About Schmidt - A Short Review

Recently I watched About Schmidt (2002) and it triggered me to write a bit about it. It's so different from the usual  canned Hollywood movies that I am so sick of!

This movie reflects the simple and ordinary reality of life. It brings a message about discovering our weaknesses and dealing with our humane complexities during the hard process of self-discovering. It has so much to do with passion! Passion for life, for changes...

The amazing part about the production is that it's "so simple"! The movie does not try to be amazing! The down-to-earth approach, showing average characters dealing with day by day struggles of life seems to be what makes this movie so pungent and well done! It kept me sat down for 2:05 hours without getting bored (unusual for me!). No violence, no fantastic BS, no excessive production, no hypnotizing background music... Just a story about people and their inner complexities! Their fears, shames, defeats, dreams, need for love, and their strength above all.

Here is one beautiful message, shown on a thought provoking sign seen in the Pioneer Village (Minden, Nebraska - one of the places where the movie was shot). The sign says:

"The cowards never started

The weak died on the way

Only the strong arrived

They were the pioneers."

Deep, huh?

I hope you are like the pioneers, too!  ;-)


Rose