About Schmidt (2002)

Director:

Alexander Payne

Writers (WGA):

Louis Begley (novel)
Alexander Payne (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

20 December 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Schmidt Happens

Plot:

Warren Schmidt is a man in his 60's. While trying to run his daughter's life, he realizes that he wasted his.

Plot Keywords:

Retirement | Marriage | Restaurant | Answering Machine | Gas Station

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 19 wins & 29 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jack Nicholson	...	Warren Schmidt
Kathy Bates	...	Roberta Hertzel
Hope Davis	...	Jeannie Schmidt
Dermot Mulroney	...	Randall Hertzel
June Squibb	...	Helen Schmidt
Howard Hesseman	...	Larry Hertzel
Harry Groener	...	John Rusk
Connie Ray	...	Vicki Rusk
Len Cariou	...	Ray Nichols
Mark Venhuizen	...	Duncan Hertzel
Cheryl Hamada	...	Saundra
Phil Reeves	...	Minister in Denver
Matt Winston	...	Gary Nordin - Warren's Replacement
James M. Connor	...	Randall's Best Man (as James Micheal Connor)
Jill Anderson	...	Bridesmaid Reading St. Paul

MPAA:

Rated R for some language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Portugal:M/12 (original rating) | Finland:K-3 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Canada:14A | France:U | Germany:6 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIA | Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:M | Norway:7 | Peru:14 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #38731)

Filming Locations:

Boulder, Colorado, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

For the role of Roberta Hertzel, Shirley Jones was considered but lost the part to Kathy Bates.

Goofs:

Continuity: The seasons change back and forth, between winter and summer. Sometimes the trees are bare, but in the next scene, they're full again. At the beginning of the movie, the trees are bare and it's gray and cold. Yet, two weeks later he leaves on his trip and it's summer all of a sudden.

Quotes:

Warren Schmidt: Well Ndugu, I'll close now. You probably can't wait to run and cash this check and get yourself something to eat.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2003) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Sentimental Lady

Masterpiece

This film was a masterpiece. It even shows that Nicholson is able to act unusually. We are used to him as grinning a man with pointed irony and sarcasm. But in the role of Warren Schmidt he did not use this specific talent just to entertain us but to open our mind for the possibly deep emptiness of people who call somewhere in their life and recognize that they aren't as rich as they are supposed to be. Schmidt tries to convince the audience that a full life should be the goal instead of just living without being aware of the own role. This can give a very positive motivation for every age.