ABOUT SCHIMDT (2002) 4 stars out of 4. Starring Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, Len Cariou, Howard Hesseman, June Squibb, Harry Groener and Connie Ray. Based on the novel by Louis Begley. Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor. Directed by Payne. Rated R. Running time: Approx. 125 mins.

In About Schmidt, Jack Nicholson makes you laugh, breaks your heart and brings tears to your eyes.

In his most poignant and disciplined performance in years, Nicholson plays Warren Schmidt, a recently retired insurance adjuster who considers himself a failure and his life totally inconsequential.

Schmidt is the type of individual who shuffles through life without creating waves. He is nary a blip on the radar screen of humankind. Yet he is a good man with a warm heart, a caring person who never had his inner fires stoked.

After the sudden death of his wife, Schmidt begins a journey of self-discovery during which he finds he has lived, but never participated, in life.

Schmidt sets out to rectify matters, driving in his 35-foot motor home from Omaha, Neb., to Denver in hopes of dissuading his daughter, Jeannie (Hope Davis), from marrying Randall Hertzel (Dermot Mulroney), an underachieving waterbed salesman. Schmidt sees similarities between his life and what lies ahead for Jeannie, and is determined to make her realize how she is failing to fulfill her potential.

The script by director Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor bends your cinematic expectations. Just when you think you have some idea of where the film is going or what will happen during a particular scene, the pair pull the rug out from under you.

A perfect example occurs in the final reel when Warren, as father of the bride, is called upon to say a few words. Nicholson keeps you hanging as to what he will say. He acts like a man in the middle of a minefield, trying to determine which path to take without blowing himself up. It’s a comically suspenseful moment simply because Nicholson displays Schmidt’s conflict as he battles between saying what is in his heart and what is expected of him.

Other moments are just as priceless, especially Schmidt’s encounter with a friendly couple who invite him to dinner during a stopover at a recreational park campground.

About Schmidt belongs to Nicholson. Gone are the flamboyant mannerisms that are the trademark of several of his performances. As Schmidt, Nicholson walks with a slow, deliberate gait, chooses his words carefully and subdues his natural exuberance.

Whereas Nicholson’s Schmidt merely tiptoes through life, Kathy Bates’ Roberta Hertzel blows through it like a force-5 hurricane.

As the loud, outspoken mother of the groom, Bates creates an unforgettable character, a mile-a-minute extrovert unaware or unconcerned about her boorishness. Twice married and divorced, Roberta shocks Warren with her frank talk about her sexuality as well as the bedroom antics of Jeannie and Randall.

Bates is one courageous performer, willing to bare all for her character, much to Warren’s chagrin and embarrassment.

Davis is sweet and steely as the plain-looking Jeannie who cannot understand her father’s hostile attitude toward Randall.

Mulroney gives the performance of his career as the balding, pony-tailed hapless salesman who can quote from self-help books without really comprehending their meaning, fail at pyramid schemes and be totally unaware of how inept he really is. Yet, Mulroney brings a sweetness to Randall, whose love for Jeannie is genuine.

About Schmidt is a gentle satire, a touching examination of one man’s life and how that man comes to realize his life is of value. It is a movie you should not miss.

Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@journalandcourier.com or at bobbloom@iquest.net. Other reviews by Bloom can be found at www.jconline.com by clicking on movies.
Bloom's reviews also appear on the Web at the Rottentomatoes Web site, www.rottentomatoes.com and at the Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom