About Schmidt (2002)

A recently retired man embarks on a journey to his estranged daughter's wedding, only to discover more about himself and life than he ever expected.

Director:

Alexander Payne

Writers:

Louis Begley (novel), Alexander Payne (screenplay)

Stars:

Jack Nicholson, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 25 wins & 69 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Nicholson	...	Warren Schmidt
Kathy Bates	...	Roberta Hertzel
Hope Davis	...	Jeannie Schmidt
Dermot Mulroney	...	Randall Hertzel
June Squibb	...	Helen Schmidt
Howard Hesseman	...	Larry Hertzel
Harry Groener	...	John Rusk
Connie Ray	...	Vicki Rusk
Len Cariou	...	Ray Nichols
Mark Venhuizen	...	Duncan Hertzel
Cheryl Hamada	...	Saundra
Phil Reeves	...	Minister in Denver
Matt Winston	...	Gary Nordin - Warren's Replacement
James M. Connor	...	Randall's Best Man (as James Micheal Connor)
Jill Anderson	...	Bridesmaid Reading St. Paul

Storyline

Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) has led a safe, predictable life working in the insurance industry in Omaha, Nebraska for many years, yet now faces retirement. At the same time, he is forced to take a hard look at his wife, his life, and his relationship with his estranged daughter. An often hilarious series of events follow as Schmidt embarks on an unpredictable RV journey to attend his daughter's wedding in Denver, Colorado.

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Plot Keywords:

minden nebraska | retirement party | recreational vehicle | omaha nebraska | female nudity | 

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Taglines:

Schmidt Happens

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language and brief nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

A scene that echoed Jack Nicholson's famous diner scene in Five Easy Pieces (1970) (his exchange with the waitress) was in an early cut of the movie, in which Schmidt concedes in a cowardly fashion to the dictates of the waitress. Though the preview audience went wild over it, writer and director Alexander Payne cut it from the final movie because he felt that the scene was too much of a pointed reference to Nicholson's iconography, and that something so referential took the audience out of the movie.

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Goofs

When Warren uses a payphone to call Ray, he is asked to press "3" to erase his message and re-record. He actually presses the # key.

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Quotes

Warren Schmidt: You're making a big mistake, don't marry this guy, don't do it.
Jeannie Schmidt: What are you talking about?
Warren Schmidt: The other night I had a dream and it was very real. Your mother was there and you were there and your aunt Estelle. And there was a... well, it wasn't really a spaceship, it was more like a blimp or an orb of some kind. And then a bunch of weird creatures came out and started trying to take you away, and you wanna know what? They all looked like Randall. Do you understand? And I was jumping up and down to ...

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Crazy Credits

The film title appears above the New Line Cinema Release credit as end credits are done.

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Connections

References Psycho (1960)

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Soundtracks

You Wear It Well
(1972)
Written by Martin Quittenton (as M. Martin Quinttenton) and Rod Stewart
Performed by Rod Stewart
Courtesy of The Island Def Jam Music Group
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

simply beautiful

I was dubious when my 65 year old father picked this DVD up from the shelf at Blockbuster. "Great choice dad!", secretly wondering why I let him pick 2 films out of the 3 in the special offer they had going. You see, my father has a penchant for Woody Allen and anybody who has a rather dry sense of humour, this includes Nicholson.

We sat down tonight, and the first thing that hit me was the way that the film was shot. It is shot using rather blue and green hues, so the film is rather subdued. Secondly, the music stands out. Instead of using a typical 'boohoo' orchestra, the film uses beautiful wandering piano and marimba sounds.

The characters, I could easily relate to. Helen, the faithful wife who is excited about getting to spend a new chapter of her life with her husband. The husband, who obeys his wife but secretly resents it. A sudden change which causes a rethink in everything he has done up until that point.

At first, this appeared to be a comedy, but it was soon revealed to be a beautifully poignant film. Throughout, it questions mortality, what you can achieve in life, and how to cope with loss, or change. I don't think I have ever cried as much in 2 hours as I did during this film, and yet at the same time laughed so hard that my sides were splitting.

I would thoroughly recommend anybody to watch this film. It will stay with you for a long time.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 January 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

About Schmidt

Filming Locations:

Nebraska, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$282,367, 15 December 2002

Gross USA:

$65,016,287

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$105,834,556

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Avery Pix

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1