About Schmidt

[George Aar]

I watched this one on PpV last night.

I normally like Jack Nicholson's stuff, but I dunno about this effort.

What an unrelentingly depressing flick. While I think it is well-written and very insightful about the vapid nature of modern American life (most of the dialog is PAINFULLY familiar to anyone who's spent more than a minute talking to shirttail relatives or people with whom you share little common interests ). The overall net result was a movie as pointless and empty as the man's life it depicted.

If you have a choice, pass on this one...

geo.

[Zixar]

I don't know, George...if it had been anyone but Nicholson, I would tend to agree with you, but he gives a very subtle, nuanced performance here. I think the Academy was right in giving him the nod here.

The fool hath said in his heart, "PFAL is the Word of God..."

[George Aar]

I can't agree. I don't think the role was much of a stretch for Nicholson.

It was basically a "one note" part (played over and over and over [and over]). O.K. Schmidt has lived an empty, pointless life. I get it. Now on with the show. Nope. We must roll around in the putrid rotting remains for 2 hours or so.

Every character in the film was distasteful, one-dimensional, and a charicature. No real people need be shown. Over-blown stereotypes will do just fine.

By the end of the movie the only thing I had really gained is a lasting dislike for the screenwriters. They must be an arrogant lot of effetes with an unbelieveably cynical view of people and life in general.

I felt dirty after watching it.

geo.

[George Aar]

Oh, and they billed this as a "comedy"?!

Puhleeze! It's probably the most depressing movie I've EVER watched. An unbelieveable downer...

geo.

[Rocky]

This movie was one of those that was highly hyped prior to and just after it opened in theaters.

I suppose that was the first clue. How much hype (and tv advertising) did box office bomb Gigli get?

I went to see About Schmidt in a theater shortly after it was released.

I left the theater with a general sense that I had been robbed.

George, your eloquent review in the first post on this thread pretty much captured it.

Even the big kathy bates nude scene was embarrassing more than it was funny. And I think it was intended to be funny.

[Larry P2]

I walked out halfway through, thinking "this isn't going anywhere."

Im disappointed I missed the Kathy Bates nude scene though

[Raf]

I went to the movies and gave them $5 just so that I WOULDN'T have to see About Schmidt or the Kathy Bates nude scene.

Then again, I wasted hard earned cash on Spy Kids 3-D. Should have given THAT money to the church. :)-->

[Kit Sober]

Fred thought the reason he saw this movie was to pray for Jack Nicholson especially.

Fred was concerned that the depression of the movie would become a reality to Nicholson and get him thinking about dying.

(Didn't this course run for Walter Mathau?)

Hopefully,

:)-->," God