melvin udall is a heartless man .
he spends his days inside of his spacious manhattan apartment writing romance novels .
it also seems that melvin will never change .
one day he dines ar his favorite restaurant , and is a little too mean to his normal waitress ( the only waittress that will serve him ) , carol ( played to perfection by a lovely and sexy helen hunt . )
she threatens not to serve him if he does n't shut up about her asthmatic son .
he does shut up .
to make matters considerably worse , melvin has obsessive compulsive disorder .
one day his gay artist neighbor simon ( greg kinear , of talk soup fame , in an oscar - worthy role ) 's dog threatens to dismiss himself at melvon 's door .
the dog meets the garbage chute .
soon simon is sadly beaten by thieveing burglars , and ray ( cuba gooding , jr . ) , simon 's agent , takes the dog , verdell , to melvin , so that melvin can dogsit him .
and through the dog and a rather heartwrenching car trip that involves simon , carol , and himself , melvin learns to emerge from his cantakerous shell .
jack nicholson gives yet another oscar - caliber performance as the film 's cynical lead , and is back at work , not playing a goofy u . s . president or a comic book villian , but instead playing jack nicjolson , and playing him full force .
all of this adds up to this year 's funniest comedy , a creative , witty , and scathing film from james l . brooks , and brooks gets award - worthy performances from the entire cast .
a winner in every aspect , and a truly delicious slice of cyncial life .
award - worthy performances from the entire cast . a winner in every aspect , and a truly delicious slice of cyncial life playing him full force this year 's funniest comedy , a creative , witty , and scathing film gives yet another oscar - caliber performance