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Directed by Alexander Payne |
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| Jack Nicholson |
Hope Davis |
| Kathy Bates |
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| Dermot Mulroney |
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| Retired man tries to find meaning in his life in the midst of his wife’s death and his daughter’s wedding plans. |
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| One-word View: Interesting |
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| I have to get this out of the way first. Never in my many, many years of movie watching have I seen such a bland group of people. Eeek! I don’t even know how they did a casting call for all the extras. This movie was definitely not a shining moment of aesthetic commentary for the Midwest. But, aside from that, I found About Schmidt to be touching, thought provoking and very funny - - funny in a Royal Tenenbaums, dark humor, which is not for everyone kind of way. It tapped into our basic human desire to feel as if we are making a difference in this world. For in the absence of that belief, one can truly have a very empty existence. Schmidt realizes just how empty his life has been, so he seeks out some answers.
This searching is triggered in Schmidt’s life by his retirement, the death of his pain-in-the-ass wife and the pending marriage of his daughter, to which he is categorically opposed. To add to the corniness of the proverbial examination of one’s soul, Schmidt’s physical search takes place behind the wheel of one of those big motor home, Winnebago-thingees. It’s really comical. The most poignant part of the movie is the relationship between Schmidt and his pen pal, of sorts. I shan’t say more about that or I will be guilty of what most reviewers do – give away the heart of the story. It is a good chronicle of one man’s introspective journey. Go see it if you are a Nicholson fan, as he gives a very fine performance, and if you are comfortable with the exposure of the subtle absurdities of our lives. Otherwise, check out something else from my list that is a bit lighter.
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