Review of As Good as It Gets (1997) by Gregory G — 22 Dec 2011
Writer-producer-director James L. Brooks began his career in television and his movies often play like extended sitcoms. His fourth feature is this romantic comedy starring Jack Nicholson as a misanthropic, obsessive compulsive, Greenwich Village novelist who comes to the aid of both his gay artist neighbor (Greg Kinnear), after he's assaulted, and the asthmatic son of a waitress (Helen Hunt) at the restaurant he frequents.
Written by Brooks and Mark Andrus, the movie is calculated to get laughs at the expense of the curmudgeon Nicholson's disparaging remarks then endear audiences with the novelist's acts of kindness.
A romance between Nicholson and Hunt ensues that is not particularly plausible but it is overcome by the fine performances of the leads. Brooks sets up conflicts for the characters so that life lessons can be resolved with simplicity and sentimentality.
Nicholson is forced to undergo a transformation to become a better man in a manner that feels fraudulent. As is usually the case with Brooks, the dialogue is often witty but the conclusion is too pat and the filmmaking is slack.
Nicholson and Hunt won Oscars as Best Actor and Best Actress. With Cuba Gooding Jr., Skeet Ulrich, Shirley Knight; and appearances by Lawrence Kasdan, Harold Ramis, Shane Black, and Todd Solondz.
This review of As Good as It Gets (1997) was written by Gregory G on 22 Dec 2011.
As Good as It Gets has generally received very positive reviews.
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