Rating: 
Summary: Something ELse
Review: I am going to try to do a review on this. You have this guy who is recently retired as an Insurance Actuary. His wife treats him like his mother. His daughter,who is really a stranger who vetoes his suggestions,then complain on the cheapness of the casket and how her mother had to sell some of her stock just to have the Winnebago he ends up with. He tries to reach out, but she is into her own little world. But not too much so as not to accept his "checks" for her wedding. I felt the guy wasn't worth her time either, but he was likeable. And the guy's mother,too controlling,which is probably why he ended up the way he did. When I saw this movie, I remembered right away why this man felt the way he did. I am in a Psych class and we are studying Erickson's life cycle, and he fit the Generativity v.stagnation to a sweet T. Now I have no qualms with Jack's performance. he will always give it his best. Kathy Bates was just as good, but Hope Davis, she didn't cut it for me. It was like she did all her interacting with her mother, and now that she was gone, she was picking up the same things that the mother did to the husband and that could be a trip. Great movie. Makes you wonder how you want to end up in life. This man basically did the work thing right, but at the expense of knowing his daughter more better and his wife.
Rating: 
Summary: Utter Schmidt
Review: I recently rented this on the basis of the glowing reviews on this site. I can summarise this movie very quickly- Utter Schmidt. The story is drawn out and never gets going- it's a relief when it ends. The writers seem unable to allow the story to flow naturally, so resort to ending each scene with a bit of slapdash humor. They would have been better to concentrate their effors on the relationship between the main character (Jack Nicholson) and his foster son in Tanzania (Ngugu). That would have been a much better film. The main family in the film, (the in-Laws to be), are made to be so grotesque that the film is not credible. We never understand why his wonderful daughter is marrying such a "Poop". I think the film is elitist in this respect. Simply taking cheap laughs at stereotypes of lower income America. I'm sure many of the gushing reviewers are being overwhelmed by the sentimentality they relate to in the film, rather than the actual film itself. This said, Jack Nicholson is brilliant as always. He plays a similar role to As Good As It Gets- which this film is not.
Rating: 
Summary: About this Film
Review: About Schmidt is about life but not only about Schmidt's life but everybody's life or it could be anybody's life! The story is funny, humorous and entertaining though not that grandiose. It's simple yet appealing. It is about Schmidt and the struggles of life in the age of 66 or older. The film gave us a picture of how life goes on after retiremnet or we should say, how life goes on in the sunset of a man's life. The movie may not be appreciative for some of us but it gave us a notion of the struggles and thought-provoking concept of how one's life when he or she gets older. Schmidt realizes these things including the emotional and physical changes...he realizes his fears, angers, needs as being old that's why he longs for her daughter Jeannie to back-out from her wedding, trying to winning her back from her daughter's quirky fiance Randall and his eccentric family. We can understand from this film the very concept of getting old. The movie may be humorous but the message is serious...life is not that easy after all but life could be simple if we could only accept the reality of it's beauty and happiness and also the enourmous problems that life is encountering each day. I have never seen Jack Nicholson did a marvelous and outstanding performace of such a portrayal like Warren Schmidt. No doubt that he was honored as a Best Actor (from this film) for the The Golden Awards for a brilliant performance. I hope that Nicholson could continue to do more simple portrayal or character such as Schmidt. Over-all, the movie is great, actors did their roles well, the direction is clean and understandable and the story is simple...It's a feel-good movie. I would recommend this to younger viewers like to understand what's life in stored for us when we grow old.
Rating:
Summary: great movie
Review: I loved this movie. Its what you'd call a "dark comedy," which is probably why alot of people don't like it. Its basically about an old guy who retires, and is forced to question the meaning and value of his life. It has you laughing at the way this guy feels he has wasted his entire life, but at the same time it makes you wonder just what you're doing with your own life that is so great. Its kind of painful to watch, if you really let the themes sink in. Its not all depressing, though, because it does end on an up note, and its hilarious throughout. Jack is brilliant. If you like comedies that offer more than just fart jokes, you should really enjoy this film.
Rating:
Summary: Poignant and Quirky
Review: Just as another reviewer mentioned, the trailers were misleading. When I popped the DVD in, I expected a comedy. In fact, somehow I got the impression that Jack Nicholson was going to get together with Kathy Bates! Boy was I wrong (and gladly so). I did find that this movie had some laugh-out-loud moments. Overall, however, this movie was poignant, and the characters were endearing and dynamic, for the most part. It was one step away from ending up a tear-jerker, but thankfully was not. Schmidt is one of the saddest characters I have encountered; I feel I am better for having met him. ...The viewer certainly walks away feeling that his/her own life is not so bad. A warning from my husband: If you haven't heard already, be wary of the hot tub scene. (I think Kathy Bates has incredible guts - you have to respect that.)
Rating:
Summary: Jack Is Back
Review: What an amazing film "About Schmidt" is. It is a wonderful look at examing what happens when we reflect upon the choices we've made and how those choices may rub off onto our children. I read someone describe this as a remake of Ingmar Bergman's "Wild Strawberries", that sounds about right.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful.
Review: It's not about Schmidt. It's about US stupid!
Rating:
Summary: Great.
Review: One of Jack's great movies, this one is a classic. Not focused on fiction this time, the story is very compelling and the comedy is appetizing. This is a must see for satire comedy lovers.
Rating:
Summary: Don't be misled by the trailer
Review: The movie trailer for this film was apparently carefully edited to present it as a comedy - the "hot tub scene", the cut-away to the goofy fiance, etc. I suspect this accounts for the disappointment some viewers have experienced watching the film. It is, in fact, a small but intense character study. Just when I thought Nicholson's career had become entirely devoted to playing a parody of himself, he turned in this subtle and spectacular performance. Full of humanity, not a cheap trick in it. Whether or not it's "depressing" depends, I suppose on your point of view. I did not find it so.
Rating:
Summary: Jack Done Good
Review: I've never cared much for Jack Nicholson. I thought he played the same character in every movie. Not so this one. This movie is sweet, touching, funny, sad, depressing, and thought-provoking. The movie was filmed mainly in Nebraska and as a resident of Omaha for 26 years, I can tell you Hollywood did a pretty good job of getting it right. I don't think either coast will ever get over the stigma of seeing us Midwesterners as hicks and simpletons, but I can't complain about this movie because I enjoyed it too much. The story is about a man who retires after several years at an insurance company, loses his sense of worth and has no idea what to do with himself. This subject doesn't get talked about much probably because it is mainly a "male issue". This phenomenon deserves awareness and understanding and that's why this film is a gift. Sometimes good movies are better than a therapist.
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