About Schmidt

[Newtron]

Dear Nduku,

I saw a movie today called "About Schmidt." I thought it was brilliant; a wonderful character study of a lonely, empty man. Jack Nicholson was perfect in the role of your foster father. Of the people reading this that have not seen the film yet, this message will go right over their heads; of the people who have, well, I hope they are laughing as they read this. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you about this film in case the film plays at a theater near you.

Sincerely,
MacGuffin

He writes letters to a kid that he's sponsoring... I haven't seen it though.

[RegularKarate]

Mac's AV reminded me - when Jack takes the Percadan at the wedding rehearsal, doesn't he have almost the same look on his face as when he's faking a labotomy in Cuckoo's Nest?

[ksmc]

The brilliance of this film (and all of Alexander Payne's films, for that matter...) lies in the details. The best example of this is when Warren has just arrived at Roberta's house and Jeannie and Randall arrive, and when asked about his trip, Schmidt replies that he got into some traffic on 90 and got off on the 25..., to which they reply by telling him in detail, the route that he should have taken. Most movies don't take the time to notice these little bull-shit things that are a part of real conversation.

[Duck Sauce]

The brilliance of this film (and all of Alexander Payne's films, for that matter...) lies in the details.

Yeah, I remember thinking about that while watching the movie and then I totally forgot about it. My favorite is when he gets into detail in his letter about his relative losing his leg to diabetes.

[life_boy]

The details are what make a movie great for me sometimes.  I haven't seen 'About Schmidt' yet but I can't wait.  I like it when the filmmakers take the time to show things that aren't necessary to the plot but are just fun little 'asides' into the person's life.  I liked that Barry had a "Clapper" in PDL.  It just added a little shade of realism to the character and made me laugh because I remember those cheesy commercials for it a few years ago.  If anyone would have a "Clapper", it would probably be Barry Egan.

[xerxes]

i loved it... although the damn person sitting behind me was sobbing for like the last 10 goddamn minutes of the movie. i don't usually mind people getting emotional over a movie, but she was so loud, i could barely hear anything... just had to get that off my chest, been with me for months.

[bonanzataz]

My mom saw it in a small theater with a few people and there was a kid there that happened to be retarded and would laugh loudly at everything, even the sad parts. Sorry mum.

[life_boy]

It is starting in my hometown on Friday.  It's about damn time too, although it is still the only 'good' movie starting this weekend (unless someone is eagerly awaiting the release of 'Kangaroo Jack').

[Victor]

what i like about alexander payne movies is the utter normalcy and fearlessness he gives to scenes involving sex. it makes them much funnier. like in election when brodericks scrubbing his crotch in the bathtub or chris klien talks about getting a blowjob. its like that in schmidt when hes talking about having to urinate sitting down. its so funny how off-handed it is. he shows characters as they would be by themselves, free of their inhibitions. you can look at yourself taking a piss sitting down and its totally normal, its only when someone else is watching that it becomes funny.

[Thecowgoooesmooo]

I saw About Shmidt last night with my girlfriend and about 30 other old people all sitting around me in the movie theater. Im 18 and the age gap between me and the youngest audience member in the theater must have set a record.
 Going into this movie, I knew it would be a "great movie". And I was sooo happy that it lived up to my expectations. I believe this movie is my #1 movie of 2002. BUT!, I have not seen Adaptation or 25th hour. I enjoyed the genuine realness in the dialogue which is not found in your average movie. Very smart comedy throughout the movie, and I have to say this, anybody notice when Shmidt is looking at Randall's awards he won in his high school dayz? I laughed when I saw the awards stated... "Honorable Mention" among various other underachiever awards posted on his bedroom wall! During the movie, I was thinking that I knew people very similiar to characters such as Randall and Shmidt. You know its a great movie when you can relate to characters in a movie to your own life. In short, I don't believe its the best movie "ever" but it definately will go into my dvd collection. I will recommend this movie to my high school friends who don't often see or are not interested in a movie like this. It's sad now a dayz, when you ask someone what there favorite movie of all time is, and they say, Triple X...


chris

[Duck Sauce]

Me too, everybody in my theater were old, and it seemed like a pretty depressing movie for a lot of them.

[ksmc]

Very smart comedy throughout the movie, and I have to say this, anybody notice when Shmidt is looking at Randall's awards he won in his high school dayz? I laughed when I saw the awards stated... "Honorable Mention" among various other underachiever awards posted on his bedroom wall!


chris

My personal favorite is his "perfect attendance" award for a two week training course.

[82]

I love living in omaha.

I was an extra on the movie but I didnt get the chance to call them back in time, they moved on

[©brad]

Yesterday I took the train into Liverpool to catch it. As I rode in the taxi down an unusually long parking lot, or car park as they call it, I saw from a very far distance a poster that looked like no other than the Punch-Drunk Love movie, and sure enough there it was. A big smile came to my face. 'Coming soon from the director of Boogie Nights and Magnolia' was printed at the top, I hadn't seen that on any PDL poster in the states, it was nice.

Anyway, About Schmidt. Okay, mixed feelings.

What I thought was good-
Jack's performance
Refreshing to see him portray an old man with a wife his own age
SPOILERS- the crying scene at the end got me choked up (yeah, kind of emotional overload being in a new country and all, but it got me)
Kathy Bates- who I thought was under used. ("Would you just drink your fucking milk and shut the fuck up?!"

What I didn't really dig was-
pace- don't mind slow pacing films that take their time, but this one was quite erratic
certain scenes that seemed useless- the part when he kisses the woman in the trailer?
score- blah
editing- wipe dissolves?

[Jeremy Blackman]

certain scenes that seemed useless- the part when he kisses the woman in the trailer?

I thought that scene was cruicial.. it showed how he's unable to interpret generosity.