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Jack Nicholson .... Warren R. Schmidt
Hope Davis .... Jeannie Schmidt
Dermot Mulroney .... Randall Hertzel
Kathy Bates .... Roberta Hertzel
June Squibb .... Helen Schmidt
Howard Hesseman .... Larry Hertzel
Directed by Alexander Payne. Written by Payne and Jim Taylor.
To put it simply, this is one of the best movies of the year; it 's funny, sad, endearing, and beautiful. The story follows Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) after he was forced to retire from Woodmen Insurance and Annuity in Omaha and after his wife (June Squibb) drops dead while doing housework. After the funeral he decides to go to his daughter Jeannie's (Hope Davis) wedding in Denver. Warren believes that she is marrying beneath herself to waterbed salesman and pyramid-schemer Randall Hertzel (Dermot Mulroney). After she denounces his plans he decides to see America, visiting landmarks and his hometown. All while this is happening Warren writes to a boy in Africa whom he has adopted, like the Sally Struthers program. Warren gets all that is on his mind in these letters and they will truly make you laugh. Once he finally arrives in Denver, we meet Randall's mother Roberta (Kathy Bates) who steals the show. I will not give away anymore but this movie has it all, great acting (Bates definitely deserves the Oscar), writing (by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor) and directing (also done by Payne). This movie will make you laugh, but it will also move you beyond your wildest dreams.
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