Likable movie about an unlikable guy

Rating: 8/10 (29 June 2013)

This is a very interesting movie in that it immediately establishes Jack Nicholson as a terrible person and then spends the rest of the movie trying to convince you he's better than you'd think. Nicholson is up to the challenge, being monstrous in the beginning and then slowly softening, but never flattening out, the rough edges. Hunt is equally excellent with his very convincing portrayal of a Brooklyn waitress, catching the spirit of someone leading a very ordinary life.
Like most James L. Brooks movies, this one is quite amusing. It's also rather touching, so much so that I was willing to forgive it for its utter unlikeliness.