As Bad As It Gets

Rating: 7/10 (4 October 1998)

Okay, not literally. It's not as bad as it gets. But it comes pretty darn close. You could easily say this film had the 'Titanic' effect on me... you know, where a lot of people turn against the film for winning so many awards. But here's my problem... it really wasn't a good film when I first saw it. What you have here is essentially a two-hour long sitcom... one you want to end after half an hour. But it doesn't... it keeps going.
We are introduced into a story that seems to have been going on for three or four seasons, er... years, and the connections between them all are never quite distinct. The characters are never fully developed because James L. Brooks thinks he can release these cut-outs onto us and get away with it. For the most part, he's succeeded. He's received a warm welcome from many, many people. But not me.
This is just putrid. One wonders how this one got nominated for Best Picture, when The Sweet Hereafter was infinitely better. In fact, Atom Egoyan, the director of that great film, was nominated for Best Director, while James L. Brooks was not. Thankfully, this meant As Good As It Gets wouldn't win. But it won for Best Actress and Best Actor, and this just completely astonished me. The hype over Helen Hunt is almost unbearable. I love Mad About You, and I love her character. But every single movie she's done since has just been that character with a different problem. Twister: Mad About You with a twist. As Good As It Gets: Mad About You with an ill child. Even Mad About You is approaching the limits of which I can take, as Hunt won the Emmy for Best Actress purely on her Oscar win. It amazes me that the Academy, a group of selected people who watch the performances and decide, chose Hunt over every other performance, all infinitely better. Kate Winslet was great, but either Helena Bonham Carter or Judi Dench should have won. I doubt most Academy members even saw that movie. Thankfully, Hunt even acknowledged Dench's loss (although, I think she secretly thought she deserved it). Best Actor... JACK NICHOLSON? Are you insane? I mean, he's won before. And he's won for doing this performance. I think the Academy felt bad for not giving it to him for Chinatown, and so they awarded it to him again. The REAL best? Either Peter Fonda or Robert Duvall, both incredible in their performances. Jack Nicholson was doing a cliche of a character, and he won. And why wasn't Leonardo DiCaprio nominated? He didn't deserve to win, but he deserved to be nominated. I don't necessarily like the guy, but as an actor, he's one of the best.
I don't normally hate a movie for winning awards, but this is one of those rare exceptions. Undeserving of every nomination and award it received, As Good As It Gets becomes one of the most annoying films in recent memory.