A major 2003 Oscars contender two decades ago was Alexander Payne’s “About Schmidt,” starring Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates, Hope Davis and Dermot Mulroney. It was Payne’s first film since 1999’s “Election,” which earned him and his writing partner Jim Taylor their breakthrough Oscar nominations, and it was Nicholson’s first major Oscar player since his third Best Actor win in 1998 for “As Good As It Gets.” In addition, Bates was going for her third Oscar nom after her Best Actress win for “Misery” in 1991 and Best Supporting Actress nomination for “Primary Colors” in 1999. Going into wide release on January 3, 2003, in 816 theaters, “About Schmidt” made more than eight million dollars in its opening weekend, an excellent 10,784 per screen, before earning a strong 105 million dollars worldwide by the end of its theatrical run.

“About Schmidt,” about a recently retired man (Nicholson) who embarks on a journey to his estranged daughter’s wedding,...