As Good As It Gets
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Movie Reviews of As Good As It Gets
Movie Review: Delightfully perfect!
Summary: 5 Stars
"How do you rate women so well?" asks a flattered young lady after reading one of the man's sappy romantic paperback novels and recognizing his face on the street. He turns around, looks at her and says, "I think of a man, and I take away reason and accountability." The secret of "As Good As It Gets" is its unconventional, and often times irreverent, view of the entire romance scene. It is centered solely on two people, Melvin (Jack Nicholson) and Carol (Helen Hunt). Melvin writes those corny romance novels you always manage to find tucked in between the fiction and non-fiction area of your local bookstore. You know, the kind that little old ladies like to read through at an incredible speed in an ill-fated hope to re-live moments of their past.
Melvin is a bit like Paul Sheldon, from Rob Reiner's "Misery," although I'm sure if he had been found by a murderous fan he would have been killed early on--he's incredibly blunt and annoying. He probably would have told Annie Wilkes what he thought of her from the get-go, not hesitating any more than he has to.
Melvin has obsessive-compulsive disorder, which basically means he goes through strange routines every time he does something, whether it means locking a door twice or not stepping on the cracks of a sidewalk (we all do that, sometimes). I recently read a new Steve Martin novella about a man with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and it reminded me very much of "As Good As It Gets" and the Melvin character. Melvin is such a wacko that he pushes his gay neighbor's dog down the laundry chute after he finds it wandering around the hallway.
The gay man is played by Greg Kinnear. His name is Simon, and he has a small little dog he likes to call "precious." Simon is an artist, but when a band of kids wreck his apartment and beat him up, he is left with the realization that he hasn't enough money to keep his flat, and his boyfriend (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) may break up with him.
But the biggest worry of all is...what to do with his precious?
Frank, played by Gooding Jr., decides to give the dog to Melvin--who refuses at first but is left without any option but to obey. He soon achieves a certain subtle love for the beast, and when Simon has healed and comes back for the dog, it doesn't even want to leave. It even starts to develop nasty habits--like avoiding cracks in the sidewalk.
Meanwhile, a troubled single mother and a part-time waitress, Carol is constantly nagged by Melvin. Only she can deliver him food. Only she can take his order. Only she can kick him out of the restaurant. Mistaking this for some sort of sexual craving, she tells Melvin flat-out that she will never sleep with him. He doesn't seem to care. That had never even crossed his mind.
The fact is that Melvin is insufferably lonely. He likes to act as though he likes to be lonely, but the truth is that his loneliness is something he loathes. He would love to reach out and gain some friends--but he's too proud to humble himself in such a way. We all know people like Melvin--he just takes himself to a new extreme.
Melvin is surely one of the great screen characters of all time, ranking up there with Raymond "Rain Man" Babbitt and Forrest Gump as some of the most unique and likable inventions to ever grace the big screen. Nicholson presents his character in an especially effective way--at first he seems gruff, then he seems strange, then his soft side is revealed, and he slowly becomes the likable mean guy who lives upstairs and likes to try and kill neighbors' dogs.
Hunt won the Oscar for her work in "As Good As It Gets," but it was truly Nicholson who deserved it.
Regardless of all this, "As Good As It Gets" still stands alone as one of the cleverest romantic comedies of all time, and certainly one that both sexes can agree on. The film features some of the most memorable lines ever written on paper, the majority of them all coming from the lips of Melvin Udall, perfectly spoken by a typical gruff Jack Nicholson. They all come off as utterly hilarious and convincing. (Nicholson: "How old are you? If I would guess by your eyes, I'd say you're fifty." Hunt: "If I went by your eyes I'd say you were kind.")
This is the type of new-age romantic comedy that rivals the greatness of "When Harry Met Sally" or "Sleepless in Seattle." It's founded in its characters, their lives, their interaction, and how they learn to overcome their own personal obstacles and moral obligations. This film carries all the Autumn-time sweetness and cleverness of a Rob Reiner comedy, and all the lightness of a Frank Capra movie. It's a delightful blend of comedy and romance, and the type of redefining genre motion picture that "When Harry Met Sally" was eight years prior.
What a perfect, delightful movie.
Movie Review: I WAS IN THIS FILM
Summary: 5 Stars
I HAVE VERY FOND MEMORIES OF BEING THIS MOVIE. I WAS AN EXTRA, PLAYING A NEW YORK CITY COP, WHO WAS HAVING LUNCH IN A BOOTH IN THE RESTAURANT WHERE JACK USUALLY ATE AND WHERE HELEN HUNT WORKED AT AS A WAITRESS. THE ORIGINAL TITLE OF THE FILM WAS MEANT TO BE, OLD FRIENDS BUT WAS CHANGED TO, AS GOOD AS IT GETS, AFTER THE FILM WAS SHOT.
I WAS IN THE SCENE WHERE JACK IS THROWN OUT OF THE RESTAURANT BY THE MANAGER AFTER JACK RUDELY INSULTED A CHUBBY WAITRESS BY YELLING AT HER AND CALLING HER ELEPHANT GIRL. HE HAD BEEN PISSED OFF THAT HELEN HUNT WAS NOT WORKING THERE THAT DAY, TO WAIT ON HIM.
I REMEMBER THAT THE FILM'S DIRECTOR, JAMES BROOKS, HAD NOT TOLD ANY OF THE EXTRAS IF THE FILM WAS INTENDED TO BE A COMEDY OR A DRAMA. THE SCENE I WAS IN OCCURS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MOVIE. THE BOOTH WHERE I SAT WITH FOUR OTHER EXTRAS WHO WERE DRESSED AS COPS WAS ONLY ABOUT SIX FEET FROM THE TABLE THAT JACK SAT. I WATCHED HIM VERY CLOSELY WHEN HE FIRST CAME ONTO THE SET AND SAT AT THE TABLE. THIS WAS ABOUT 30 MINUTES BEFORE THEY SHOT THE FIRST FEW TAKES. I SAW JACK SUDDENLY TAKE DEEP BREATHS AND THEN QUICKLY EXHALING THEM AND THEN VERY QUICKLY AGAIN, TAKING MORE DEEP BREATHS AND EXHALING AGAIN VERY QUICK. HE RUBBED HIS FACE, CLENCHED HIS FISTS, SHOOK HIS HEAD AND GRIMACED. HE MADE HIMSELF SWEAT AND PERSPIRE. I WONDERED WHAT HE WAS DOING AS I SAT THERE AMAZED.
WELL, WHAT HE HAD BEEN DOING WAS GETTING HIS CHARACTER MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY READY FOR HIS SCENE IN WHICH HE GETS STRESSED AT LEARNING THAT HELEN HUNT WAS NOT WORKING THERE THAT DAY AND INSTEAD, ANOTHER WAITRESS WOULD BE SERVING HIM. SO THIS IS WHAT ACTORS DO, I TOLD MYSELF, THEY TRY TO ALTER THEIR PULSE, TEMPERATURE, RESPIRATION, ETC., TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THEIR CHARACTERS, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE SCENE CALLS FOR.
THE GUY WHO PLAYED THE RESTAURANT MANAGER ACTUALLY PULLED UP A CHAIR BESIDE MY BOOTH WHERE I SAT AND BUMMED CIGARETTES OFF OF ME PART OF THE DAY. HIS ONE LINE IN THE WHOLE FILM WAS TO ANGRILY DEMAND THAT JACK LEAVE THE RESTAURANT OR ELSE THERE WAS GOING TO BE TROUBLE, AS HE LOOKED BACK AT ME AND THE OTHER COPS.
DIRECTOR JAMES BROOKS TOLD ME THAT WOULD BE CUE TO RISE FROM THE BOOTH AND WALK OVER TO JACK AND GIVE HIM A MEAN LOOKING STARE SO THAT HE WOULD, IN FACT, LEAVE THE RESTAURANT. BROOKS NEVER GAVE ME ANY DIOLOG TO SAY TO JACK WHEN I WAS STARING HIM DOWN. THEY FILMED THAT SCENE A HUNDRED TIMES OVER A TWO WEEK PERIOD AND JACK REALLY GOT PISSED OFF, YELLING TO BROOKS THAT HE WAS WASTING SO MUCH TIME BECAUSE HOW MANY TAKES OF A SCENE CAN THEY FILM UNTIL THEY EITHER GET IT RIGHT, JACK SHOUTED IN PROTEST, "I'M NOT GONNA DO THIS ANY OTHER WAY!!!".
BROOKS WANTED JACK TO BE UPSET AS POSSIBLE FOR THIS IS WHAT THE SCENE CALLED FOR AND BROOKS ACCOMPLISHED HIS GOAL BY MAKING JACK SO AGITATED AND ANGRY, THAT IT SIMPLY ADDED ALOT OF REALISM TO JACK'S REACTIONS.
I REMEMBER JACK SNARLING AT BROOKS QUITE ANGRILY SO THAT EVERYONE HEARD WHAT HE SAID, "JESUS CHRIST, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO DO THIS SCENE?!" DURING ONE TAKE, WHILE I WAS STANDING RIGHT ON TOP OF JACK, WITH MY NIGHTSTICK IN HAND, JACK FLUBBED HIS LINES AND SAW THAT I WAS STARTING TO SMILE BECAUSE HE SUDDENLY BEGAN READING HIS LINES AGAIN, ONLY IN THE VOICE OF DONALD DUCK. I WAS DYING BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO STOP FILMING THE SCENE IF I CRACKED UP FROM LAUGHING. JACK GOT THE BEST OF ME AND I NEARLY COLLAPSED FROM LAUGHTER. WISH I HAD THE OUTTAKE FROM THAT.
BY THE WAY, THAT RESTAURANT SCENE WAS ACTUALLY FILMED IN LOS ANGELES, INSIDE THE LOBBY OF OLD HOTEL THAT HAD LONG SINCE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS AND DECORATED TO LOOK LIKE A NYC RESTAURANT. THE FILM IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE ENTIRELY IN NYC. I WILL SAY THAT JACK WAS VERY CORDIAL TO THE EXTRAS, CHATTING WITH US BRIEFLY, ANSWERING QUESTIONS POSED TO HIM ABOUT SOME OF THE MOVIES HE'D BEEN IN AND TELLING FUNNY STORIES TO THE CREW. I TOLD JACK THAT THE OTHER GUYS WHO PLAYED COPS IN THAT SCENE I WAS IN, HAD NEVER WATCHED THE LAST DETAIL, ONE OF HIS BEST FILMS. HE LOOKED AT THEM FOR A MOMENT AND THEN SHRUGGED,SAYING, 'AH, THEY'RE TOO YOUNG'.
WELL, WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BIG SCENE WITH JACK? MOST OF IT WAS EDITED OUT AND JAMES BROOKS LEFT ME SITTING IN THE BOOTH, EATTING LUNCH WITH THE OTHER COPS. ANYWAY, THIS IS A VERY COMEDY FOR MANY REASON. JUST DON'T SEE IT, BUY IT.
Movie Review: As Good As It Gets (1997)
Summary: 5 Stars
Director: James L. Brooks
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding Jr., Skeet Ulrich, Shirley Knight, Yeardling Smith.
Running Time: 139 minutes
Rated PG-13 on appeal for strong language, thematic elements, nudity and a beating.
"As Good As It Gets" is a superb portrayal of a man, Melvin Udall (played marvelously by Jack Nicholson) with a debilitating condition that restricts his daily life and interactions. From the beginning of the movie we can tell that Melvin is somewhat off; he uses a brand new bar of soap every time he washes his hands, he won't step on cracks when walking down the street, he brings his own silverware to restaurants and he is obsessed with cleanliness. Also, Melvin lacks any control over social grace and tact, such as being very self-entered and blurting out rude comments that most people would refrain from. He compulsively engages in these activities. He is bound to his daily routine, which include going to a certain restaurant, being waited on by a certain waitress Carol (played by Helen Hunt), and ordering the same meal. The movie starts to take shape when his routine is disrupted when "his" waitress does not show up for work one day. He becomes very rude to the new waitress and rudely tells her to get Carol so he can eat his food and go along with his routine. Melvin attempts to contact Carol at her home and even pays for her sick son's medical treatment just so she can get back to work and Melvin can get his routine back, all the way dog-sitting for his incredibly inconvenient gay artist neighbor (Greg Kinnear in a superb supporting role).
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. Director James L. Brooks splendidly created this delightful masterpiece of exemplary romantic comedy, in its indelible acting (Oscars well deserved), its whimsical, touching screenplay (which arguably surpasses "Good Will Hunting" 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 one of the best films of 1997, "As Good As It Gets" succeeds in practically every entertaining and endearing cinematic respect.
Movie Review: Madly in love
Summary: 5 Stars
The first time I saw "As Good As It Gets" an unusual thing happened. I was sitting in the cinema and the film was a little over half way through. The thought was running through my head, "I have to see this film again". Even at that point I had laughed more and cried more than I do in the bulk of films and besides which, I was having a brilliant time. The dialogue is so witty that you want to hear most of it again immediately. The characters are all so real that it felt like I was living in their neighborhood. Of course the story was also a good one but to my mind it wasn't the driving force behind the film. It must also be said that the casting was inspired.
Jack Nicholson is not always my first choice for roles since he can't seem to play quiet characters. In this case however, quiet is the last thing that is needed for the character of Melvin Udall. He is an obsessive compulsive writer of romance novels whose command of language is only exceeded by his willingness to hurt anyone who comes too close. His journey through the film shows us the inner man who really wants to love and be loved but is crippled by overwhelming fears. It is only fate and the love of a woman that enables him to start lowering his shield of obnoxiousness.
His love is a not so young waitress at Melvin's breakfast restaurant of choice. Carol Connerly, played skillfully by Helen Hunt, is a martyr to her son's asthma. She lives with her mother, Beverly, and only child, Spencer, in a very small apartment in, what I suppose is, New Jersey. Living with regular trips to the hospital, along with endemic malpractice by underage interns, seems to have prepared her sufficiently to deal with Melvin's perverse behaviour at the restaurant. In fact she is the only waitress who is prepared to serve him.
But this morning relationship(?) has been going on for a long time and we can see it has reached a plateau. So a catalyst is introduced in the form of Melvin's gay neighbor, Simon Bishop, his art agent, Frank Sachs, and his impossibly sensitive dog Verdell. It is clear from the start that Melvin wants to have as little as possible to do with all three of them. But a sex worker turned model and his two associates have different ideas when they rob Simon and brutally beat him senseless.
Luckily Melvin is able to be intimidated by Frank, (which is fun for the audience), into taking care of Verdell while Simon is in the hospital. We are then treated to a wonderful time watching Verdell seduce Melvin. He is the perfect pet for a meticulous, antisocial writer like Melvin. This small dog is quiet, polite, sensitive and cute. And he slowly builds a small bridge between Melvin and Simon which in turn leads to a road trip in search of parental funding.
Melvin is asked to drive Simon to his parents town and is further encouraged by Carol. What better excuse to get to know her than to drag Carol along. I loved his reasoning. "I need you as chaperone in case he pulls out the stiff one eye on me". None of us believe him, not even Carol.
So without giving away the whole story I will sum up by saying "As Good As It Gets" is a very special film. It will touch you and make your life better, if only for a couple of hours. Don't miss your chance to see it.
Movie Review: Critically acclaimed and outright hilarious!
Summary: 5 Stars
Nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, As Good As It Gets became one of the surprise blockbusters of 1997. Jack Nicholson dispenses insults with his one-in-a-billion sense of delivery, and if you like serious comedies, this is the film for you. Helen Hunt is masterful in her portrayal of a hard-luck single mother who befriends Nicholson's oddball character, and Greg Kinnear does well as the neighbor who faces hard times himself. Home to a well-written screenplay exhibiting superb direction from James L. Brooks, As Good As It Gets makes a place for itself in the annals of movie history...
Jack Nicholson stars as cranky, bitter, semi-shut-in novelist Melvin Udall who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Everyday, like clockwork, Melvin eats breakfast at the same diner where he brings his own utensils and is waited on by the same waitress (the only one who will agree to serve him), Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt). Despite his eccentricities, the two form a sort of unspoken understanding of each other. Meanwhile, Melvin's neighbor, Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear), a homosexual artist who is often the object of Melvin's bigoted comments, entertains the elite art circles of New York. Simon's dog forms a further divide between the two when Simon drops him down the trash chute to stop his barking.
When Simon is attacked in his home and left beaten and unable to create his art, all of his friends abandon him and the bills are left unpaid. Melvin, having reluctantly agreed to take care of the dog in Simon's absence, develops an attachment for the dog. Meanwhile, Carol Connelly leaves the diner in order to better take care of her sick son. Distraught, Melvin offers to pay for treatments in order to have Carol back as his waitress once again. With each character struggling with personal tragedies, the three slowly develop a respect for each other and a friendship which only grows...
Co-stars Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt swept the leading role Oscars for the male and female categories, and their onscreen relationship is one of the more memorable in cinema history. Forming a love/hate relationship and bonding through their various travails, Melvin Udall and Carol Connelly are one of the true odd couples of tinsel town. In fact, if a cast of lesser abilities had played the roles, the film would have been a drastic failure because such relationships would simply be unbelievable. Playing the role of Melvin's gay neighbor Simon, Greg Kinnear made a name for himself and entered into the hallowed halls of the who's who of Hollywood.
With an all-star cast that includes several Academy Award winners (Cuba Gooding, Jr. won for Jerry Maguire), As Good As It Gets rests its fortunes on the backs of its quirky and sometimes neurotic band of characters. More than able to meet the task, Nicholson, Hunt, and Kinnear strike gold with this Best Picture candidate which combines drama and comedy into a unique, one-of-a-kind experience. With one-liners zinging from Nicholson in almost every scene, you'll be hard pressed not to laugh out loud. And with Kinnear and Hunt to bring a serious note to Nicholson's strange character, As Good As It Gets breaks into the ranks of a short list of all-time great films. It's one you definitely won't want to miss...
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