About Schmidt
Directed by Alexander Payne
- drama
- comedy
The story
A recently retired man embarks on a journey to his estranged daughter's wedding, only to discover more about himself and life than he ever expected.
What it’s like
Flat, sun-washed Midwestern light falls on beige interiors, parking lots and open highways, shot in the unhurried, square-on framing Alexander Payne favours, with long static takes that let awkward silences sit. The palette is muted: dusty pastels, faded carpets, the grey of a retirement-community kitchen, with the occasional bright bit of kitsch as a jolt. Sound is sparse, mostly ambient hum, car engines, and the wheeze of a cheap motel air conditioner, with Rolfe Kent's wistful, plinking score arriving only in small doses. The mood is wry melancholy with a thread of tenderness, the sort of quietly funny, slightly bruised feeling that suits a slow Sunday afternoon or a late evening alone with a cup of tea. Pacing is deliberate and episodic, and the emotional arc follows a stubborn, self-absorbed older man who gradually, and often uncomfortably, begins to see his own life clearly. Intensity is low: there is no violence or gore, some crude humour and brief sexual references, and a few moments of quiet, sad embarrassment rather than real fear. It suits viewers who enjoy character-led, humane comedy-drama and don't mind a protagonist who isn't easy to like.
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