Review Recall: As Good As It Gets

Review Recall: As Good as it Gets

The next stop in our theatre screen time machine is a shorter. We’re going back fourteen years to 1997. The century was in its final years, cell phones were becoming household and Simpson’s producer James. L. Brooks directed a drama called As Good As It Gets.

The Story: Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) hates everyone and I mean EVERYONE. What’s more Melvin has got these certain quirks. He can’t step on the cracks, he has to lock every door and he eats at the same restaurant every day, the restaurant where Carol Connolly (Helen Hunt) begrudgingly serves him. It’s safe to say that her and Melvin don’t get on. . 

It’s not just meal time where Melvin gets on people nerves. He’s not on the best of terms with his next door neighbour, gay artist, Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear). Melvin hates Simon and his Dog Verdell. That is until Simon is attacked in his own apartment and Melvin is forced to look after Verdell. 

Melvin shows another act of kindness when he pays for a Doctor to look at Carol’s ill son. It might be to get Carol to come back to work or it might be something more. Are these new friendships the start of Melvin turning the corner? Or is he doomed to be lonely and hated. 

The Film: James L Brooks fourth directed film is definitely one of his sweetest. Yes, Melvin starts the movie hating everybody. But, the journey he takes is so sweet and accurate to real life that I dare the most cold hearted audience member not to warm up to the story. 

Despite being labelled as a drama As Good As It Gets definitely has comedic overtones and is able to tiptoe the line between drama and comedy quite accurately. The film bounces between hilarity and heartbreak with ease. 

Brooks’ script is well crafted so all the laughs are tight without distracting from the big dramatic beats of the story. Successful stories are about character change and this is no different with Melvin accepting the need to change by the time the credits role. 

My only gripe with As Good As It Gets is everything seems to be a bit too easy at the end. All the drama happens at the beginning of the film. I realise this is a journey of the self, but by the end I was praying for drama when there wasn’t a bunch of it too be had. 

The Cast: I can’t really knock the acting too much if at all. Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt both thoroughly deserved their Academy Awards for their performances of Melvin and Carol respectively. They both play unattached odd bods to a tee and there on screen chemistry is very believable. We believe that Jack is willing to change and that Carol is willing to except he won’t and that’s a credit to both actors.

 I don’t think its Jacks performance by far as he’s done better that he hasn’t even won the Academy Award for, but a good performance it is. I will say this though, I know Robin Williams was good in Good Will Hunting, but Greg Kinnear was robbed for the Academy Award. Greg Kinnear as Simon Bishop was humble yet heartbreaking  and the subtlety of the performance is something to be admired. 

The Verdict: Maybe lacks drama in the final third of the film, but the getting is pretty good. 7/10

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Daniel Morris