Thanks Jack!

You are a sick sick man...

It was a really good movie IMO.
I have to admit, I was laughing my ass off every time he wrote Ndugu. I don't know why...Also the "painting", when it was obviously a drawing....Ha ha ha!

About Schmidt to me was the anti-thesis of regular Hollywood fare, except of course it has Jack Nicholson. I mean, the film is set in Omaha?!

Spoilers follow!!

My take on the story was that Schmidt has lived his life doing what was expected, lacking passion/drive. He has a scapegoat in his wife for not making big changes and then he finds out that even she had secrets. He tries to make a late effort to prevent his daughter's marriage but it only comes across as interference - the mistakes she makes must be her own. The Denver people may be strange from Schmidt's point of view, but they were at least trying - albeit in a misguided way (that pyramid scheme.) Kathy Baker (that nude scene really reminded me of those Earth Mother sculptures) was really the opposite of his wife - talking and acting the way she wants but of course Schmidt wasn't ready for such a big step.
Hopefully by the end Schmidt had come to realize that he could still live the way he wanted and saw that he could make a difference (like with Ndugu), but he could just have resigned to the fact that what he does now is meaningless to those around him.

I liked the dark humor and underlying themes, but Election was much better.

7/10.

this is an excellent film. it's not exactly a dark comedy like Election, it's more of a drama with funny parts but you don't laugh with the characters but at them and for inherit, human flaws too. Nichelson might win an Oscar for his performance whch is awesome for him but im really rooting for Daniel Day-Lewis.

Although I knew it was getting good reviews, I expected a sad, depressing, drama. But it blew away my expectations and it was great. Parts were certainly sad, but there was also great humor, and all sorts of emotion.
Did anyone notice that Randall really was a good guy? And that, if anything, Jeanie was not deserving of him (the opposite of Schmidt p.o.v.).

Anyway, props to Jack and the Director, and the writers.

Randall seemed more like a flake to me than anything else, so I wouldn't exactly call him a "good guy." The guy has a loser job and is obviously not that smart, given the whole thing with the "pyramid scheme." I didn't think his working through the workbook on "When Bad Things, Happen to Good People" reflected well on him. However, it is obvious that Schmidt just saw his daughter through rose-tinted glasses and just about anybody probably would have been "unfit" for his daughter in his eyes. But, yeah, she wasn't a great catch either and judging by her reaction when Schmidt has the neck/back problems, if I were Randall, I probably would be having second thoughts about goin through with the marriage. I guess Randall's not a bad guy, but he's definitely not the kind of guy a father wants to see his daughter marry.

I'd say Randell has good intentions and good intentionsn can go a long way.

Upon further "inspection" of the Bates nudes...I 'm not sure they are of her.

I think it's a body double.

Did anyone catch the Ferris Bueller reference? Election had them, and so I'm sure the writer and directer knew what they were doing with the scene where the weird winnebego couple are showing off photos of their grandkids. Schmidt comments on one of their names, saying "I've never heard of a girl named Sloane" Sloane was the name of Ferris' girlfriend.

Sweet movie. Not quite as sharp as Election, but it had a warm heart. I don't mean that in a sappy way; it earns an emotional response.

As for everyone mocking poor Kathy Bates - gee, I forgot about the rule that once you pass fifty and gravity takes over, you can't regard yourself as a sexual being anymore. Let me know when all of you are around 55 so I can come and laugh at your fat hips and floppy bits and pieces. It was a bold move on her part, a funny scene, and she looks normal for her age. Not Hollywood normal - real normal.

I thought the Kathy Bates nude part was exactly what her character would do in that situation. I also thought that part was pretty funny.

No comments on the movie as a whole, since this is a "we love this movie" thread.

The picture links on this thread belong to Mature, or Nasty nasty Mature forum!

Seriously, this is a very good movie, abit slow in parts, I thought the first half is definitely more methodical than the 2nd half. Jack's acting made the movie, if he wasn't so good, I would have been bored.

Body double? Nah, your eyes are just screaming to stop looking...

From a fan of good meaty character pieces likeThe Hours and Far From Heaven this year, I had really high expectations for this movie. Not only because it was just nominated for Best Picture but because I loved Election.
It just didnt engage me. I loved the Jack Nicholson character but everyone he was surrounded with I just really disliked. Especially his Daughter. She was dumb and selfish and didnt care about anyone except herself.
I didnt bring me into the movie like the other two pictures I mentioned above.
I dont mind slow movies but this was way too long. I started watching my clock early on.
If there was a point or a statement this was trying to make, I missed it. I just dont really understand the journey he went on and what he came out of it with? If we were just suppose to see a bunch of White Trashy disfunctional people, well, I can watch all those reality programs for freee.

This is one movie I dont think belongs on the Best Picture list this year.
I just dont see what the fuss is about.

I think that's a good analogy. I had the idea that Schmidt felt his life had not made a difference; until the end of course. Can't say I thought of this while watching the film though. All that beef just made me hungry. The film takes its time, but I don't think a moment was wasted. & from me.

I remember hearing that and "Sloane" from FBDO was the first thing I thought of. Care to fill me in on the references from Election and why they are there?

I thought of Sloane from Ferris, too.

Anyhow, I liked this movie but I found the Kathy Bates character and vulgarities uncalled for. Her sexual talk and nude scene were about the only things I didn't like about "About Schmidt."

Thought Nicholson did a good job in a different role for him, and even though I saw the ending coming a mile away, I still thought it was effective and well-done.

Loved the film. I recommended it to my parents and they found it depressing since they're about to retire.

Just saw this last night and loved it. Payne's films never cheat by needlessly amping up the sentimentality and thereby cheapening the poignancy of the comedy and the truthfulness of the drama. Even the "stoned old guy" scene was handled well since it wasn't played only for laughs and instead communicated a lot about what an outsider Schmidt was despite his best attempts.

One thing I want to mention: did anybody else notice that in the scene about half-way through the film where Schmidt wakes up on the roof of the Adventurer and looks down to the ground, a bird flies from behind him and it looks just like it's flying out of his head? If the bird isn't CGI then to me this is seriously one of the most magical moments in cinema history. There is no way you could fake something like that. Besides, since the scene is the one where Schmidt decides to take action and go talk sense into his daughter, the bird flying "out of his head" is wonderfully symbolic. I was reminded of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.