About Schmidt

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Saw this flick on Saturday, and it is extremely so-so. Ultimately, what makes this fail in comparison to Payne's last, Election, is that, despite what reviewers are saying, Nicholson's everyman Schmidt is nowhere near as interesting as the triumverate of Witherspoon/Broderick/Klein in Election. The tone of both is very similar, although About Schmidt is a slower film (which makes sense considering how big a factor age plays in both), with extremely everyday conversational styles. It picks up as it goes, but I was thoroughly underwhelmed (it should be mentioned that Election did nothing for me upon first viewing, and now I love it). Thoughts on About Schmidt?

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Monday, 16 December 2002 18:53 (twenty-three years ago)

How does it compare to Nicholson in As Good As It Gets - which I thought was an appaling film. Does he overact terribly in this as well?

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 12:04 (twenty-three years ago)

No overacting at all, really. An extremely subdued performance. He is great.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 16:16 (twenty-three years ago)

five months pass...

I watched this tonight, and
I simply have to speak up in defense of this movie.
It is fantastic. I shied away from it, cause it sounded
too slow and introspective - a character study with only
minor comedic elements. That's how the reviewers sold it,
but they were so busy marvelling at Nicholson I don't think
they mentioned how funny the movie is. It's not roll-in-
the-aisles funny but I openly laughed a few times and
was constantly marvelling at the perfect timing
employed by all involved. Nicholson is one of my favorite
actors but he's better here than ever before - because
since he doesn't seem to be acting, he really seems like
a retired old guy driven to extremes, and that is funny.

It kicks much ass. Nicholson's performance is subdued in the
enough that you feel like you're watching Schmidt, not
Nicholson again. But he's still so damn good - he got
robbed for the oscar, IMO.

― masta [email protected], Thursday, 12 June 2003 06:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh yeah, the film is tremendous. There's another thread about it somewhere. I was highly suspicious when I went in, but it more than won me over.

That said I didn't find it that funny - its more sad.

― Pete (Pete), Thursday, 12 June 2003 08:05 (twenty-three years ago)

"Hello Ndugu, I really recommend joining a fraternity when you go to college."

― Chris V. (Chris V), Thursday, 12 June 2003 10:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Can someone tell me why Kathy Bates was nominated for Best Supporting Actress? She was in the movie for about 10 minutes, and got naked. Big deal.

― Chris V. (Chris V), Thursday, 12 June 2003 10:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, Nicholson is fanfuckingtastic in it. It is funny, and it is sad. That's why it's fantastic. It's honestly sad, not just sad in the way where they touch the obvious signifiers of something being sad (weepy music, some character no one cares about getting cancer, etc.), but sad in a way that everyone can relate to. But it's tempered with a range of humor, some very overstated (Bates' character and her family, the letters to Ndugu), some much more subtle (Nicholson's reactions), etc. It's like Election, obv., though that was a little more straight comedy, but so much angrier than normal comedies. I can't wait to see what Payne does next. Probably the best movie of last year in retrospect.

― NA. (Nick A.), Thursday, 12 June 2003 13:12 (twenty-three years ago)

This movie sorta bummed me out.

― Mandee, Thursday, 12 June 2003 14:35 (twenty-three years ago)

I loved it, and thought it the best performance I'd ever seen from Nicholson. I think I'd probably now call Payne a favourite, given how great Election was too.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 12 June 2003 16:43 (twenty-three years ago)

kathy bates????????????????????????????

― Chris V. (Chris V), Thursday, 12 June 2003 16:55 (twenty-three years ago)

The Pledge needs more love.

― Cozen (Cozen), Friday, 13 June 2003 12:05 (twenty-three years ago)

I see your point, Chris. She was ok, but I liked her in Rat Race more. I did enjoy the fact that she was repeatedly saying "fuckin'" to Dr. Johnny Fever.

― Bryan (Bryan), Saturday, 14 June 2003 05:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Anybody hear Robert Duvall rip on Jack's performance? Called it 'About Schtick?' I haven't seen it. Was he hamming it up? (i mean, TOO much)

― oops (Oops), Saturday, 14 June 2003 06:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Dermot Mulroney as the moron husband-to-be was great. Great actor, great comic character. I was amazed that a lot of people objected to the movie because they thought Payne was condecending to his characters. The guy's an idiot! What, there aren't idiots in the world? We can't put them in movies?

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Saturday, 14 June 2003 06:06 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought it was the most restrained and subtle performance I'd ever seen from Jack Nicholson. I think Duvall is one of the all-time greatest screen actors (best TV performance ever for me: Duvall in Lonesome Dove), and is very underappreciated, which I guess might be what that's about, but it's one of Jack's least schticky performances.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 14 June 2003 10:44 (twenty-three years ago)

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