ABOUT SCHMIDT
(A-3, R): Just when you’re on the edge of movie despair, along comes a miracle like About Schmidt. It’s mostly genial, at times uproarious, comic realism about being vaguely disappointed about the way life has turned out. Then when Warren Schmidt seems headed for despair, the film takes a step toward healing and hope.
The hero is played by Jack Nicholson in one of the signature roles of a huge career. He’s a mild-mannered Omaha insurance actuary, recently retired and in the doldrums.
Schmidt quickly discovers he’s no longer welcome at work. His controlling wife of 42 years dies. And he dislikes the ponytailed Denver waterbed salesman their only child plans to marry.
We like Schmidt because he’s aware of the bad stuff happening to him but too gentle to fight back in kind. He’s moved by late-night TV ads about “adopting” a starving African orphan and even writes letters to the boy. The voiceovers of those letters, telling the distant child of Schmidt’s ups and downs, provide the film’s ingenious narrative and emotional spine.
As Warren Schmidt goes through life-changing rituals, everyone says the nice and expected words, shakes hands, hugs or gives awkward speeches and toasts. But deeper realities are unplumbed and unspoken.
Schmidt becomes infuriated as he discovers things about his deceased wife. He takes off alone, in a huge Winnebago his wife had insisted they buy. On the road, he soon comes to realize his own shortcomings. Perched atop his parked RV, looking at the stars, he forgives his wife and asks her forgiveness as well.
Then he drives to Denver to try one last time to save his daughter (Hope Davis), but finally understands it’s too late. Schmidt attends and blesses the wedding that is both hilarious and touching. He drives home crushed, almost Willie Loman-like, thinking his life’s a failure. But he earns a small redemption.
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