I am, as a movie critic and as a consumer of Hollywood art, not exactly sure how to deal with my emotions surrounding "About Schmidt." Is it brilliantly performed? Yes. Is the script well-written? Absolutely. Are the characters believable and interesting? Completely. But will this film also manage to astound you with its genius while tearing your heart out at the same time? Unless you're made of stone, it will, without a doubt.
The film chronicles a brief period of time in the life of Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson), a recently retired, 66-year-old widower searching for meaning in both the life that is behind him and the one he is leading. After his wife dies, he goes through periods of listless depression over his loss and intense anger over her past infidelity.
Finally unable to live, bored and alone, in the house they shared together, he sets out in his deluxe Winnebago to visit his grown daughter, Jeannie (Hope Davis, "Hearts in Atlantis"), soon to be married in Colorado. Jeannie is less than pleased with his visit in the midst of pre-wedding stress, so Schmidt sets out to see the West in his house-on-wheels. Schmidt's journey in solitude carries with it intense emotions for the audience, who must watch him struggle with his new-found, ill-fitting independence and his desperation to find some ounce of meaning in his life.
When Jeannie's wedding arrives, Schmidt heads to Denver to stay with Roberta Hertzel, the mother of the groom, brilliantly portrayed by Kathy Bates. In Denver, Schmidt finds more reasons to be malcontent with his existence, including his struggle to accept his future son-in-law, Randall (Dermot Mulroney, "My Best Friend's Wedding"). Schmidt's many attempts to intervene and stop his daughter from marrying Randall result only in her increased resentment of a father who, until now, always was too preoccupied to be concerned with his daughter's life.
Throughout the movie, the audience is exposed to Schmidt's inner monologue in a unique fashion. He composes several letters -- revealed to the audience through Nicholson's voice-overs -- to Ndugu, a 6-year-old African orphan boy he sponsors through one of the many "Save the Children" television campaigns. Ndugu becomes Schmidt's only confidant as the older man explains to Ndugu every emotion he experiences, associated with the episodes the audience views.
Because the receiver of Schmidt's correspondence is a young child of a completely different culture, the subject matter of Schmidt's letters becomes humorous. He tells Ndugu everything, from his frustration with his wife while she lived to the hurt he felt when she passed away, from the job he held before his retirement to how much he hates his daughter's fianc
. These letters become a crucial aspect of the film, for they are the audience's window into Schmidt's psyche.
Despite the fact that I cried throughout much of the film, or perhaps because of it, I thought this film was absolutely wonderful. It is emotionally taxing to watch Schmidt's struggle. His is the tale of a man put in the revealing and humbling state of dealing with his own feelings of impotence and desperate helplessness. Without the routine and stability of his marriage and job, the meaninglessness of Schmidt's life is cruelly revealed. It is moving and difficult to watch him try to regain some semblance of purpose.
The acting performances in the film are remarkable. The story is told by a cast of talented actors who create remarkably believable characters. Nicholson sheds his overly confident reputation and throws himself into the role of an insecure, lonely man on a desperate search for something he cannot find. No one could play the eccentric Roberta as well as Bates, who makes the shockingly quirky character lovable and affable. Dermot Mulroney is practically unrecognizable as the pony-tailed, less-than-intelligent Randall. The cast is rounded off by equally good supporting actors, including Hope Davis' convincing portrayal of the frustrated Jeannie.
Almost every moment in the film is both beautiful and heart-wrenchingly painful. But then it comes down to the bottom line: you'll want to know all about Schmidt.
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