As Good As It Gets

As Good As It Gets
Jack Nicholson - Melvin
Helen Hunt - Carol


Melvin: “What if this is as good as it gets?”

I watched this movie nine hours ago and tried to write a review immediately after, but I couldn’t do it. I really enjoyed watching it, but when I started typing out the review I ran into a problem: how I felt about the movie after thinking about it was a lot different than how I felt while watching it. I decided to let things stew in my brain for a little while and figure out why.

The last time I saw this film, nearly a decade ago, I thought it was a cute romantic comedy. I remember liking Helen Hunt’s performance. This time around, I found Helen Hunt’s performance to be even better than I remembered, but it did not come across as a cute romantic comedy. There are several funny moments, and there are romantic moments, but it feels far too serious and sad to be labeled as cute.

The best part of this film is Helen Hunt; she is stunning. Her experience in a sitcom served her well with all the funny scenes, but her ability to switch from comedy to serious drama in just a few heartbeats is breathtaking. This turns out to be a good thing because even though the movie is about her, Jack Nicholson does everything he can to make it about him, and not in a bad way. Hunt somehow keeps that from happening.

Though the acting shines in this film, it suffers from a mediocre script clumsy direction. There is a point about a third of the way through the movie where the characters' motivations stopped making sense. Rather than the story flowing organically, the characters seemed to be nothing but props used to play specific scenes. That James L. Brooks' career has mostly been in television is evident on the screen. The entire thing felt more like an extended sitcom or television drama than a film. The situations sometimes threatened to become very sappy and over the top, but the actors managed to keep the scenes light enough that it never quite reached that point. Brooks doesn’t show any skill in knowing how to zoom in and out on a character without taking you right out of the scene. There was one point where it felt like I was watching a soap opera because of the way the camera zoomed in so obtrusively on Helen Hunt.

Despite the script's overall problems, the concept of the story is interesting and something that is not usually touched on in Hollywood. Since the “normal,” perfect relationships exist only in Hollywood movies, how much should a woman put up with in order to have a relationship with a man? Should a woman be willing to put up with someone who has an abrasive behavior if he loves her and is trying to change?

In the film, Carol is in a tough situation. She is a single mother, working as a waitress and has a son with severe health issues. She is so caught up with trying to make enough money to scrape by while taking care of her son that she has next to no opportunities to find a man to date. And that is the crux of the film. She is desperate for affection. She spends her entire life making everyone around her feel better. She puts up with a cruel, bitter man with next to no complaints. She helps a man who is borderline suicidal come back from an emotional edge and gives him comfort he needs precisely when he needs it. Yet she doesn't have what she really wants: a (heterosexual) man who will give her love and affection. In a situation like that, it comes as no surprise that when Melvin starts offering incredibly romantic, complimentary words to her, she starts giving him chance after chance to win her over. Unfortunately, this concept barely comes across because of a serious defect with the film.

It is an interesting fact that even the best acting can’t overcome a lack of romantic chemistry. Nicholson and Hunt have none. They do have a type of chemistry, but it is purely platonic. When Carol comes close to telling Melvin that he looked sexy, it was in no way believable. It felt like she was talking to her brother. When he stares at her from across the room in what is supposed to be adoration, he looks more like a proud father. Because of this lack of any real romantic passion, it makes no sense that she would put up with his cruel behavior towards others, and especially towards her.

Despite these problems, unbelievably, the movie is a pleasure to watch. All credit goes to the actors. They somehow keep the film alive with their combined talent. Though the movie’s flaws are apparent on reflection, while I was watching, it was easy to sit back and just enjoy the ride. In the end, the movie is fun and has interesting things to say about how much we are sometimes willing to put up with just for the sake of companionship. But I don't recommend thinking too much about how well the movie is executed after you're done watching.