| | | Schmidt Happens
Features: DVD, Widescreen, Spanish, Subtitled, Theatrical Version, Trailers
Shortly after he retires from a lifetime of service as an insurance company actuary, Warren Schmidt's (Jack Nicholson) wife dies suddenly, leaving him feeling desperately alone. Trying to put his life back together, he embarks on a road trip to Denver, where his only daughter (Hope Davis) is preparing to marry an underachieving waterbed salesman named Randall (Dermot Mulroney). Warren disapproves of his daughter's groom-to-be and decides he must save his daughter from making the biggest mistake of her life. Throughout his journey, Warren shares his experiences in the letters he writes to Ndugu Umbo--a six-year old Tanzanian orphan whom he sponsors--and Warren begins to catch a glimpse of who he really is.
"A brutally dry satire of Middle American numbness." Ty Burr, Boston Globe
"This road movie gives you emotional whiplash, and you'll be glad you went along for the ride." David Ansen, Newsweek
"One of the best, most understated performances of [Jack Nicholson's] career." Jami Bernard, New York Daily News
Editor's Note
In Alexander Payne's ABOUT SCHMIDT, Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) is retiring from a long, dedicated tenure at Woodmen of the World Insurance Company. Though he is proud of this achievement, he finds some difficulty adjusting to life without work. To make matters worse, his loving wife Helen (June Squibb) passes away, leaving him all alone. He turns to his daughter, Jeannie (Hope Davis), for support, but she is busy planning her marriage to Randall (Dermot Mulroney), who Warren just can't stand. He decides to sponsor a Tanzanian child, Ndugu, through a program advertised on television, and sends elaborate letters to the 6-year-old boy along with his $22 monthly checks. Meanwhile, he sets off on a soul-searching voyage across the west in his new RV.Nicholson's deadpan voice-over narration, especially in his letters to Ndugu, give ABOUT SCHMIDT a solid balance between comedy and drama. The crux of the film is the daughter's wedding in Denver, where Warren is the guest of Randall's outrageous, new-agey mom (Kathy Bates). Though the funny moments make light of Warren's state in life, the overall feel of the film is a bit sad, and its enigmatic ending will keep viewers guessing what will happen to this uniquely knowable character.
| Features | Original "short films" of opening film sequences featuring the Woodmen Tower | | Deleted Scenes | | Original Theatrical Trailer | | DVD-ROM Features | | Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround, DTS Surround | | Widescreen Presentation |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: New Line |
| Release Date: 11/14/2006 |
| Running Time: 124 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2002 | | Catalog ID: 6319 | | UPC: 00794043631924 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Available Subtitles: Elamite, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Oscar (2003) | | | Jack Nicholson, Nominee, Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role | | | Kathy Bates, Nominee, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role | |
Cannes Film Festival (2002) | | | Alexander Payne, Nominee, Golden Palm |
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| | Professional Reviews | Rolling Stone
"...This may be Nicholson's boldest performance. It's certainly one of his best..." 10/19/2002 p.116Entertainment Weekly
"...The power of this great movie -- part comedy, part tragedy, part satire, mostly masterpiece -- is in the details..." 12/13/2002 p.58 New York Times
"...Instead of flash, what Mr. Nicholson brings to his role is a sorrowful awareness of human complexity whose emotional depth matches anything he has done in the movies before..." 12/13/2002 p.15 USA Today
"...[Nicholson's] restraint is superbly on the mark..." 12/13/2002 p.8E Sight and Sound
"...[Nicholson's] acting is at once edgy and restrained, holding his natural exuberance on a tight leash, festering with dormant energies..." 01/01/2003 p.34 Los Angeles Times
"...The film is a gutsy, truthful, deeply rooted vision of contemporary American life, scaled to the size of an ordinary man....Payne has become the most gifted comic social satirist to hit our movies since Preston Sturges..." 12/13/2002 p.C1 Total Film
"...Payne elicits one of Nicholson's finest autumn-years performances in this excellent black comedy..." 08/01/2003 p.111 Uncut
"[T]his is a film of ostensibly modest but utterly effective directorial touches." 02/01/2003 p.101 San Francisco Examiner 8 of 10
Director Payne (Citizen Ruth, Election) perfectly taps into the deep reservoir of sadness that 60 years on this earth can fill, and he splashes it on all the comedy in the film. As a result, About Schmidt can be rough going; the laughter always hurts just a little bit. Likewise, Payne resists any movieland-type catharsis during which Schmidt finds true happiness. He builds his story up to the crescendo of Schmidt's wedding toast. We expect him to pull a "saucy Jack" move -- screwing around with the wedding guests, insulting everyone and laughing maniacally. But this is not Jack, it's Schmidt, and he holds back and does the right and proper thing, even though it stings and leaves us feeling a bit numb. - Jeffrey M. Anderson
Chicago Sun-Times 9 of 10
About Schmidt is billed as a comedy. It is funny to the degree that Nicholson is funny playing Schmidt, and funny in terms of some of his adventures, but at bottom it is tragic. In a mobile home camp, Schmidt is told by a woman who hardly knows him, "I see inside of you a sad man." Most teenagers will probably not be drawn to this movie, but they should attend. Let it be a lesson to them. If they define their lives only in terms of a good job, a good paycheck and a comfortable suburban existence, they could end up like Schmidt, dead in the water. They should start paying attention to that crazy English teacher. - Roger Ebert
James Berardinelli's ReelViews 8 of 10
About Schmidt is on the long side. Some of the road trip detours drag a little and there are perhaps a few too many "colorful" characters. (For example, the vignette with Warren's exuberant, temporary RV neighbors comes across as little more than an opportunity to tack about 10 minutes onto the running length.) The catharsis at the end hits the right note, giving the viewer a sense of closure without betraying the character or cheapening what has gone before. On balance, I recommend the movie both for Nicholson's performance and for the opportunity to spend some time with the kind of man that we often meet in real life, but rarely see on screen. - James Berardinelli
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