One of the 3 Best Films of 1997...

Rating: 8/10 (27 October 2006)

A richly textured character study wrapped inside of surprisingly original story, AS GOOD AS IT GETS was a striking and emotionally charged motion picture experience that will take the viewer through a myriad of emotions and find them trying to catch their breath and collect themselves as the credits roll. This unusual story revolving around three disparate characters who IRL would probably never cross paths except for the fact that two of them live in the same building and one of them hangs where the third works. Jack Nicholson won his third Oscar, giving one of his most dazzling performances as Melvin, a sexist, homophobic, anal-attentive, germophobic, anti-social writer who it seems has been living a fishbowl existence which has brought him to the belief that the earth was put here to serve and accommodate him and his needs. Marvin finds himself accidentally involved with Simon (Greg Kinnear, who should have won an Oscar), a sensitive, gay artist who lives in Marvin's building and becomes part of his life when Marvin is forced to care for Simon's dog after Simon gets beaten up by some thugs through a set-up by a sleazy bisexual con-artist (Skeet Ulrich). Helen Hunt won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance as Carol, a workaholic waitress with a sickly son who is Marvin's favorite waitress at his favorite restaurant. Any more details as to how these three people's lives intersect would spoil one of the most entertaining and delicious stories that was also nominated for Best Picture of 1997. A one-of-a-kind motion picture experience that must be seen to be savored.