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As Good as It Gets (1997)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
25 December 1997 (USA)
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Tagline:
Brace yourself for Melvin. more
Plot:
A single mother/waitress, a misanthropic author, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars.
Another 23 wins
&
25 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(74 articles)
Helen Hunt may take on Maura Tierney's Parenthood role
(From AOL - TVSquad. 15 September 2009, 7:33 AM, PDT)
Helen Hunt to Replace Maura Tierney on Parenthood?
(From TVGuide - Breaking News. 15 September 2009, 6:09 AM, PDT)
(From AOL - TVSquad. 15 September 2009, 7:33 AM, PDT)
Helen Hunt to Replace Maura Tierney on Parenthood?
(From TVGuide - Breaking News. 15 September 2009, 6:09 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
As Good as Romantic Comedies Get
more (401 total)
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 Lopiano | |
| Shirley Knight | ... | Beverly Connelly | |
| Yeardley Smith | ... | Jackie Simpson | |
| Lupe Ontiveros | ... | Nora Manning | |
| 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 |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Old Friends (USA) (working title)
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MPAA:
Rated PG-13 on appeal for strong language, thematic elements, nudity and a beating.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
139 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Philippines:PG-13 |
Argentina:13 |
Australia:M |
Austria:6 |
Belgium:KT |
Brazil:Livre |
Canada:G (Quebec) |
Canada:PG |
Chile:TE |
Finland:K-12 |
France:U |
Germany:6 (bw) |
Hong Kong:IIA |
Iceland:L |
Italy:T |
Mexico:B |
Netherlands:12 |
Norway:11 |
Portugal:M/12 |
Singapore:PG |
South Korea:15 |
Spain:T |
Sweden:11 |
Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) |
Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) |
UK:15 |
USA:PG-13 (certificate #35079) (re-rating on appeal) |
USA:R (original rating)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Title of this movie was translated as "Mr. Cat Poop" in Hong Kong. Apparently it came from the name "Melvin" which is pronounced very similarly to the Cantonese colloquial word for cat poop.
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Goofs:
Continuity: When Carol is standing and talking to Melvin in the restaurant, when viewed from the back, Carol's arms are straight down. When viewed from the front her hands are on her hips.
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Quotes:
Melvin Udall:
Judging from your eyes, I'd say you were fifty.
Carol Connelly: Judging from your eyes, I'd say you were kind, so so much for eyes.
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Carol Connelly: Judging from your eyes, I'd say you were kind, so so much for eyes.
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Movie Connections:
Featured in "De wereld draait door: (#4.113)" (2009)
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Soundtrack:
BALTIMORE
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FAQ
What is that song Vincent plays in Simon's studio?What is the song Melvin plays in his car marked 'To Use As Icebreaker'?
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more (401 total)
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"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 ****