Alexander Payne, the master of pathos who gave us "Election," has done it again with his cautionary tale, "About Schmidt." Jack Nicholson has never been this uncool; he gives a heartbreaking performance that deserves serious recognition. These past few years he seems to have been coasting through his roles on his suave, badboy image (please don't tell me he deserved an Oscar for "As Good as it Gets"). Finally, he has to play a loser.
Warren Schmidt is a pitiful, stoic man who has been living his 9-5, midwest, suburban lifestyle for 40 plus years. He has worked at the same company and been married to the same woman for most of his life. His life is so robotic that when he retires he has no idea what to do with himself. He goes by his old office to see if his replacement needs his help, which he doesn't. No longer being a spoke on the wheel, he directs his attention to a Christian hunger program that he sees advertsied on TV. He "adopts" a Tanzanian boy named Ndugu by sending a check to the foundation for 22 bucks each month.
I got the feeling watching Schmidt listen to the program that he was signing up for it not out of guilt or good will, but because the TV seems to be giving him orders. Schmidt is just waiting for someone to tell him what to do, out of habit. However, it is a cathardic experience for him when he starts to write letters to Ndugu. Warren finally expresses his true feelings to him because no one else will listen. His marriage is without passion or communication, it's simply a routine. Watching Nicholson lash out while writing his first letter is great to watch, he is finally letting himself go. He tells Ndugu of his wife:
"I find myself asking the question: who is this old woman living in my house?"
When Schmidt's wife dies suddenly, his world is thrown completely off balance. He does not feel grief, it's evident that he was not in love with her. He feels aloof and free, he can't really take care of himself but he's also liberated. It drives him to take his Winnebago to Denver to try to stop his daughter's wedding. Of course, he has several interesting encounters along the way (which I won't go into). Through his experiences and his letters to Ndugu, he begins to find himself.
His daughter, Jeannie, is marrying a waterbed salesman with a gigantic mullet. Schmidt emphatically expresses his disapproval to her. He knows that he has wasted his life and he doesn't want this to happen to Jeannie. Some of the funniest moments come when Schmidt is interacting with the in-laws-to-be. Kathy Bates is hilarious as the groom's mother, Roberta, who makes a pass at Schmidt in a hot tub and gives him stiff painkillers. Ultimately, the movie belongs to Nicholson. His gradual unraveling throughout the film to finally let his emotions live on the surface is amazing. It is only the fact that it's too late that makes him partially tragic.
Though the film has many funny moments (i.e. Schmidt's wife telling him not to "dilly dally"), it really is a warning. Rarely are films made about "ordinary" people. We all know people like this. There are millions of Schmidts out there just getting by, coasting through their lives. There are many marriages like his as well, people that stay together out of politeness and false necessity...sound familiar? Well, please forgive the cliche, life is short. Wake the fuck up, don't let yourself coast through it.
posted: January 2, 2003 at 07:55 PM
Comments?
Ashley's mom commented:
Thanks for the review of about schmidt. Ashley's dad and i went to see it yesterday and had a lengthy discussion about it this morning. It made us think about our own lives. What ARE we contributing to this world, other than ashley and alison? and maybe that is enough:) the characters are multi-layered for sure and i found myself standing up for/protecting the choices jeannie made in the movie, while john found himself sympathizing with warren in that relationship. hi and bye. im looking forward to seeing the hours this weekend. and chicago.
Ashley's mom commented:
Thanks for the review of about schmidt. Ashley's dad and i went to see it yesterday and had a lengthy discussion about it this morning. It made us think about our own lives. What ARE we contributing to this world, other than ashley and alison? and maybe that is enough:) the characters are multi-layered for sure and i found myself standing up for/protecting the choices jeannie made in the movie, while john found himself sympathizing with warren in that relationship. hi and bye. im looking forward to seeing the hours this weekend. and chicago.
February 10, 2003 7:33 PM