As Good As It Gets

(Brooks, 1997)

Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) is a nightmare to be around. He’s loud, callous and cares nothing for your woes. One moment he’s racially abusing his fellow diners, the next he’s casually posting his neighbour’s dog into a laundry chute before reeling off a homophobic tirade. It’s safe to say he doesn’t like you. He also happens to be mentally ill, seemingly with no acceptance of the consequences of his actions; nor any comprehension that calling someone ugly might make them cry.

Strange, then, that Melvin finds himself in a romantic comedy. Granted, this film is not typical of the genre, where the twists can generally be telegraphed a mile off. Instead, we experience a superficial character study of three very different people: Melvin; his homosexual artist neighbour (Greg Kinnear); and a single mother who happens to be the only waitress in Brooklyn that can stand to be around Udall (played by the wonderful Helen Hunt). Through a series of unfortunate events, all three are forced to confront the aspects of their life they are unhappy with and take risks in the hope they can better themselves.

The film is touching in parts, especially when the tender vulnerabilities of the main characters become more apparent. Melvin comes to the stark realisation that he’ll never be happy so long as he continues to make everyone around him miserable. The only problem is that every time he tries to do the right thing, he opens his mouth and says something that puts him straight back in the dog house.

Even with all the personal strife, this is pretty light-hearted stuff, albeit with serious subject matter at its core. Melvin starts off realising he’s not fully responsible for his hateful attitude; he just doesn’t particularly care. As the film (and Melvin’s demeanour) brightens, we’re guided to a fairly conventional rom-com finish. Even so, this is a thoroughly enjoyable film with plenty of laughs, and by the film’s conclusion you’ll feel glad you gave Nicholson’s reprehensible misanthrope two hours of your time.

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tl;dr: Nicholson puts in a great performance as a nasty, selfish old wretch. His supporting cast are his last hope to avoid a life of pitiful, self-inflicted exile. A welcome spin on the tired romantic comedy genre, and a surprisingly mature look at mental illness and self-improvement.

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