I watched a movie the other night called "about Schmidt". It is a movie that I am sure many can relate to, at least I know I can....perhaps that is why I have watched it a couple times. It is a human interest movie, so it brings out the deep emotional part of Warren Schmidt and others as well. The acting is fantastic and so real that you will no doubt laugh thinking of yourself. There are some crude scenes when he meets his soon to be son-in-law's family that I personally would edit and omit, but I guess to keep it real, it was written that way..........after all, who has not met some eccentric people before? We all have met people who have left a "lasting" (whether good or bad) impression on us, right? The director did an excellent job drawing out the actors ability in raw emotion and making the scenes incredibly real and natural. At the end of the movie in the special features, there is a section on deleted scenes and the director explains why he deleted those scenes and why it was important to the authenticity of the movie. Clearly this director knew what he wanted to create in this movie.
It is about a man named Warren Schmidt who is retiring from a company that he worked at his whole life selling insurance policies. He is about to be replaced by an up and coming "youngster" who thinks he is hot stuff and Warren Schmidt must allow this young "punk" to take over his job and give a speech at his retirement party. As if retirement for many is a new challenge to deal with and quite a big change, Warren seeks to mitigate his identity crisis with an RV he buys for his wife so they can spend their retirement traveling America. His plans however unexpectedly change when his wife of 42 years dies and now he is confronted with 2 big challenges that threaten to drown him. Seeking to absolve his misery, he puts on a "happy" face and a positive attitude in front of others, all the while trying to understand what his life is all about and what he truly has accomplished with his life in 66 years. Has he truly inspired anyone? Has he left his mark in the world? Will anyone remember him? Or will he go down into the grave like another piece of dust and ash long forgotten and remembered by none?
While looking for purpose he comes across a TV ad to help an orphan child with food, clothing, medicine and education. He decides to give monthly to this child while writing letters as a commitment to his newfound purpose. He writes to this Tanzanian foster child about his daily adventures on the road and his life. His only daughter whom he did not and does not have much of a relationship with, is getting married to a man he considers "underachieving", so he sets out with determination to stop her wedding to find another purpose for his life.........perhaps he could prevent her from making a terrible mistake.
Before he sets out on his road trip in his RV, he discovers some love letters in the closet of his deceased wife.......love letters to his wife from his best friend! One minute he is lamenting and grieving over his wife and the next minute he is throwing all her stuff away in a fit of rage. He confronts his best friend before leaving and then sets off on his road trip. So clearly Warren is surrounded by much difficulty and emotion......probably feeling like a ship with no rudder......directionless!
After his road journey on self-discovery, he realizes that he can not stop his strong-willed and stubborn daughter from getting married, so he supports her anyway at her wedding and gives a very transparent and moving speech. He leaves feeling like a failure and that he has nothing to show for his life! When he gets back to his home, he gets a letter from his new orphan who drew a picture for Warren Schmidt that shows him and Warren holding hands..........like father and son! And he cries because now he feels like he IS doing something good and he IS making a difference in another person's life.
The moral of the movie is self-discovery I suppose but looking at it from a Christians perspective, it is only the Living God who can give purpose, not yourself. "The Lord hath made ALL things for Himself; yea even the wicked for the day of evil".....Proverbs 16:4 and Ephesians 2:10......"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them". It is unfortunate that many people still go down into their grave wondering if their life REALLY had meaning......perhaps that is why so many of them do not care! And the ones who do care are finding meaning and purpose in themselves, not Christ. But those who are in Christ KNOW right now that their life does have REAL and tangible purpose because it is CHRIST who died for them and that alone gives their life significant meaning and purpose.
When I look at my own life and at my age, I can relate to a man like Warren Schmidt. I know what it feels like to have to plow through one difficulty after another and to face some extremely challenging times, especially when it all comes to you at once. And then trying to understand and somehow make sense of all the nonsense.
But through every difficulty, God was there for me, seeing me through, giving me the wisdom I needed to make the right decisions. Did I always make the right decisions? No but at least I tried and did my best. But the greatest purpose I found, whether I was serving burgers in a chain restaurant or working as a case-coordinator for a home care agency, was the time I spent alone with God! Because everything else seemed so insignificant compared to Him!
"For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; ALL things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before ALL things, and by Him ALL things consist"..............Colossians 1:16,17