As Good As it Gets
As reviewed by Scott Nowlin
As Good As It Gets is about as good as movies of its kind
get...the problem with that statement is that this film doesn't
HAVE a kind. It's a kind hearted, yet mean spirited, deliciously
politically incorrect comedy, with some romance mixed in. The ad
slogan desribes this film perfectly; a comedy from the heart that
goes for the throat.
James L. Brooks' best movie to date would be Terms Of Endearment, which cleaned up the major Oscar categories; that film is similar in many ways to As Good As It Gets. Terms Of Endearment was a simple movie with many interwined sub plots. Instead of feeding off of a complex plot, Terms Of Endearment, much like As Good As It Gets, feeds off of its complex characters, their interwined stories, and the passion in which they are portrayed.
As Good As It Gets features three main characters. Melvin (Jack Nicholson, perfectly cast) is an obsessive compulsive writer, with a real people problem. Carol (Helen Hunt, perfectly cast) is a waitress with a son who suffers from severe asthma attacks. Simon (Greg Kinnear, perfectly cast) is a struggling, gay artist. These three characters are all interwined due to circumstances and fate; Melvin likes Carol and is slightly intimidated by her, Carol hates Melvin but grows to like Simon, and Simon and Melvin are worst enemies. Melvin ends up having to take care of Simon's dog (one of the film's best aspects; this dog has a future in Hollywood), and they develop a close friendship. Don't expect much more of a plot than that; as mentioned before, its the performances and characters that keeps As Good As It gets moving, and it's all it needs. As it is, all three of them are serious Oscar contendors.
Jack Nicholson is very good in this role. It's basically the same role that he's been playing for the past 20 years, but, hey, he does it well. Helen Hunt gives a performance worth bragging about, as she proves herself to be a truly great actress (time to stop wasting her talent on Mad About You and move on to bigger things). As portrayed by Hunt, Carol is the type of character you belive can melt the heart of anyone; even Jack Nicholson. Greg Kinnear's performance is also surprisingly good. James L. Brooks cleverly avoids turning him into a one note, cliched character, through giving him deeper issues than just being gay...and an artist. (his past story is enough to make anyone cringe)
The screenplay, also written by Brooks, is never short on wit, and is never scared to go for some very crude humor. As Good As It Gets is the type of movie that you will either enjoy immensely, or be appalled by...if it's the type of movie that you find offensive, just remember; it's crude and hits below the belt, but inside, it's as light as a feather. Kind of like Melivin. ***1/2: A-
Movie Reviews starting with "A"
Berge Garabedian's Review of As Good as it Gets
Related Reviews:
Helen Hunt:
James Brundage's Review of Twister
Greg Kinnear:
James Brundge's Review of You've Got Mail
Cuba Gooding, Jr.: