About Schmidt

There is no doubt that Jack Nicholson is a fine actor. His portrayal of dark, often non-conformist characters in so many of his films have touched audiences across the world. 'About Schmidt' is another film which just leaves you thinking - 'What an actor!'. I saw About Schmidt yesterday, for the second time and couldn't help but admire the craft of the man. The movie is very simple, slow and at times, seemingly boring. Yet, it has certain indefinable elements which evoke a lot of emotions. 

The film is about Warren Schmidt, a retired insurance salesman, whose life starts falling apart after the death of his wife. He looks for comfort and love in his daughter Jeanie, but she is not able to give him time because of her impending wedding to Randall, a pony-tail wearing, dodgy water bed salesman and wannabe businessman. He is disapproving of her daughter's choice and tries everything to talk her out of marrying him. His undying attempts continue to fail and Warren after a series of insults from her daughter, starts realising that he is a useless, insignificant person and doesn't have an impact on anybody's life. One day, he stumbles upon a television advert about a foster programme for African Children. He enrolls in the program and receives a package about his foster child, a Tanzanian boy called Ndugo. He starts mailing him some money every now and again, along with letters about his life and his feelings. He feels that the boy is the only he can talk his heart out to, as he thinks nobody else cares about him. 

He decides to journey across the country in his caravan to see his daughter but his daughter refuses to see him and asks him not to come until two days before the wedding. Distraught, Warren makes a trip back home and en route, visits many places from his past. He arrives in Denver, and stays with Randall's mother, who turns out to be very sexual and open, much to Warren's discomfort. After meeting Randall's family there, he becomes even more sure that Randall is not suited to his daughter. Once again, he tries to dissuade Jeanie from marrying Randall, but she is not ready to listen, and insults him once again. He attends their wedding with a heavy heart and goes back home dejected and failed. Upon reaching home, he finds a pile of mails lying in his empty house. He opens a surprise letter from a nun in Tanzania, who looks after Ndugo, and writes to thank Warren for his generous contribution and tells him that warren receives all his letters and feels his pain. Warren finds attached a sketch made by Ndugo, showing two stick figures, one tall and one short. Warren, breaks into tears and realises that somebody has benefited from his life after all. 

I found the movie extremely touching and was able to relate instantly to Warren's lonely and empty life, which I found in some ways, mirrored my own. The movie also makes a point that nobody's life is worthless and that selfless deeds don't go unnoticed. Sometimes, even complete strangers understand us and care about us more than even our closest relatives or friends. Jack Nicholson was simply brilliant in the movie, and single handedly transformed what would otherwise have been an insipid movie, into an intriguing and poignant one. Hats off to him!