As Good as It Gets is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by James L. Brooks and written by Brooks and Mark Andrus. The movie features Jack Nicholson as a novelist who dislikes people, has strong prejudices, and is very particular about details. Helen Hunt plays a mother who cares for a son with a long-term illness, and Greg Kinnear portrays a gay artist. The film was produced by TriStar Pictures and Gracie Films and released by Sony Pictures Releasing.

The movie had its first showing at the Regency Village Theatre on December 6, 1997, and was released in U.S. theaters on Christmas Day. It was successful with both critics and audiences, earning $314.1 million with a budget of $50 million. At the 70th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for seven awards, including Best Picture. Jack Nicholson won Best Actor, and Helen Hunt won Best Actress, making this the most recent film to win both lead acting awards. The movie is ranked 140th on Empire magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time."

Plot

Melvin Udall is a well-known romance novelist from New York City who dislikes people and has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He follows strict routines, such as using soap bars only once, avoiding sidewalk cracks, and using paper towels to touch public restroom handles. He eats breakfast at the same table in the same restaurant every day, bringing his own plastic utensils. Carol Connelly, the only waitress at the restaurant who tolerates his behavior, serves him regularly.

Melvin lives next to Simon Bishop, a gay artist who hires a new model named Vincent Lopiano. Vincent secretly enters Simon’s apartment, allowing his friends to rob Simon and nearly harm him. Simon’s agent, Frank Sachs, asks Melvin to care for Simon’s pet dog, Verdell, while Simon is in the hospital. Though Melvin is not at first fond of caring for the dog, he grows attached to it. When Simon returns home, Melvin continues to see him to stay close to Verdell.

Melvin’s strict routines are disrupted when Carol decides to work closer to her home in Brooklyn to care for her son, Spencer, who has severe asthma. Unable to adjust to a new waitress, Melvin offers to pay for Spencer’s medical care if Carol returns to the restaurant. Though grateful, Carol is suspicious of Melvin’s motives and insists she will not have a romantic relationship with him. Melvin is upset but insists the situation is not personal.

Meanwhile, Simon faces financial difficulties due to his injuries and lack of health insurance, leading to bankruptcy and depression. Frank convinces Simon to ask his estranged parents for money in Baltimore. Melvin, reluctant but pressured by Frank, agrees to take Simon on the trip. Frank lends Melvin his car for the journey. Worried Simon might pursue a romantic relationship with him, Melvin invites Carol to join the trip, reminding her she owes him a favor. She reluctantly agrees.

During the trip, Simon shares his struggles with his parents, who reject his homosexuality. Carol listens and supports him, while Melvin’s sharp comments gradually become more understanding. In Baltimore, Carol persuades Melvin to take her to dinner. Melvin compliments her, saying her refusal to have a romantic relationship with him inspired him to improve. When Carol asks if he invited her on the trip because he has feelings for her, Melvin awkwardly claims he wanted to help Simon by having a romantic encounter with him. Offended, Carol leaves. Later, Simon’s emotional connection with Carol inspires him to paint, and he sketches her, making her feel appreciated. This confidence helps Simon reconnect with his mother without asking for money.

After returning to New York, Carol tells Melvin she no longer wants to be around him because of his harsh comments. Melvin, still helping Simon, allows him to stay in his spare bedroom. Carol later apologizes for her harsh words. Simon encourages Melvin to confess his feelings for Carol. At 4 a.m., Melvin visits Carol, and she agrees to try building a relationship with him. Encouraged by her mother, Carol accepts. As Melvin opens the door to a pastry shop for Carol, he notices he has stepped on a sidewalk crack without feeling anxious. They walk in together as a couple.

Production

In 1996, James L. Brooks flew Geoffrey Rush from Sydney to Los Angeles to try out for the role of Simon Bishop. He was offered the role, but Rush refused it. Betty White was also offered a role in the film but refused because of a scene where a dog is thrown into a trash chute. Tony Shalhoub competed for the role of Simon Bishop, which was eventually given to Greg Kinnear.

Owen Wilson worked as an associate producer, one of his first jobs in Hollywood.

Jack Nicholson and Brooks had a disagreement on set about Nicholson's performance as Melvin. This caused the production to stop temporarily so they could find the right tone for the character.

The paintings used in the film were made by New York City artist Billy Sullivan.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack includes instrumental music created by Hans Zimmer and songs from different artists. Hans Zimmer's music was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Original Score for a Musical or Comedy Film.

Reception

As Good as It Gets was a successful movie that opened in third place at the box office, earning $12.6 million. It later made over $148 million in the United States and $314 million worldwide. This film is Jack Nicholson’s second most successful movie in terms of money, after Batman.

Review websites like Rotten Tomatoes collected opinions from 84 critics, with 86% giving the film positive reviews. Most critics agreed that the movie’s writer, James L. Brooks, and actor Jack Nicholson worked well together, creating clever dialogue and strong acting that made the romantic comedy enjoyable. Metacritic, another review site, gave the film a score of 67 out of 100 based on 30 critics, which means most reviews were positive. Audiences who saw the movie in theaters gave it an average grade of "A-" on a scale from A+ to F.

Chicago Reader critic Jonathan Rosenbaum wrote that director James L. Brooks helped the characters connect in a way that was funny, painful, beautiful, and true, calling the film a success.

Not all critics had the same opinion. Roger Ebert gave the film three stars out of four, saying it was a compromise that made people smile even though the story wasn’t naturally happy. He noted the film used old story ideas but had good dialogue and acting. Desson Howe, a critic from The Washington Post, wrote that the film focused too much on emotions and tried too hard to solve problems, which did not work well.

Home media

The film was released on VHS, LaserDisc, and DVD on May 19, 1998, by Columbia TriStar Home Video. It was released on Blu-ray in the United States on June 12, 2012, as part of Twilight Time's Screen Archives collection. The set was limited to 3,000 units and sold out quickly. Sony Pictures released the film on 4K UHD Blu-ray on October 25, 2022, as part of its Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 3, along with It Happened One Night, From Here to Eternity, To Sir, With Love, The Last Picture Show, and Annie.