In director Alexander Payne's About Schmidt, Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson in one of his richest performances) has arrived at several of life's crossroads all at the same time as he is forced to deal with an ambiguous future as he enters retirement. Soon after, his wife of 42 years passes away and he must come to terms with his only daughters (Hope Davis) marriage to a man he does not care for (Dermot Mulroney). With no job, no wife and no family, Warren is desperate to find something meaningful in his thoroughly unimpressive life. He sets out on a journey of self-discovery, exploring his roots across Nebraska and facing up to the failure that his life has become.