As Good as It Gets

Rating: 7/10 (20 June 2005)

From Golden Globe nominated writer/director James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment), this is quite an interesting romantic comedy drama. Basically, Melvin Udall (Oscar and Golden Globe winning Jack Nicholson) is the homophobic bigot who insults everyone, lives alone, makes a living writing trashy novels, and suffers obsessive-compulsive disorder (e.g. over-checking locks, walking over gaps in the pavement, using plastic cutlery instead of ones provided, etc). His life is turned upside down, when both his gay neighbour Simon Bishop (Oscar and Golden Globe nominated Greg Kinnear) is beaten and hospitalised, and his friend Frank Sachs (Cuba Gooding Jr.) entrusts his dog to Melvin. In addition, the only waitress at Melvin's local café that will tolerate him, Carol Connelly (Oscar and Golden Globe winning Helen Hunt) must leave work to care for his son Spencer (Jesse James) who is suffering asthma, so it is impossible for him eat breakfast. To get her back to work, he gets Dr. Martin Bettes (Harold Ramis) to make house visits, but also actively working to be part of Carol's life. He gets the real opportunity when Frank convinces him to take Simon to see his parents in Baltimore, as well as Carol. There are moments in this road trip, and a dinner, where he seems to have Carol getting more attracted to him, but his attempt to control his emotions and social interactions are what split them for a while. Simon has a revelation from his depression by drawing (he's a painter) Carol in the nude, and Melvin does eventually convince her of his feelings for her, so quite a happy ending. Also starring Scream's Skeet Ulrich as Vincent Lopiano, Shirley Knight as Beverly Connelly, The Simpsons' Yeardley Smith as Jackie Simpson, Lupe Ontiveros as Nora Manning, Ross Bleckner as Carl, Brian Doyle-Murray as Handyman John, Missi Pyle as Cafe 24 Waitress, Scream's Jamie Kennedy as Street Hustler and Lawrence Kasdan as Dr. Green. The critics say that Hunt is the reason to stick with the film, and not Nicholson, both are worthy Oscar winners, personally I think Nicholson is the reason to see it. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Film Editing, Best Music for Hans Zimmer, Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen and Best Picture, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical, and it was nominated for Best Screenplay. Jack Nicholson was number 6 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, he was number 71 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons, he was number 63 on The 100 Greatest Sex Symbols, and he was number 7 on The World's Greatest Actor. Very good!