About Schmidt Reaction Paper

About Schmidt is a film about an older man Warren Schmidt who retires from his job as actuary in an insurance company. After he retired from his job, he was surrounded by a boring mundane life and he did not know how he got it. He ends up signing up for a foster program for African children. His wife passes away and his only daughter is marrying someone who he does not approve of. So essentially he is left alone, when he decides to take a road trip to his daughter to talk her out of getting married. He has many interesting encounters and tries to visit major places from his life along the way. He does not end up breaking up the marriage, he feels like a failure. He feels completely useless from the time he retired till the point when he comes home from his daughter’s wedding. Throughout the film Warren was writing long letters about his life to his foster child Ndugu. After his daughter’s wedding Warren states that he will die soon and no one will ever remember him. He is depressed and hopeless. He then receives a letter from a nun who takes care of Ndugu. She writes that Ndugu loves his letters and appreciates them along with the financial aid. She also includes a picture Ndugu drew for him which touched Warren. I think it opened his eyes that he was not useless he was helping this child that needed him so badly. Warren encountered so much throughout this movie. It seems like he was forced to retire because the new young employees needed to take over. He still seemed like he was able to work and do what he had to for the company. He had people that supported him retiring but socially he only had a friend, his wife and daughter. When he found out that his friend had an affair with his wife that relationship was done. His wife passed away and his daughter did not have a use for him in her life. So essentially he was alone. Physically he was able to travel, take a road trip and encounter his past. Mentally he was sad, depressed, and lonely. The people that