Sign in Sign up

Trailer

About Schmidt

2002Movie2 h 5 minR

79

GreatGoodWatch score

79

GreatGoodWatch score

Letterboxd

Rotten Tomatoes

Summary

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.

Good for

Date night
Friends night
Teens

Where to watch

Set your services

Fingerprint

Feels like real life.
Makes you care deeply.
Breaks your heart.
Hits close to home.
Pays off your patience.

Not for scares, adrenaline or brutality.

The whole fingerprint· the print and its 12 scales

At a glance

Critics vs audiences
Critics like it more than audiences (+12)
Critics 86Audiences 74GoodWatch 79
Tomatometer86%
Metascore85
User score7.8
Audience score74%
IMDb7.2
Letterboxd · 60 K ratings3.6/5
Box office
3.5×its budget
Budget
$30 M
Worldwide
$106 M
Worldwide it earned $76 M more than it cost.
Running time
2 h 5 min
A typical length for dramas, +16 min on the typical 109
typical 109125
Half of all dramas run 98–125 min.
Reach
Streams in 10 countries, rent or buy in 28 more
Released
2002
December 12, 2002
24 years ago
Genres
DramaComedy
Language
English
Original language
Made in
United States
Rated
- RUnited States
What's in it
ViolenceLittle or none
Gore, disturbing imagesLittle or none
Frightening scenesLittle or none
Sex, nudityLittle or none
Dark themesModerate
Strong languageNamed in the advisories
In white: what the content advisories name. Levels from the title analysis.
Viewing guide
AdultsDate NightFriends NightIntergenerationalPartner WatchPublic Viewing SafeSolo WatchTeensBackground WatchComfort WatchDrop-in FriendlyThought-Provoking
Not listed for kids or family movie night.
24 of 29
Directing · 2
Alexander Payne Director, Screenplay
Rebecca Robertson Script Supervisor
Writing · 2
Jim Taylor Screenplay
Louis Begley Novel
Production · 4
Bill Badalato Executive Producer
Rachael Horovitz Executive Producer
Harry Gittes Producer
Michael Besman Producer
Camera · 1
James Glennon Director of Photography
Editing · 1
Kevin Tent Editor
Sound · 1
Rolfe Kent Original Music Composer
Art · 5
Jane Ann Stewart Production Design
Pat Tagliaferro Art Direction
Teresa Visinare Set Decoration
T.K. Kirkpatrick Art Direction
Nathan Carlson Graphic Designer
Costume & Make-Up · 9
Wendy Chuck Costume Design
Linda Carol Flake Set Costumer
Joy Zapata Hairstylist
Jeannine Bourdaghs Costume Supervisor
Jeanne Van Phue Makeup Artist
Susan Strubel Set Costumer
Visual Effects · 1
Erik Henry Visual Effects Supervisor
Other crew · 1
Tommy Baratta Chef

Tropes

But I DigressRare · in 19 titlesWhen requested to write a brief letter to Ndugu, the poor African child he has decided to sponsor, Schmidt begins by saying a few things about himself, including having a brother who lost a leg to di…Humiliation Congain 1,126 titlesWarren experiences one humiliating and awkward moment after another.All 80 tropes

More like this

Similar

Most like About Schmidt overall

Nearest on the related map: closest in everything it does to you, not one trait

The Savages (2007)
GoodWatch score 79
Elling (2001)
GoodWatch score 74
Other People (2016)
GoodWatch score 73
Father Mother Sister Brother (2025)
GoodWatch score 69
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
GoodWatch score 85
Enlightened (2011)
GoodWatch score 79
Kapoor & Sons (2016)
GoodWatch score 88
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)
GoodWatch score 79
Drifting Clouds (1996)
GoodWatch score 90
The Barbarian Invasions (2003)
GoodWatch score 74
The Farewell (2019)
GoodWatch score 86
Still Walking (2008)
GoodWatch score 88
The First Day of the Rest of Your Life (2008)
GoodWatch score 80
Happy Hour (2015)
GoodWatch score 87
Ankhon Dekhi (2014)
GoodWatch score 79
The Descendants (2011)
GoodWatch score 79

Same genre

More drama movies

Interstellar (2014)
GoodWatch score 80
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
GoodWatch score 86
F1 (2025)
GoodWatch score 71
Argo (2012)
GoodWatch score 84
8 Mile (2002)
GoodWatch score 73
The Patriot (2000)
GoodWatch score 67
Lincoln (2012)
GoodWatch score 80
The Uprising (2026)
GoodWatch score 59