As Good as it Gets in a Movie

On the surface As Good As It Gets appears to be a romantic comedy. Looking deeper it pushes society's prejudices into the open, examines the inequality and inefficiency of the medical system, and delves into the human psyche. Offensive comments are tempered with comedy but still drive home the point that too often people are insensitive at best and cruel at worst.

Each character in the story has inner demons to battle. The main character, Melvin Udall (played by Jack Nicholson) is an obsessive compulsive bigoted author, who reluctantly becomes entangled in the lives of Simon Bishop (played by Greg Kinnear), his artist neighbor and Carol Connelly (played by Helen Hunt), "his" waitress at a restaurant he frequents.

When Simon is severely injured during a robbery at his home, his friend, Frank Sachs (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.), forces Melvin to take care of Simon's dog, Verdell. Simon grows affectionate toward the dog and even begins to soften his attitude towards other people.

Carol misses work to care for her ailing son, Spencer. Carol's insurance makes it impossible for her to get her son the kind of care he needs. Melvin ends up arranging medical care for Spencer, so Carol can return to work.

Simon doesn't have the money to pay his medical bills and his art show doesn't go well, so he loses everything he has worked to achieve. His friends have disappeared as well. Even his dog seems to prefer Melvin over him.

Melvin finally agrees to take Simon to ask his parents for money and invites Carol to go with them. He's hoping to make an emotional connection with her, but she and Simon end up connecting because of Melvin's social awkwardness rude. Their vulnerabilities crash into one another leaving confusion, pain, and, eventually, a deeper understanding of each other.

Throughout the movie, Carol's bluntness motivates Melvin to do things he normally resists. Melvin's lack of tact is often cruel and insensitive while Carol's honesty is straightforward and sensitive. Frank plays tough to Melvin where Simon is intimidated by him. Frank is pivotal to the movie even though he's only in a few scenes. When Melvin helps Carol with her son's medical problems, his motivation is confused even to himself and she's skeptical that it won't come with a price she's unwilling to pay. The juxtapositions in the movie create an interesting presentation about honesty.

As Good As It Gets explores the human experience from a multitude of angles in a simple, entertaining film that touches the heart, warms the soul, and brings laughter along for the ride.

As Good As It Gets is available at www.amazon.com, www.netflix.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.deepdiscount.com, and www.blockbuster.com.