ABOUT SCHMIDT - TO RETIREMENT AND BEYOND

“About Schmidt” is a good film about choosing to live and grow, no matter how old you are. As recently retired insurance man Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) puts it, “Life is short, I can’t afford to waste another moment.”

As the film begins, we quickly learn Warren is a reluctant retiree. He ditches his retirement party for a stiff drink. He wakes up promptly at 7 a.m. and grimaces at the thought of hanging around with the wife all day. He mopes. He visits his old office, hoping to give some “advice” to those who have replaced him. He is one of those guys who lived for his work and has trouble finding meaning in life when work suddenly ends.

Warren responds to his bleak situation by attempting to do something good. He agrees to sponsor a six-year old Tanzanian child, Ndugu Umbo. In addition to sending Ndugu a regular $22 check, Warren picks up the pen to tell his new friend all about his boring life: how he hates the man his daughter is dating, how he mistakenly thought he would be important one day; and how irritating his wife Helen is. He basically tells Ndugu that life on this side of retirement looks pretty darn dull.

But not for long. Things suddenly take a turn for the worst as things tend to do in life, and Warren’s life is suddenly anything but dull. Warren is hit hard with a series of unfortunate events, including his daughter’s impending marriage and the unexpected death of his wife (June Squibb). In response, Warren plunges into depression.

Warren’s journey is not a pretty one, but it is quite real. For a while, he seems incapable of taking any steps toward growth at all and instead just hangs around in his now wrecked home.

But before long, he takes baby steps toward healing, primarily as a result of his self-examining letters to Ndugu. Warren looks deep inside himself and asks some difficult, painful questions. He attempts to forgive those who disappointed him in life. He gets out of the house and travels around in the RV. He begins meeting people.

The crisis point in the film hinges on Warren’s relationship with his daughter (Hope Davis) and how Warren will respond as her wedding day approaches. Just about everything having to do with the wedding is tense and painful, but his daughter’s future in-laws (Kathy Bates and Howard Hesseman) and boob fiancée (Dermot Mulroney) are the greatest challenge of all.

“About Schmidt” has the funniest scene I saw in a film this year, when a nude Kathy Bates jumps into the hot tub with Warren and lets her hand begin to roam. One has to applaud Bates for her courage here-for her ability to let her body be the butt of a joke, so to speak.

Anyway, “About Schmidt,” which was directed by Alexander Payne (“Election”), is quirky, interesting, and fun with a surprising amount of emotional depth and another great performance by Jack Nicholson. The screenplay is particularly witty and insightful; I liked how it used Warren’s letters as the vehicle for sharing his journey inward.

I predict audiences of all ages will respond to this film quite favorably, for we’re never too old to learn and grow.

This film is rated PG-13 for some language and brief nudity.

RATING B Plus © 2002. Jim Chastain II