows Nicholson to show a wide array of range and depth as his Warren Schmidt is a character befuddled by inner angst and a lack of true satisfaction with life. Payne sets the story in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska (One of the Theatre Marquis in Omaha showed the title for ‘Sideways’, Payne’s yet to be released Project). and uses the simplistic setting to retell the complicated story of a retired Assistant Vice President of an Insurance carrier who must deal with his abrupt end to normality.

Or so one thinks. As the film unravels, we are introduced to a myriad of characters and dilemmas as Warren Schmidt makes us understand the monotony and tediousness of his life. Payne opens the film with a smart little series of shots displaying the building where Schmidt works. After a quirky few shots presenting the high rise building as the centerpiece in the middle of a small town, Payne thrusts the viewer right into the empty office of a lonesome Schmidt counting down the seconds until his retirement. Without saying a word for the first three minutes of the film, we can already feel the loneliness and discontent of this man.

Payne unravels his characters at a ‘snails pace’ intentionally so the audience can appreciate and understand the complexities of these well written characters. Schmidt’s biggest complexity is his unhappiness. The character deliciously incarnated by Jack Nicholson is a treat to watch as he wrestles with his inner angst. Payne’s screenplay tackles issues many grapple with on a regular basis: Have I made a difference in the world? Was my life worth anything? Did I lead a good life?

All these questions arise when Nicholson retires and is forced to travel the US to celebrate his daughter’s wedding. Without giving too much away, the script is just superb. The character of Warren Schmidt is a sad and insecure individual who for all of his life despite his wife, or his child, has never really spoken with anyone. Payne uses an unconventional outlet for Schmidt to vent, for not even his adulterous best friend can be turned to anymore. Schmidt’s character seemed cold and frail, but he warmed up to an overseas child foster care program. For twenty two dollars a month, Schmidt was not only able to help a child in Tanzania, but he was able to help himself as those letters sent to his foster child were testaments of his repressed good nature and dire loneliness.

Some hurdles discovered along the way are close deaths within the family, an idiotic future son in law and a daughter he would do anything in the world for. Payne paints a miraculous portrait of appreciation and zest for life and does so in at times a quite comedic manner without being overbearingly funny.

Payne directs the film with a touch of class as he presents us with a fresh and awe inspring tale of insipdness and hostility for one’s life. It is a coming of age film without the coming of age. It simply tells the story of a man searching for inner peace. It shows us how easy it is to get caught up in our careers, in our successes, that many tend to forget the riches far past those of monetary value.

The film is a remarkable journey into a thorough soul searching session and additional marvelous performances add to the anti-generic film that it is. Kathy Bates, Howard Hesseman and Dermot Mulroney add to the brilliance of this film. A categorically great film for anyone who has dealt with crises of their own and wants to see how others would deal with their troubles.

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Giancarlo De Lisi
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