"An A for Effort"

Rating: 5/10 (21 April 1999)

Comedy acting is difficult, but not nearly as much as comedy writing. For that reason I tend to give special appreciation to comedy efforts. We need laughs in our lives, and I certainly want to encourage projects in which humor plays a part. "As Good As It Gets" features comedy, along with drama and romance. Jack Nicholson heads a hard-working cast in a script that tries hard to be successful. It has some humorous moments, some emotional ones, and some bland ones. Part of the difficulty is in the calculation of timing by the director (and editor). Generally the style is "slow moving comedy" and it works a little more than half of the time. How one reacts to this depends on the individual; for myself, I found it generally interesting, laughed often, and became aware of its duration. So I personally give it a slightly above average score, and a hearty "A" for the sincere attempt at creating a light entertainment with some subtle dramatic nuances.