Oh yeah – I thought to myself twenty minutes into the film – this was the same guy that did Sideways. The idea that a cinematic celebration of the mundane is somehow more worthwhile than a great big Michael Bay explosion-fest is questionable.
About Schmidt was the first of this genre that I saw and along with Broken Flowers and that other Bill Murray one with Scarlet Johansson (you know – its set in Japan – that one!). They all make me think that I’m missing something, still am though, don’t get them, perhaps I don’t have enough pathos or feeling for my fellow man. Dunno. Didn’t get them.
Sideways and Little Miss Sunshine reeled me in a bit. Aha! if you replace woebegone Bill with someone you have a chance of caring about, then the film gets interesting. Thankfully, everyone likes George – he is very likeable… and watchable. In fact I could have just sat and watched him, the visual equivalent of a nice cup of tea (or whatever your poison is really). He doesn’t have to say anything, but if he does it will probably be nice… or funny… or cool. And it is. And he is. Well done George.
The rest of the cast were pretty cool – this is Hawaii after all. The wayward daughter undergoes a transformation from girl to woman. Her stoner friend Sid we realise already has. The extended family who stand to lose or gain millions on George’s say-so are pretty mellow about it. It is interesting that we are allowed, almost encouraged to dislike the wife in the coma. But she’s not really there is she? So everyone’s pretty cool and pretty mellow and everything will probably be okay (except for the bad wife in the coma). So thats okay and we feel okay. Not a feel-good movie, but a feel-okay movie – which in the current maelstrom of bad that is modern life, is something to aim for.