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About Schmidt

The award winning film about a man who forgot to live

By Emma Kae - 11th February 2003 - Back to News

From the director of "Election" comes a profound satire of contemporary life. Inspired by the Louis Begley novel of the same name, About Schmidt tells the story of a man consumed by a life that gives him no pleasure.

Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) stands in an empty office, surrounded by neatly stacked moving boxes that signify the end of an era and a new start into the unknown. Schmidt is about to embark on retirement, and is not sure how to fill the looming hours of freedom.

At home, Schmidt spends his sleepless nights watching infomercials on television. While searching for some meaning in his hapless existence, Schmidt catches an advertisement that leads to the sponsorship of a Tanzanian orphan, Ngudu.

While Schmidt learns a lesson in charity, his nagging wife Helen (June Squibb) awaits, ready to extinguish his depression with enough plans for the golden years for the both of them. Her dream is cut short when she unexpectedly dies and leaves Schmidt with the knowledge that he has no plan at all.

Desperate and alone, Schmidt starts composing letters to Ngudu, filled with contempt for career, marriage, and life in general. He is particularly concerned for his daughter Jeannie (Hope Davis), currently engaged to wed a halfwit waterbed salesmen with a terrible haircut and a penchant for failing at just about everything. Schmidt creates a new mission for himself in travelling to their home and convincing Jeannie to find herself a worthy partner.

Upon arrival, Schmidt is the house guest of the mother-in-law-to-be (Kathy Bates) an aging flower child with a tendency to discuss the rigours of her sex life with Schmidt, who does not make for a captive audience.

Despite the talent of the supporting actors, this is Nicholson’s film. Unlike past roles in the actors long and distinguished career, this film does not make use of his characteristic bold mannerisms and domineering screen presence. In Schmidt, Nicholson lays his impressionist front to rest and slinks across the screen, holding his cards close to his chest. Yet quiet as he may be, Nicholson’s appearance in nonetheless memorising.

For all its humour, the film has a chilling poignancy that creates ripples in your life. Schmidt is not afraid to ask the viewer to see the Schmidt in each of us, and weigh up the very value of human life.

Click here to see when About Schmidt is showing at a theatre near you.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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