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As Good As It Gets (1997)

A review by Damian Cannon.
Copyright © Movie Reviews UK 1998
A slow-burning romantic comedy that builds upon a witty script and smart cast, As Good As It Gets ably distracts our attention from its few flaws. In the hurly-burly of Manhattan even someone as obviously weird as Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) can get by, ignored by the swell of humanity. Haphazardly picking his way along the sidewalk, avoiding the cracks, Melvin is comfortable in his routine. He scrubs his hands obsessively, harangues anyone who upsets him and expects breakfast to be served by Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt). She's just one of the cafe's many waitresses but Melvin won't accept service from another, maybe because Carol tolerates his vile stream of invective.

In his high-rent apartment block Melvin counts no neighbour as a friend and doesn't consider this to be a loss. Just as long as Melvin's not disturbed in his writing (successful romantic novels, amazingly) he'll refrain from railing against all and sundry. Yet disturb his equilibrium, as gay neighbour Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear) is wont to do, and Melvin will pin your ears back with his no-holds-barred language. Simon's art-dealer buddy Frank Sachs (Cuba Gooding Jr.) can't quite believe the unwarranted attack that he is witness to, all down to Simon's little dog. The crisis comes when Carol's son Spencer (Jesse James) falls ill, meaning that she can no longer wait on Melvin.

While As Good As It Gets is likely to be billed as a romantic comedy, this is a case of false advertising. While there are fragments of feeling scattered throughout, piling up in drifts towards the end, the film is generally more harsh and plain speaking than is typical of the genre. Here, thanks to director and writer James L. Brooks, we have a situation where the role fits the performer with cling-film tightness. Nicholson is tremendously well suited to irrational, paranoid anger, where he flails out at those nearby because he can't see past them to the bigger picture. There's a look in his eye that implies spun emotions, a flickering of fear, rage, frustration and loneliness. The danger comes when a picture fails to engage Nicholson, at which point he switches to autopilot; the joy is that this is the least of As Good As It Gets' worries.

The script, put together by Brooks and Mark Andrus, is wonderful, at times almost incandescently so. Maybe it's the obvious tack to take given the insidious choke-hold of political correctness upon the world of cinema, but As Good As It Gets still shocks. Melvin is blunt, rude and very funny. He gets to say in public what most people think about only in private! The explanation, the justification if you like, for this behaviour is Melvin's mental illness. At first glance it might seem like an affection, included as a convenient prop, but this conclusion is fallacious; his illness is central to the story. Instead of providing a constant stream of quirks, played for laughs, As Good As It Gets treats Melvin's ailment fairly and truly. His antagonism is not a choice, it's a defence mechanism; he protects his rhythmic, patterned safety zone by keeping folk at a distance. Love doesn't miraculously cure Melvin, he merely discovers a reason to accept medication. Nicholson sees this, making his performance great.

Of course if Nicholson were the sole attraction, As Good As It Gets would be a terribly unbalanced movie. Fortunately Hunt, Kinnear and Gooding are each, in their own way, a match for Jack. The former really shines, standing up to Nicholson's charisma both in person and in character (yes, even when he spits venom Jack is attractive in a devil-may-care fashion). She imparts a believable depth to Carol, moving between exhaustion, exasperation, happiness and wonder with ease. While not classically beautiful, Hunt glows with an inner light. Kinnear, the initially stereotypical gay painter, gains extra dimension as the film progresses, becoming deserving of sympathy while gaining our respect. This element of As Good As It Gets could have been dreadfully familiar; luckily Brooks steers clear of this quicksand. Finally, Gooding may not have much screen time but even so he's a bright spark.

As Good As It Gets starts off a little roughly, abruptly confronting us with an abrasive Melvin, but matures steadily. By the end the characters have reached turning points in their lives, happily saddled with new friends and new understanding. What makes the journey worthwhile is that the script is predominantly realistic; people do stupid things and life doesn't always work out perfectly. The result is neither sickly nor cute, despite the pitfalls of an ill child and a comedy dog, until Brooks ties up the loose ends. This is his reward for superb casting decisions and writing marked by one-liners and clever ripostes. As a whole As Good As It Gets is great entertainment; the pacing is fine, such that there's never a dull moment, and the cast have attitude to spare.

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