The defence The Prestige Tourist
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
Back to trending 
About Schmidt
Drama · Comedy · 2002
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.
Movie details
About Schmidt
“Schmidt Happens.”
2002 Drama · Comedy 2h 5m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.9 / 10
Community rating
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.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over About Schmidt?
For the defence
The Prestige Tourist
“You like your greatness pre-approved.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Where the Red Fern Grows
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Breath
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A pair of teenagers in Western Australia looking to escape the monotony of life in a small town take up surfing lessons from a guy named Sando.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
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In 1850 Oregon, when a backwoodsman brings a wife home to his farm, his six brothers decide that they want to get married too.
Train Dreams
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A logger leads a life of quiet grace as he experiences love and loss during an era of monumental change in early 20th-century America.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Alexander Payne
Written by
Alexander Payne · Jim Taylor
Jack Nicholson
Warren Schmidt
Kathy Bates
Roberta Hertzel
Hope Davis
Jeannie Schmidt
Dermot Mulroney
Randall Hertzel
June Squibb
Helen Schmidt
Howard Hesseman
Larry Hertzel
Harry Groener
John Rusk
Court is in session
Put About Schmidt on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.