Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) has arrived at several of life's crossroads all at the same time. To begin with, he is retiring from a lifetime of service as an actuary for an insurance company, and he feels adrift. Furthermore, his only daughter Jeannie (Hope Davis) is about to marry Randall (Dermot Mulroney), a mediocre, underachieving waterbed salesman that Warren dislikes. And his wife, Helen, dies suddenly after 42 years of marriage.

Warren is desperate to find something meaningful in his rather unimpressive life. He sets out on a journey of self-discovery, exploring his roots across Nebraska in the 35-foot motor home in which he had planned to drive around the country with his late wife. His ultimate destination is Denver, where he hopes to bridge the gulf between himself and Jeannie by arriving early to help with her wedding preparations. The only problem is, Jeannie really doesn't want him there. To make matters worse, Warren is appalled by the free-spirited nature and boorish behaviour of his soon-to-be in-laws (Kathy Bates and Howard Hesseman). Warren grows swiftly convinced that his new purpose in life is to stop his daughter's marriage.

About Schmidt moves along at about the same pace as Warren and his motor home - slow, which is not an altogether bad thing. It works in favour of the story because it gives the characters a chance to develop and against it when the film's midsection, dealing with Warren's road trip, begins to drag. Director Alexander Payne and co-screenwriter Jim Taylor, both who also teamed up on Election, do a fine job detailing Warren's journey of discovery. Schmidt's letters to a Tanzanian foster child named Ndugu, easily the best parts of the film, cover a lot of background on Warren's life and the people of the Midwest.

The real heart of About Schmidt is not the directing or screenplay. It's not even its cast of fine supporting actors, Kathy Bates' great Oscar-nominated performance leading the way. Obviously, it's Jack. This is one of Nicholson's most laid-back, quietly effective performances yet. Schmidt is not the sharp-tongue, off-kilter lady-killer we have all come to expect from Jack over the years. This is Nicholson deconstructed - he's pudgy, has a weathered face, and is devoid of sexual charisma and witty comebacks plus, he possesses one hell of an awful comb. A gentle, layered performance worthy of his recently received Best Actor nomination.

In the end, it's the destination of the journey that really makes About Schmidt a success. More often than not, filmmakers struggle to wrap things up in a satisfying manner. Schmidt's final scene, in which Warren's life is given a reason for being from the most unlikely of sources, is nothing short of beautiful. It's in these five short minutes that transform About Schmidt from being a decent dark comedy into something special.

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