As Good as It Gets (1997)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

James L. Brooks

Writers (WGA):

Mark Andrus (story)
Mark Andrus (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 December 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Brace yourself for Melvin.

Plot:

A single mother/waitress, a misanthropic author, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Neighbor | Writer | Artist | Waitress

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 23 wins & 25 nominations

Cast

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

Also Known As:

Old Friends (USA) (working title)
Besser geht's nicht (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Mejor... imposible (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Melhor É Impossível (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Pour le pire et pour le meilleur (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Benden bu kadar (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Bolje ne bo nikoli (Slovenia) [sl]
Bolje ne moze (Croatia) [hr]
Det bli'r ikke bedre (Denmark) [da]
Dobro da bolje ne moze biti (Serbia) [sr]
Elämä on ihanaa (Finland) [fi]
Kalytera de ginetai (Greece) [el]
Lepiej byc nie moze (Poland) [pl]
Lepsí uz to nebude (Czech Republic) [cs]
Lesz ez még így se! (Hungary) [hu]
Livet från den ljusa sidan (Sweden) [sv]
Livets lyse side (Norway) [no]
Millor, impossible (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Qualcosa è cambiato (Italy) [it]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 on appeal for strong language, thematic elements, nudity and a beating.

Runtime:

139 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

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:

1 Windsor Place, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

TriStar Pictures

Trivia:

Betty White, an animal rights activist, was offered the Shirley Knight (Beverly Connelly) role, but turned it down when she learned of how the dog would be mistreated in the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: The position of the dog on the rug the first time he is going to eat in Melvin's apartment. First shot, he is on the edge of the carpet, next shot, back on the carpet, and next shot, on the edge of the carpet again. You can tell by looking at the color of the rug.

Quotes:

Carol Connelly: Why can't I have a normal boyfriend? Just a regular boyfriend, one that doesn't go nuts on me!
Beverly Connelly: Everybody wants that, dear. It doesn't exist.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in La donna lupo (1999)

Soundtrack:

Y.M.C.A.

This comedy is as good as it gets!

Comedies (especially romantic comedies) can only be judged by how much they make you laugh and if they make you feel good inside. As Good As It Gets does it for me every time. I'm not just saying this on account of being a "Jack fan." The characters are so beautifully drawn, you forget it's just Jamie from "Mad About You" (Helen Hunt) and the man with the eyebrows (Nicholson). This movie deserved all of its Oscars, and then some. The role of an obsessive-compulsive is an easy one to parody and mock to death, but Jack does it with style, humour, emotion, and that usual Nicholson flair. Hunt has never been better as a waitress with a major anxiety to do something for herself for a change. Greg Kinnear is also very good as a gay artist that ends up having to turn to the irascible Jack for help after he is scarred and left destitute following a break-in. This is such a special comedy, fresh from the pen of James L. Brooks, the man behind the wonderful Terms of Endearment (another wonderful Nicholson performance) and Broadcast News. As Good As It Gets made me feel so good, even though I couldn't really relate to the characters' situations. The humor is pure Jack, set to the script with perfect ease. The emotions evoked by the actors are also authentic and heart-felt, as if they love what they are acting out. Movies like this come few and far between, and that is the reason why I appreciate this film so very much. As Good As It Gets was one of the best films of 1997. Rating: Four stars.