About Schmidt (2002)
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A retired actuary seeks a sense of purpose in his new life by sponsoring a child in Tanzania and embarking on a road trip to visit his daughter.
The story
Warren Schmidt, an actuary in Omaha, Nebraska, retires from his job and finds himself struggling to adjust to his new life, feeling useless and depressed. After a lackluster retirement dinner, he decides to sponsor a child in Tanzania through a foster program. He begins corresponding with a young boy named Ndugu Umbo. Meanwhile, Schmidt deals with the death of his wife, Helen, and the arrival of his daughter, Jeannie, and her fiancé. Feeling lonely and alienated, Schmidt eventually decides to take a road trip in a motor home to visit his daughter before her wedding.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Warren Schmidt retires from his job as an actuary in Omaha, Nebraska, feeling depressed and useless. He begins sponsoring a Tanzanian boy, Ndugu Umbo, writing him letters about his life. After his wife Helen dies, his daughter Jeannie and her fiancé Randall arrive. Schmidt is unhappy with Randall and feels lonely. He discovers Helen had an affair with a friend, Ray, and confronts him. Schmidt then embarks on a road trip in a Winnebago to visit Jeannie before her wedding. During the trip, he visits places from his past and stays with a couple, the Rusks, where he has a brief, awkward encounter with the wife. He eventually reaches Denver, stays with Randall's mother, and attends the wedding, delivering a kind speech despite his disapproval. On the way home, he reflects on his life's lack of impact. Finally, he receives a letter from a nun in Tanzania stating that Ndugu, now six, cannot read but appreciates the letters and drawings, which moves Schmidt to tears.
- First release year
- 2002
- Runtime (minutes)
- 124
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Alexander Payne
- Writers
- Alexander Payne · co-written; Jim Taylor · co-written
- Cast and characters
- Jack Nicholson · Warren Schmidt; Hope Davis; Dermot Mulroney; Kathy Bates
- Genres
- comedy; drama; black comedy
- Themes
- Aging; Loneliness; Regret; Father-daughter relationships
- Tone and mood
- Funny; Touching; Melancholic
- Premise and plot tags
- Road Comedy-Drama; Black Comedy; Drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- Loosely based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Louis Begley
- Reception
- The film enjoyed both critical and commercial success, receiving praise for the performances of Jack Nicholson and Kathy Bates. It was described as a 'funny, touching character study' and received 'universal acclaim' on Metacritic.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 86% · review count: 203; Metacritic · score: 85 · scale: 100 · review count: 40; CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe · Best Actor in a Drama · 2002 · Win; Cannes Film Festival · Official Competition Selection · 2002 · Nomination
- Production trivia
- Alexander Payne's original script was titled 'The Coward'.; Filming took place in several Nebraska cities, including Omaha, Nebraska City, Minden, Kearney, and Lincoln.; The film was loosely based on a novel by Louis Begley, but Payne's script was initially written years before the novel was published.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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