Common Sense Media Review
Heartfelt Nicholson, not for kids at all.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
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Where to Watch
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About Schmidt
What's the Story?
Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) has coped with a life of disappointment and emptiness through rigidity. He is stingy with words, money, and emotion. He does not confide in anyone but viewers and a little boy in Africa he "adopted" by agreeing to send him $22 a month. Schmidt's daughter Jeannie (Hope Davis) is getting married to Randall, a man with a mullet who sells waterbeds (Dermot Mulroney), and this is just one more in a series of disappointments. When Schmidt's wife dies, and then when he finds out that she was keeping a secret from him, he becomes completely unstuck from his moorings. He takes the huge motor home his wife made him buy and sets off in it toward his daughter's house, intent on stopping the wedding.
Is It Any Good?
Nicholson is mesmerizing in ABOUT SCHMIDT. His character is funny, irritating, pitiable, and utterly heartbreaking. Kathy Bates, as Randall's mother, is magnificent in a performance that is full-bodied (in both senses of the word). The details of middle American ceremonies -- the retirement party, the funeral, the wedding -- are all just right, sharply observed but affectionate.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Schmidt confided in a little boy he had never met instead of any of his friends or family. What do you think he will do next? What should he do? What should he have done that would have made him happier?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 13, 2002
- On DVD or streaming : June 3, 2003
- Cast : Hope Davis , Jack Nicholson , Kathy Bates
- Director : Alexander Payne
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : New Line
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 125 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some language and brief nudity.
- Last updated : March 14, 2020
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