Jack Nicholson

Kathy Bates

Hope Davis

Dermot Mulroney

June Squibb

Howard Hesseman

Harry Groener

Connie Ray

Len Cariou

Mark Venhuizen

Cheryl Hamada

Phil Reeves

Matt Winston

James M. Connor

Jill Anderson

Vaughan Wenzel

Judith Kathryn Hart

Robert Kem

Melissa Hanna

Tung Ha

James J. Crawley

Mary Beth Nelson

Steve Heller

Lester Kills Crow

Thomas Michael Belford

McKenna Gibson

Emily McNaughton

Beth Heimann

Linda Wilmot

Alexander Payne

Louis Begley

Michael Besman

Harry Gittes

Bill Badalato

Rachael Horovitz

Rolfe Kent

James Glennon

Kevin Tent

Jane Ann Stewart

Teresa Visinare

Wendy Chuck

Nathan Carlson

T.K. Kirkpatrick

Pat Tagliaferro

Erik Henry

Christel Highland

Susan Strubel

Linda Carol Flake

Rebecca Robertson

Emjay Olson

Joy Zapata

Jeanne Van Phue

Carrie Angland

Tommy Baratta

Jeannine Bourdaghs

Jim Taylor

Drama

Comedy

About Schmidt

Avery Pix

New Line Cinema

United States of America

***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

Jack Nicholson proved he's not just an interesting face.

English

About Schmidt (2002) Official Trailer - Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates Movie HD