'Schmidt' hits the fan on DVD

Warren Schmidt, as played by Jack Nicholson in a career redefining performance, is a loser. "About Schmidt," the highly acclaimed yet commercially maligned glimpse into this Midwesterner's scorched psyche is not.\nAs co-written and directed by Alexander Payne -- one of our generation's greatest satirists -- the film skewers the elders of Middle America in a fashion akin to his treatment of high schoolers in the equally entertaining "Election." Here, his focus remains on Schmidt (hence the title), a recently retired/widowed insurance actuary Winnebago-ing across the country to attend, and possibly even put to a hault, the impending nuptials of his daughter (Hope Davis) to a mullet-headed numbskull (Dermot Mulroney). \n"Schmidt" is rife with humor via the spot-on performances of Nicholson, Mulroney and Kathy Bates, as the groom's sexually aggressive mother. Though, it also has its fair-share of heartache, as both viewers and Schmidt himself realize that his is a life unfulfilled.\nUnfortunately, the DVD can't stack up to the flick itself. The transfer and sound mix are adequate, as a film of this sort doesn't demand flashier treatment. Viewers are treated to a healthy selection of deleted scenes (most of which are pretty good), along with lengthy text explaining each exclusion. Lastly, there's a small collection of short films/alternate credit sequences commissioned by Payne. These have little to nothing to do with the movie and come off as rather amateurish. Sadly, there's no commentary, which is a shame -- a track shared by Nicholson, Payne and co-writer Jim Taylor would've been killer. Despite a lack of features, this funny flick about one sad bastard should be sought on DVD.