'Schmidt' a one-man wonder

Warren Schmidt, played by Jack Nicholson, is a good American. At 62, he's just retired as vice president of a major life-insurance company. He's a conservative Republican, listening to Limbaugh on his way to the Dairy Queen for a Reeses Pieces Blizzard. His daughter is soon to be married. Schmidt is the simple man of American legacy and life is good. Or so he'd have the audience believe. \nAfter retirement and the sudden death of his wife, Warren is left questioning just what his legacy is and if it makes any real difference to the rest of the world. The answers leave much to be desired, according to Warren, and so he sets out on a road-trip in his 35-foot RV and thus, we -- along with Warren -- begin to learn about Schmidt.\n"Schmidt" is director Alexander Payne's third film, his last film being the critically acclaimed dark comedy "Election." This time Payne tackles a more personal agenda of what a man does when he realizes that he's never truly accomplished anything in his life. Based on the novel by Louis Begley, this story could easily fall into a cliché. Two things save "Schmidt" from veering into this more blasé condition: an excellent script from Payne and Jim Taylor that contains some of the most candid and realistic dialogue ever written, and most notably, a brilliantly understated performance from the man of over-the-top expression himself, Nicholson.\nNicholson plays Schmidt to Oscar-worthy perfection, not once flashing that trademark wolfish grin, the corners of his mouth pulled back in something of a bitter grimace instead. Nicholson moves fluidly between world-weary and childlike wonder as he journeys across the midwest. In one particular scene that had cliché tattooed all over it, Warren looks up to the night sky and asks his late wife if she can forgive him for not being the man he should have been. Cue the shooting star. But Nicholson manages to give this scene the star-struck amazement it deserves and cliché becomes a quickly forgotten word. Garnering many awards and nominations, including four Golden Globe nominations, "About Schmidt" is a worthy investment.