As Good as It Gets (1997)

A single mother/waitress, a misanthropic author, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship after the artist is in an accident.

Director:

James L. Brooks

Writers:

Mark Andrus (story), Mark Andrus (screenplay),

Stars:

Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear

Won 2 Oscars. Another 31 wins & 30 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Nicholson	...	Melvin Udall
Helen Hunt	...	Carol Connelly
Greg Kinnear	...	Simon Bishop
Cuba Gooding Jr.	...	Frank Sachs
Skeet Ulrich	...	Vincent
Shirley Knight	...	Beverly
Yeardley Smith	...	Jackie
Lupe Ontiveros	...	Nora
Jill the Dog	...	Verdell (as Jill)
Timer the Dog	...	Supporting Dog (as Timer)
Billy the Dog	...	Supporting Dog (as Billy)
Bibi Osterwald	...	Neighbor Woman
Ross Bleckner	...	Carl
Bernadette Balagtas	...	Caterer
Jaffe Cohen	...	Partygoer

Storyline

New York City. Melvin Udall, a cranky, bigoted, obsessive-compulsive writer, finds his life turned upside down when neighboring gay artist Simon is hospitalized and his dog is entrusted to Melvin. In addition, Carol, the only waitress who will tolerate him, must leave work to care for her sick son, making it impossible for Melvin to eat breakfast.

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Plot Keywords:

artist | dog | waitress | neighbor | writer | 

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Taglines:

Brace yourself for Melvin.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 on appeal for strong language, thematic elements, nudity and a beating

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Old Friends

Filming Locations:

West 10th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£909,459 (UK) (13 March 1998)

Gross:

$147,637,474 (USA) (19 June 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Pictures, Gracie Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

139 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The most recent film to win both Best Actor and Best Actress at the Academy awards.

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Goofs

When Carol tells Melvin that he can bring the dog into the restaurant, her mouth isn't moving.

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Quotes

Melvin Udall: Never, never, interrupt me, okay? Not if there's a fire, not even if you hear the sound of a thud from my home and one week later there's a smell coming from there that can only be a decaying human body and you have to hold a hanky to your face because the stench is so thick that you think you're going to faint. Even then, don't come knocking. Or, if it's election night, and you're excited and you wanna celebrate because some fudgepacker that you date has been elected the first queer president ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Just after the disclaimer of the American Humane Association (The animals used in this film were in no way mistreated...) there is a second disclaimer stating "The actors used in this film were in no way mistreated."

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Connections

Referenced in The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004)

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Soundtracks

"HAND ON MY HEART"
Written & Performed by Judith Owen
Courtesy of Dram Records

User Reviews

As Good as Romantic Comedies Get

"As Good As It Gets" boasts a splendid, delightful combination of wonderful, zesty acting and a remarkably bright and effective screenplay. Jack Nicholson is pitch-perfect as the obsessive-compulsive curmudgeon Melvin Udall, who possesses some of the strangest and most curious tendencies ever concocted by screenwriters; his Udall is so human, so heartfelt, so genuine, and so whimsical and Nicholson perfects him to such a degree that not a moment of his screen time is unwanted or uninteresting: in my valid opinion, this is Nicholson's best performance of his career, and one of the most reverent performances in film history. What an engaging, enthralling story: an troubled, insecure man helps a troubled, insecure waitress (troubled and insecure in different respects), and the two form an unlikely relationship from being distant acquaintances (Hunt even exclaims that Nicholson is crazy in their most uncomfortable moment in the film) to practical soul mates (Nicholson to Hunt: "I feel that I'm the only person that knows that you are the greatest woman alive"), through a series of misfortunes, self-explorations, and mutual bondings. Kinnear's character Simon has the distinct purpose in being both the bridge and the divider of Nicholson and Hunt's relationship, and he identifies with his character with compassion and understanding, as he has frequently been wronged throughout his existence. The most curious aspect to a story such as this, involving such unduly, diverse characters: a miserable recluse, a zesty, yet insecure waitress, and a sensitive and insightful, yet wronged homosexual, is that in their distinct differences, they share many of the same problems, and these problems eventually bring them all together, although hardly in a civilized manner. I appreciated practically every element in this wonderful, delightful masterpiece of exemplary romantic comedy, in its indelible acting (Oscars well deserved), its whimsical, touching screenplay (This was neons above "Good Will Hunting"'s quality) and its comforting morale, that despite all of the great odds in life which prevent us from being happy, we can perhaps find it within ourselves to take that one important step in reversing our fortunes, in "stopping with taking pills" and to allow our lives, and our desires to shine and be realized, as this story depicts life. The best romantic comedy, certainly the best film of 1997, and one of the greatest films of all time, "As Good As It Gets" succeeds in practically every entertaining and endearing cinematic respect. **** out of ****