Truly remarkable comedy / drama about a man facing his new life when his wife of 40 years dies shortly after he retires and before his only daughter's impending marriage to a slacker buffoon from a truly oddball family. Nicholson has rarely been better as he is here in a quietly nuanced performance as the pent-up Warren Schmidt who often must mask his heartbreak with feigned joy. Writer / director Alexander Payne superbly combines the pathos with a bizarre complexities of extended family, strange life detours and some wonderfully understated satire. A cast to die for includes Dermot Mulroney ( as the "nincompoop" fiancee, almost unrecognizable in a great hairpiece ) Hope Davis ( as the befuddled bride-to-be ) and the always amazing Kathy Bates ( utterly hilarious as the extremely liberal mother-in-law). Impeccably paced and thoughfully acted, ABOUT SCMIDT is about perfect! What are you waiting for???!!!