Movie: About Schmidt
Starring Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates; Directed by Alexander Payne
Written by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor (Spyglass Films)
Reviewed by Rusty Pipes

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This guy Warren Schmidt, he needs a hobby. He is one boring guy trying to figure what life is all about in a post-retirement-widower world. I almost said he was singularly boring, but I imagine there are a lot of people like him suddenly waking up and wondering what they are doing in Omaha.

He does make an effort at waking up though and that's where the movie gets its action. Warren takes an odyssey into Colorado in a huge, empty Winnebago to visit his daughter and the new in-laws-to-be. The groom's mom, Roberta (played with vigor and color by Kathy Bates) is the person most full of life in the movie, but Warren can't bring himself to loosen up. His saving grace is that soon after his retirement he adopted a poor African child named Ndugu through a TV charity. It's his narrated letters to the boy that provide a window into Warren's real feelings and eventually a sense of redemption at the end.

Director Alexander Payne has made a nice, non-threatening production of the story where others would be tempted to go into the bizarre a la the Coen Brothers or David Lynch. Well, Payne does make sure there's one bizarre moment. About Schmidt's rated R for brief nudity when Kathy Bates takes her clothes off to get into a hot tub with Nicholson. First time I ever HEARD an audience wince! Payne gets an excellent performance by Jack (of course) but little things keep nagging at me, like the Chinese violin that turns up on the soundtrack in a couple spots. It's a nice touch in a way. I love the sound of it and yet I have to wonder what the heck that's doing in Omaha too.

The Skinny:
Am I glad I saw the film? Yes
Would I go to see it again? It's not a big screen movie. When it turns up on cable I'd watch it again.

(Also Starring Hope Davis, Howard Hesseman and Dermot Mulroney)

© 2003 - Rusty Pipes