Rating: 
Summary: Like watching paint dry
Review: I rented this with a friend of mine after hearing positive reviews. I would like to take this opportunity to warn others that, in spite of the positive things you may have heard, this movie is not good. Sure, there are a few minor chuckles here and there, but these don't even come close to making up for the slow pace of this movie and the dreary, dull plot (if you want to call it a plot). This is a movie that meanders on and on. This wouldn't be so bad if it was leading up to something, some kind of climax, but that isn't the case. When this movie ended it was both a disappointment and a relief! The two stars are for Nicholson doing the best he could with this pointless, wearying, slug of a movie.
Rating:
Summary: As Boring as Midwestern Landscape
Review: Some of my current wife's artsy friends called this Schmiddy movie "a must see" and after incessantly babbling about how "clever" this "film" is loaned us the DVD and insisted we watch it (I loaned them "Strange Brew" in return). Well, watch it I did (all of it). This Schmiddy thing is b o r i n g. It's one of those films that tries to be clever for the sake of being clever. You can't miss it really. I can't tell you how many times I shouted out loud, "look how clever this film is!", but it was a bunch of times and usually had something to do with the camera focusing on inanimate objects or overemphasing certain sounds (if you don't believe me, just keep replaying the scene with the vacuum cleaner over and over and over again. Clever I tell ya! And artsy). I couldn't really help thinking the filmmaker wanted everyone watching the film to be impressed with this aspect of it. I found it distracting, which was alright since just about nothing else happens in the Schmidty thing. Basically, you get some really good acting from some top-notch folks (Nicholson is perfect and Bates is good as well) trying to tell the far-too common story about a wasted life and how one, slighly insane (face it, the Schmidt character is a not quite right) old guy deals with it. And you get this Schmidt for over two hours. As I said it's boring. There are no chase scenes, some frightening partial nudity, a few curse words, and no action. Zip. There's very little dialogue either except for some notes written to a starving kid with a hard to pronounce name. In essense, you have a book on tape that's on film. Artsy. Boring. Not recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Still Haven't Finished Seeing All of It
Review: And don't particularly care to. I have fallen to snoozing and drooling on myself (from the movie or the Pop-Tarts, I don't know which) five times so far trying to finish watching this DVD. If I were playing Reverse Wheel of Fortune, I would ask Vanna (still a hottie) to remove the letters "C", "M", and "D" to complete a perfect review of this movie title.
Rating: 
Summary: This is some good Schmidt
Review: Saw About Schmidt last weekend on DVD. This was a very thought-provoking and moving movie. Jack Nicholson does a superb job of "coming undone" again, like he does in so many of his movies. The ending is powerful and really ties it all together well. It is at times profoundly sad and at other times witty and charming. The performances of all of the supporting cast were very strong, and it was a treat to see Howard Hesseman. The only thing I found overdone and slightly irrelevant was the RV scene. This is a movie for the Jack Nicholson collector and for the collector of life-changing dramas.
Rating:
Summary: Just Plain Ol' Boring
Review: Warren Schmidt is a retired man in his 60s, who decides to 'change his life' after his wife (a wonderful June Squibb) dies. About Schmidt is one of the year's most disappointing, overrated films. It's not a bad movie per se, but it's flaws outweigh it's good things. The film is slow and sluggish (not to mention overlong) to an almost excruciating level, and although the acting is good, most especially by the quirky Kathy Bates as Roberta, the movie is flat and dull. Perhaps what makes this so tedious is the fact that Warren Schmidt (what a TERRIBLE name) is such an uninteresting, monotonous character. We have absolutely no reason to care for Schmidt (or his inert life). As one critic noted, `it's a boring movie about a boring man'. About Schmidt was penned and directed by Alexander Payne, who also brought us the exceptional Election. Despite one or two neat observations (and a touching finale), Payne brings us nothing sharp, audacious, or funny as Election. What a pity...
Rating:
Summary: You Don't Know Jack About Schmidt
Review: Based on Louis Begley's novel of the same name, About Schmidt, adds another quirky character to an already long list of them, for actor Jack Nicholson. The film ends up being somewhat of a mixed effort though, which was a surprise to me, considerng all the positive buzz that surrounded the movie at Oscar time. Recently retired insurance man, Warren Schmidt,(Nicholson) finds himself having to adjust to all of the things that being out of work entails...and he's not quite ready for what awaits him. He tries to get close to his daughter Jeannie (Hope Davis) as her wedding to Randall (Dermot Mulroney) nears...Warren decides that after an unexpected turn of events, to go on a journey of self examination, to try to figure things out. When he travels to meet his daughter's future in-laws, days before the nuptials, he gets more than he bargained for, when Randall's mother Roberta(Kathy Bates) says "hi". The problem I have with the film is the fact, director Alexander Payne and cowriter Jim Taylor can't seem to decide whether the film should be comedic or dramatic. Normally both genres can co-exist in one film, but here it swings too much for my tastes. I kept waiting for things to happen. And when they finally did, it all seemed anti-climactic. What happens to Warren plods along at a snails pace. Everthings played understated, almost to the point that I was hoping that Jack would burst into his lively performance as the Joker from Batman, to liven it up a bit. The DVD features 9 deleted scenes that don't really add much to the movie. That's about it as far as the extras. I guess was expecting a different kind of film. Given the talent of those involved, this story of self discovery, should have been more than it turned out to be.
Rating: 
Summary: actually, better on DVD
Review: Any movie with Mr. Nicholson is a must for movie goers but this movie was a little bit slow in pace. Kathy Bates and Schmidt's daughter are the two people who helped the flow a little but overall the movie is touching, even thought inspiring, but a little too drawn out. Which is why I am glad this is on DVD because I can now watch it at home, at leisure, which is the way I think the director wanted this movie to be seen.
Rating: 
Summary: Horrible
Review: This was the worst movie I have ever seen. After I saw it I looked at my friend and said I want my 2 hours back. This movie is a wast of time. Its about some guy and his pathetic life. DONT BUY IT!!
Rating: 
Summary: 3.5 Stars. Growing older and older all the time
Review: This is quite a depressing and slow moving film, but.... The film is well acted, but the mood the film sets is even more important than the acting. The mood of the film is designed to let you experience what it is like to grow old. If you feel upset with the slow pace, that is because you are supposed to. This is a deliberate movie, structured entirely to immerse you in the misery and lonliness of not being needed. But... There is hope at the end. I don't want to give away any of the plot, but the movie is not wholly depressing. It is actually a comedy, but not in any sense that a young and impatient person like myself will appreciate. This movie illuminates what awaits us all at the end of a failed life, but demonstrates that there is still hope for us all and that everyone still has choices to make in their lives, no matter how hopeless things get. This movie is not light-hearted, it is quite sombre, but it is important to watch, since it contains a few good life lessons.
Rating:
Summary: commercial for ChildReach
Review: This movie was very boring and depressing. In the end it turned out to be a 2 hour long commercial for ChildReach, which is like Save the Children. There is even literature for ChildReach in the DVD case. The hottub scene was not as daring or fun as reported. Avoid this at all costs.
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