Film 148 (Goal: 300) of 2024:

About Schmidt follows 66-year-old Warren Schmidt, as he enters the new phase of his life, upon retiring from employment. Unsure what to do with himself in his mundane life, he begins to resent his wife - something that doesn't last long though when she unexpectedly passes. Now not sure what to do with himself, Schmidt tries to navigate life on his own.

I'm a massive Jack Nicholson fan so this film is one of the remaining of this post-As Good as It Gets era that I had yet to see. I didn't know too much about this film going in though I had a feeling it was a study about a man trying to find his place in the world. To be honest, I was expecting more - I thought it would be the kind of film where Nicholson's character would do a complete 180 in lifestyle, adding things like booze, drugs, wild days and choices into the equations. Instead Schmidt meanders along from point a to point b, and while he's still lost in the world, barely any of the expected fun is there. Nicholson as always gives a phenomenal performance. He gets to show his comedy chops here (something that would be expanded upon in Adam Sandler's Anger Management), making the most of the moments of unexpected comedy.
But these moments are few and far between and instead, we spend too much time in uninteresting situations.

About Schmidt isn't a particularly bad film, it's not even a boring film. Maybe that's solely due to Nicholson's performance. About Schmidt just isn't the film I was expecting.

***Quietly amusing meditation on one’s life post 9:00-to-5:00 grind***

Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) retires from an insurance agency in Omaha and takes a road trip in his new RV, hoping maybe to reconnect with his daughter (Hope Davis) during her wedding in Denver. The distinguishing bracket for the story revolves around Warren honestly writing his new sponsor-child in Tanzania. June Squibb plays his wife, Dermot Mulroney his imminent son-in-law and Kathy Bates the latter’s mother. Howard Hesseman also shows up.

“About Schmidt” (2002) is a coming-of-old-age road flick, far superior to the similar “Everybody’s Fine” (2009) with De Niro. You can’t help but think of Thoreau’s observation “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” But, unlike the dull De Niro film, this one has a sense of humor amidst the melancholic-but-insightful proceedings.

It’s a lesson on the negative side of giving up your life to the grind for a good paycheck and nice house in the ’burbs. Yet, also, that it’s never too late to live again, as well as realize & perhaps make up for your sincere, but sincerely wrong shortcomings.

The movie runs 2 hours, 5 minutes, and was shot in Nebraska and surrounding points.

GRADE: B