Jack Nicholson as a Jayhawk

This winter, KU will grace the big screen with a cameo role in the highly anticipated dark comedy "About Schmidt," starring Jack Nicholson.

In the movie, scheduled to hit theaters Dec. 13, Nicholson plays Warren Schmidt, a recently widowed and retired insurance actuary in Omaha. Schmidt drives a motor home to Denver to stop his estranged daughter (Hope Davis) from marrying an utterly mediocre waterbed salesman (Dermot Mulroney).

The trip quickly becomes a journey of self-discovery in which Schmidt makes a detour to KU-his alma mater.

But don't expect to see Jack traipsing around the Campanile or darting through Strong Hall. Many of the scenes representing KU were shot on the University of Nebraska campus in Lincoln. Director Alexander Payne ("Election"), a Nebraska native, often films his movies in the Cornhusker State.

Still, a camera crew did shoot footage of Schmidt's motor home driving down Jayhawk Boulevard and KU paraphernalia could be featured prominently in the college scenes.

Paul Vander Tuig, trademark and licensing administrator at KU, said he supplied the production company, Avery Pix, with a catalog from the KU Bookstore. Vander Tuig said the production company ordered more than $1,100 worth of KU-related products, including dozens of hats, sweatshirts and T-shirts with various designs on them, including ones from the School of Business and the School of Engineering.

Although he's excited about the prospect of seeing KU get some screen time, Vander Tuig said there was no guarantee of how prominent a role KU will play in the final version of the movie.

"I hope the movie is one that KU and Nicholson fans will be glad to see, and of course I hope that some of our products actually make it into the movie," he said. "I've actually been an extra in a movie before and know you can be cut down to a half-second blip."

Several KU officials read the script, but none have seen the final version, which already is attracting Oscar buzz at film festivals across the nation.

Regardless of the size of the role, Vander Tuig said it would be great to see KU appearing with a silver-screen legend.

"It certainly got my attention when I heard Jack Nicholson's name," he said. "All I can say is if the movie is well received, I would think it would be good publicity. You have to get out there and do some of these things to keep our name and merchandise in front of our fans and alumni."

To learn more about the movie, visit the Web site www.aboutschmidtmovie.com.

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