As Good as It Gets

***As Good as It Gets*** is a 1997 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by James L. Brooks and produced by Laura Ziskin. It stars Jack Nicholson as a misanthropic, racist, obsessive-compulsive novelist, Helen Hunt as a single mother with a chronically ill son, and Greg Kinnear as a gay artist. The screenplay was written by Mark Andrus and James L. Brooks. The paintings were created for the film by New York artist Billy Sullivan, whose work is part of the modern art collection at NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Art and the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Nicholson and Hunt won the Academy Award for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively, making *As Good As It Gets* the most-recent film to win both of the lead acting awards, and the first since 1991's *The Silence of the Lambs*. It is ranked 140th on *Empire* magazine's "The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time" list.

## Plot

Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) is a misanthrope who works at home as a best-selling novelist in New York City working on his 62nd book. He suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder which, paired with his misanthropy, alienates nearly everyone with whom he interacts. He avoids stepping on sidewalk cracks while walking through the city due to a superstition of bad luck, and eats breakfast at the same table in the same restaurant every day using disposable plastic utensils he brings with him due to his pathological fear of germs. He takes an interest in his waitress, Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt), the only server at the restaurant who can tolerate his behavior.

One day, Melvin's neighbor, a gay artist named Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear), is assaulted and nearly killed during a robbery. Melvin is intimidated by Simon's agent, Frank Sachs (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), into caring for Simon's dog, Verdell, while Simon is hospitalized. Although he initially does not enjoy caring for the dog, Melvin becomes emotionally attached to it. He simultaneously receives more attention from Carol. When Simon is released from the hospital, Melvin is unable to cope emotionally with returning the dog. Melvin's life is further altered when Carol decides to work closer to her home in Brooklyn so she can care for her acutely asthmatic son Spence (Jesse James). Unable to adjust to another waitress, Melvin arranges through his publisher (Linda Gehringer) whose husband is a doctor (Harold Ramis) to pay for her son's medical expenses as long as Carol agrees to return to work.

Meanwhile, Simon's assault and rehabilitation, coupled with Verdell's preference for Melvin, causes Simon to lose his creative muse. Simon is approaching bankruptcy due to his medical bills. Frank convinces him to go to Baltimore to ask his estranged parents for money. Because Frank is too busy to take the injured Simon to Baltimore himself, Melvin reluctantly agrees to do so; Frank lends Melvin the use of his Saab 900 convertible for the trip. Melvin invites Carol to accompany them on the trip to lessen the awkwardness. She reluctantly accepts the invitation, and relationships among the three develop.

Once in Baltimore, Carol persuades Melvin to take her out to have dinner. Melvin's comments during the dinner greatly flatter—and subsequently upset—Carol, and she abruptly leaves. Upon seeing the frustrated Carol, Simon begins to sketch her semi-nude and rekindles his creativity, once more feeling a desire to paint. He briefly reconnects with his parents, but is able to tell them that he'll be fine.

After returning to New York, Carol tells Melvin that she does not want him in her life anymore. She later regrets her statement and calls him to apologize. The relationship between Melvin and Carol remains complicated until Simon, who Melvin has allowed to move in with him until he can get a new apartment, convinces Melvin to declare his love for her. Melvin goes to see Carol, who is hesitant, but agrees to try and establish a relationship with him. The film ends with Melvin and Carol walking together. As he opens a door at an early morning pastry shop for Carol, he realizes that he has stepped on a crack in the pavement.

## Cast

* Jack Nicholson as Melvin Udall
* Helen Hunt as Carol Connelly
* Greg Kinnear as Simon Bishop
* Jill the dog as Verdell
* Cuba Gooding, Jr. as Frank Sachs
* Julie Benz as Receptionist
* Shirley Knight as Beverly Connelly
* Jesse James as Spencer "Spence" Connelly
* Skeet Ulrich as Vincent Lopiano
* Yeardley Smith as Jackie Simpson
* Lupe Ontiveros as Nora Manning
* Harold Ramis as Dr. Martin Bettes
* Lawrence Kasdan as Dr. Green
* Shane Black as Café 24 Manager
* Peter Jacobson as Man at Table
* Lisa Edelstein as Woman at Table
* Danielle Spencer as Veterinarian
* Kathryn Morris as Mental Patient
* Tom McGowan as Maitre D'
* Bibi Osterwald as Neighbor Woman