Dear Ndugu,
I saw About Schmidt at MGM tonight. It’s a hard to describe film, in which we basically follow Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) from the events after his retirement, through his wife’s passing, and a road-trip to Denver for his daughter’s wedding. Along the way, Schmidt tries to find out what his life is all about.
Directed by Alexander Payne (Election), the film has a slightly meandering tone, with no clear path or plot. We’re just watching what happens as events unfold, with no real sense of what is to come. In that sense, it’s rather plodding, but still fascinating to watch. Rolfe Kent‘s score is delightful and aptly suited to the tone of the film. Nicholson does a fine job in the role, but didn’t really “wow” me. I have to say, though – I could have easily gone through life without seeing either his butt, or a nude Kathy Bates, and been just fine. Instead, I did see those two things, and I’ve been trying to erase the images from my mind ever since. **shudder**
Is this a film you should see? Well, it’s up to you. It’s not as funny as Election, but it had a good deal of humor and good characters. Just be sure to cover your eyes in the hot tub.