As good as it gets
As good as it gets
Лучше не бывает /As Good As It Gets/
Лучше не бывает /As Good As It Gets/
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«Лу́чше не быва́ет» (англ. As Good as It Gets ) — кинокомедия Джеймса Брукса 1997 года о Мелвине Аделле (Джек Николсон), вспыльчивом писателе-гомофобе, страдающим обсессивно-компульсивным расстройством, который из-за своих патологических страхов и маний, замкнулся в мирке, ограниченном его домом и книгами, которые он пишет. Несмотря на свой характер, он в итоге становится другом своей постоянной официантки (Хелен Хант), матери-одиночки, и своего соседа-гея (Грег Киннер).
Содержание
Сюжет
Картина Джеймса Л. Брукса неслучайно снискала признание не только у кинокритиков, но и у простого зрителя. Это трогательная и добрая история стареющего писателя Мелвина Юдала (Джек Николсон), страдающего психическим заболеванием, выраженном в крайней степени педантизма. Из за своего эксцентричного и порою излишне вызывающего поведения главный герой часто оказывается в центре различных комических ситуаций. Он ведёт привычное для себя существование, изо дня в день совершая привычные для себя «ритуалы»: в ресторане он ест только при помощи принесённой с собой одноразовой посуды, на улицы он всегда перешагивает через различные трещины на асфальте, дома всегда выбрасывает в урну распечатанный кусок туалетного мыла едва помыв руки. Кроме того, его отношение к людям оставляет желать лучшего.
Казалось бы — этот порою излишне грубый, чёрствый и эгоистичный человек не способен полюбить никого, кроме себя. Но всё меняется, когда в его квартире по иронии судьбы появляется соседская собака по кличке Вердел. И именно благодаря этому существу открывается совсем другая сторона главного героя — запрятанная где-то глубоко в нём добрая и чувственная натура, которой свойственны сентиментальность, преданность и даже любовь… любовь к главной героине — официантке Кэрол Коннели (Хелен Хант), живущей с матерью и в одиночку воспитывающей своего сына.
Интересно также наблюдать меняющееся по ходу фильма отношение Мелвина Юдала к своему богемному соседу-художнику и по совместительству законному хозяину Вердела — гею Саймону Бишопу (Грег Киннер).
В ролях
Награды и номинации
В 1998 году картина была отмечена наградами Киноакадемии за лучшую мужскую роль (Джек Николсон) и лучшую женскую роль (Хелен Хант), и могла бы получить значительно больше, если бы не масштабное полотно Джеймса Камерона «Титаник» (11 премий Оскар) практически лишившее все остальные фильмы шансов серьёзно побороться в отчётном году за призы Киноакадемии.
Лучше не бывает
«Лу́чше не быва́ет» (англ. As Good as It Gets ) — романтическая комедия Джеймса Брукса 1997 года о Мелвине Аделле (Джек Николсон), вспыльчивом писателе, страдающим обсессивно-компульсивным расстройством, который из-за своих патологических страхов и маний замкнулся в мире, ограниченном его домом и книгами, которые он пишет. Несмотря на свой характер, он в итоге становится другом своей постоянной официантки (Хелен Хант), матери-одиночки, и своего соседа-гея (Грег Киннер). Сценарий фильма написан Марком Эндрюсом и Джеймсом Бруксом.
Актёры, исполнившие главные роли в фильме, — Джек Николсон и Хелен Хант — получили кинопремию «Оскар» в номинациях «Лучшая мужская роль» и «Лучшая женская роль» соответственно.
В списке «500 величайших фильмов всех времен», составленном журналом Empire, «Лучше не бывает» занимает 140-ю позицию. [2]
Содержание
Сюжет
Мелвин Юделл (Джек Николсон) — успешный писатель-романист, проживающий в Нью-Йорке и страдающий от обсессивно-компульсивного расстройства, из-за которого, а также из-за его мизантропии, он не пользуется особой любовью у соседей по дому на Манхэттене, а также у всех, с кем ему доводится пообщаться. Мелвин каждый день обедает в одном и том же ресторане, за одним и тем же столом и использует при этом одноразовую посуду, которую принёс с собой из-за своей патологической боязни микробов, мизофобии. Он проявляет интерес к Кэрол Коннелли (Хелен Хант), единственной официантке в ресторане, способной выносить его поведение.
Однажды Мелвину приходится взять на себя заботу о собаке по имени Верделл своего соседа, художника-гея Саймона Бишопа (Грег Киннер), который попал в больницу. Хотя поначалу он находит противным ухаживание за собакой, но постепенно он эмоционально привязывается к Верделлу, из-за чего получает больше внимания со стороны Кэрол. Когда Кэрол решает найти работу поближе к Бруклину, чтобы проводить больше времени со своим страдающим астмой сыном, Мелвин оплачивает за неё все медицинские издержки, вызванные болезнью сына, чтобы та вернулась на свое прежнее место работы и обслуживала его. Подозрительно отнесясь к поступку Мелвина, Кэрол приезжает к нему посреди ночи и говорит, что ни за что не будет спать с ним.
Выписавшись из больницы, Саймон обнаруживает, что его собака теперь больше любит Мелвина, чем его, что усиливает его творческий кризис. Не имея медицинской страховки, он также встает перед проблемой выселения из своей квартиры из-за неуплаты. По убеждению друзей он решается на поездку в Балтимор к своим родителям, чтобы просить у них денег. Но для этого ему нужен Мелвин в качестве водителя. Мелвин приглашает Кэрол составить им компанию, та с неохотой принимает предложение, и отношения всех троих начинают развиваться.
По возвращении в Нью-Йорк Кэрол заявляет Мелвину, что больше никогда не хочет его видеть. Однако потом раскаивается в своих словах и извиняется. Отношения между Кэрол и Мелвином остаются сложными, пока, наконец, Саймон, который временно переехал к Мелвину, не убеждает его поехать к Кэрол домой в Бруклин и признаться в своей любви. Фильм заканчивается тем, что Мелвин и Кэрол вместе идут за свежими булочками.
В ролях
| Актёр | Роль |
|---|---|
| Джек Николсон | Мелвин Юделл Мелвин Юделл |
| Хелен Хант | Кэрол Коннелли Кэрол Коннелли |
| Грег Киннер | Саймон Бишоп Саймон Бишоп |
| Кьюба Гудинг | Фрэнк Сакс Фрэнк Сакс |
| Скит Ульрих | Винсент Лопиано Винсент Лопиано |
| Ширли Найт | Беверли Коннелли Беверли Коннелли |
| Ярдли Смит | Джеки Симпсон Джеки Симпсон |
| Люпе Онтиверос | Нора Мэннинг Нора Мэннинг |
Саундтрек
| As Good as It Gets: Music from the Motion Picture | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Саундтрек Ханса Циммера и других композиторов | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| № | Название | Длительность |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | «As Good as It Gets» | 1:25 |
| 2. | «A Better Man» | 5:35 |
| 3. | «Humanity» | 6:25 |
| 4. | «Too Much Reality» | 6:06 |
| 5. | «1.2.3.4.5» | 3:54 |
| 6. | «Greatest Woman on Earth» | 7:48 |
| 7. | «Everything My Heart Desires» | 4:00 |
| 8. | «Under Stars» | 3:19 |
| 9. | «My Only» | 1:47 |
| 10. | «For Sentimental Reasons (I Love You)» | 3:05 |
| 11. | «Hand on My Heart» | 3:44 |
| 12. | «Climb on (A Back That’s Strong)» | 4:14 |
| 13. | «Always Look on the Bright Side of Life» | 2:39 |
Отзывы
Фильм был положительно воспринят большинством кинокритиков, что подтвердили номинации на такие престижные кинонаграды, как «Оскар» и «Золотой глобус». На сайте Rotten Tomatoes рейтинг фильма, составленный на основе рецензий профессиональных критиков, составляет 88 %. [3] Сайт Metacritic дал фильму 67 %, отмечая, что рецензии были неоднозначными. [4] Кинокритик газеты Chicago Reader Джонатан Розенбаум высказался следующим образом: [5]
Режиссёр картины Джеймс Брукс каким-то образом управляет персонажами, заставляет их бороться между собой. Всё это вперемешку со смешным, тяжелым, прекрасным и справедливым триумфом для основных героев.
Однако оценка не всех критиков была похвальной. Роджер Эберт дал фильму три звезды из четырёх, подметив, что «в картине существует некий компромисс: она вызывает улыбку, но не делает этого легко». При этом Эберт оценил хорошие диалоги и актёрскую игру. [6] Кинокритик The Washington Post Дессон Хоу дал в целом отрицательный отзыв о фильме, написав [7] :
Фильм буквально увязает в сентиментальности, да ещё и всяческие действия картины протекают чересчур быстро.
Лучше не бывает/As Good as It Gets (1997)
Фильм с Джеком Николсоном «Лучше не бывает» — это наглядное пособие к курсу Ньюфелда «Тревожность». У главного героя, успешного писателя и «знатока женской души», масса неврозов, у него обсессивно-компульсивное расстройство.
Мелвин Юделл очень странно себя ведет с точки зрения обычного человека: ему сложно находить общий язык с людьми, и часто кажется, что он совсем не стремится это сделать. Он говорит обидные для людей вещи, даже если сам не хочет никого задеть — как будто не может предвидеть их эмоциональную реакцию. Он прогоняет соседей, ругает посетителей ресторана, насмехается, ерничает, не старается понравиться своим поклонницам. Люди для него — скорее, функции и роли, чем полноценные партнеры.
Каждый день он вынужден совершать ряд однотипных действий, которые помогают ему чувствовать себя менее тревожно. Закрывает и открывает дверные замки по нескольку раз, моет руки новым кусочком мыла, может обедать только в одном месте за определенным столиком, не может наступать на трещины в тротуаре. Все эти действия нужны ради ощущения контроля, стабильности и безопасности. Но почему, ведь он состоявшийся человек и живет обеспеченной удобной жизнью?
У Мелвина было тяжелое детство, с собственным отцом у него не было безопасных отношений, его не принимали таким, какой он есть, и не прощали ошибок. Свой человеческий потенциал он до конца не раскрыл, несмотря на профессиональный успех. Те тревожные ощущения от небезопасной связи с близкими людьми, с теми, кто должен был заботиться и защищать, повлияли на его дальнейшую жизнь.
Его мозг ищет решение проблемы, но он слеп к ее источнику и решает, что его тревожат микробы и уличная грязь. Если их избегать, то станет не так опасно. Поэтому главному герою помогают умывание кипятком, душ по часу, перчатки на руках, а также повторяющиеся рутинные события, знакомые места и ритуалы. Его мозг так защищает его, находя для тревожности другие объяснения.
Его сердце смягчается, когда он берет домой собаку. Чистота, которая была необходима для жизни этого человека, не имеет больше такого влияния на его самочувствие. Мелвин сам с удивлением обнаруживает, что улыбается детским играм с псом и радуется, когда собака лижет его и слушается, даже при том, что его квартира больше не стерильна.
Он становится чувствительнее, теперь может плакать и грустить. Он стал чем-то большим, чем он сам. Теперь Мелвин принял на себя ответственность за другое существо, он сблизился с псом и захотел заботиться о нем. И это требует от него мужества нарушать свои собственные правила. Он действует смело и только потом с удивлением замечает, что преодолел себя в чем-то ради собаки.
Потом у него появляется другая привязанность, и еще одна. И ради этих своих привязанностей он меняется незаметно для самого себя. Он перестает быть подвержен некоторым компульсиям, так как уровень тревоги снижается.
Его отношения, его связи с людьми наконец дают ему ощущение покоя и счастья. Он преображается. Сами собой находятся силы на ежедневные подвиги. Оказывается, есть силы и ресурсы участвовать в чужих жизнях, помогать людям, говорить комплименты и любить. Ему есть ради чего собирать свою волю и действовать, несмотря на свои ограничения. Видно, как он становится доволен жизнью, так как его связи держат его и придают жизни новый смысл. Нет больше той тревоги и фрустрации, которые накрывали его от чувства базовой небезопасности. И часть тревожных симптомов сходит на нет, а часть становится преодолимой, когда ему есть чем уравновесить свои импульсы.
Это очень хороший фильм для того, чтобы прочувствовать важность и необходимость глубоких связей в нашей жизни и понять, как работает система оповещения о тревоге, если человек не может увидеть источника своих проблем.
Валентина Ячичурова
As Good as It Gets
1997, Comedy/Drama, 2h 18m
What to know
critics consensus
James L. Brooks and Jack Nicholson, doing what they do best, combine smart dialogue and flawless acting to squeeze fresh entertainment value out of the romantic-comedy genre. Read critic reviews
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User Reviews
Several years ago, my wife watched «As Good As It Gets» and she told me she didn’t like the film. So, I avoided it for years. and now I wish I hadn’t listened to her. I loved the film—just don’t tell her I said so!
The film, to me, was perhaps a bit different experience than it would have been for the average viewer. As a former psychotherapist, I kept trying to analyze Jack Nicholson’s character in order to understand the story better. He appeared to either have a variety of personality disorders—including an avoidant personality (where he pretends to HATE everyone and pushes them away to avoid being hurt), an obsessive-compulsive personality (or perhaps an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and probably a nice dose of either Asperger’s or was just socially retarded. Regardless, this sort of person would NORMALLY live a very solitary and sad existence. However, the film manages to make it seem believable that a man like this could change. some. as well as find love. It’s all very improbable but also very charming and sweet. And, later in the film rather oddly romantic. Additionally, the film is, at times, rather funny. Overall, a quirky and well-written film with some terrific acting.
A lot of other stuff has been written about this multi-Oscar-winning film. so I’ll just end by saying my wife is 100% wrong. but I still think she’s terrific.
«You make me want to be a better man.»
I finally got around to watching this touching and funny film directed by James L. Brooks that stands out thanks to some wonderful performances and memorable characters. As Good As it Gets is proof that actions are louder than words because despite how cruel and mean Nicholson’s character is, he does incredible and kind things for others. In a way this film reminded me of David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook as I found both films to be difficult to follow at first due to the lack of a likable character, but once we get to know who these people are we forgive their flaws and end up routing for them. Both Nicholson and Helen Hunt give excellent performances, and their Oscar wins were well deserved in my opinion. As Good As it Gets is the very definition of charm, and the screenplay written by Mark Andrus (Life As a House) shines thanks to some incredible performances. I really enjoyed this film and found myself laughing through most of the scenes. This is one more film I can eliminate from my shame list, and I’m glad I finally got to experience this romantic comedy which also has a lot to say about overcoming illness.
We are introduced to Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson), a cranky but successful author who suffers from OCD. He lives on his own in a beautiful apartment where he spends most of his time writing. He always goes out on his daily breakfast ritual which consists of walking to a nearby cafe without touching anyone or stepping on any cracks. He always sits in the same place at the cafe and always demands to be served by the same waitress, whose name is Carol (Helen Hunt). Carol is actually the only one in the cafe who stands his constant outbursts and cruel comments. Melvin’s daily routine changes through two events that end up affecting his life. First, his homosexual artist neighbor named Simon (Greg Kinnear) suffers an accident and Melvin unwillingly accepts to take care of his dog in his absence. Second, Carol’s son, Spencer (Jesse James) gets ill and she quits her job. Not accepting the fact that Carol isn’t there to serve him, Melvin tries to find her in order to restore order back to his life. These series of events force Melvin to change his routine and at the same time he forms an unlikely friendship with Carol and Simon proving that he isn’t as bad as he seems to be.
The performances by each one of the talented actors are the heart and motor of this film. Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt share an incredible chemistry together. It’s funny how despite never being able to share his feelings towards her and always saying the wrong things, it becomes clear that she does inspire him to become a better person. The supporting cast is also incredible here, especially Greg Kinnear and Cuba Gooding Jr. who deliver several funny scenes. I was partial to Brooks’s work considering I had only seen How Do You Know which didn’t work for me and Spanglish which I did enjoy, but As Good As it Gets is without a doubt his best work thanks to an unbelievable cast. This is a smart and funny film, which also could be cruel at times, but it was well balanced. Despite the schmaltzy story it still worked thanks to the characters that carried this film. It’s hard not to leave this film with a smile on your face.
Melvin is a romantic novelist who is a selfish manic compulsive who is rude and insulting to all he meets. When Melvin’s gay neighbour is beaten up and robbed, Melvin agrees to look after his dog. The dog gives Melvin something to care about other than himself and his life is approaching normal until his regular waitress has to leave work to look after her asthmatic son and his neighbour wants his dog back. Melvin starts to realise that his life needs others for more than just selfish reasons.
The big Oscar winner for Jack is recent years is enjoyable if you come to it knowing what to expect. The film is very sentimental but in a good way. The film is gently comic and amusing and the characters (although exaggerated) are winning and involving. The telling is a little long winded at times and the film could have been shorter but it is still enjoyable. It does tip over into sickly sentimentality at times and can be a bit syrupy but it comes with the territory.
Nicholson is excellent and is the main reason it all works well. His un-PC Melvin is funny but also a character that you can hate and pity on several occasions. Kinnear is good because he is a solid understated character and not hammy or OTT like he can be. Hunt is good but is left with the majority of the syrup and sentiment where the other characters get more share of the laughs. Gooding Jr continues his trend of being good in over the top roles and is funny and happily avoids becoming a flaming gay stereotype.
Overall this is a sentimental romantic comedy that is typical for the genre. The story wanders to it’s point but the good cast, led by a great Nicholson, hold the whole thing together. A superior piece of sentimentality.
and this movie can be watched again, and again, and again (at least by me).
By now, most people who watch movies are aware that this one practically swept the Oscars for the year it was produced. It won Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt best Actor/Actress awards, came away with Best Picture and also Greg Kinnear won Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of Simon Bishop, a sensitive gay artist.
Seventeen years later the movie stands up well because of its timeless quality. «As Good as it Gets» is a very tight story and performance by all the actors and there is not one moment, scene or actor wasted. The story centers around people’s expressions more than most movies. One example is an elderly woman actress who has opened her apartment door to run an errand and her features contort in disgust when she happens upon Melvin Udall, the Jack Nicholson character who is about to do some mischief with his gay neighbor’s dog.
Another example is Skeet Ulrich, who plays a street tough who somehow winds up doing a modeling job for Simon (Greg Kinnear) the gay artist. When Simon explains to Vincent (Ulrich) what he is looking for in a pose, Vincent’s eyes widen and he murmurs «Wow.» Moments later he nonchalantly delivers the type of pose Simon is looking for. Unfortunately, Simon and Vincent’s association ends badly and creates a turning point for the movie.
There are also several layers of irony at play in the story. It is ironic that Melvin, a hardcore misanthropist mired in full-blown OCD can somehow deliver romance novels that women love and buy by the barrelful. Also ironic is that Melvin’s character transformation begins when he must take care of Simon’s dog, an adorable little Brussels Griffon.
It’s also ironic that Carol, Helen Hunt’s waitress character, works in a restaurant populated by actress-hopefuls who serve diners while striving for their big acting break. Some have stated that Hunt, a fetching but not-too-glamorous actress was too pretty for the role. However she was dressed down just enough for the role to make it work and her understated beauty comes into play in a big way later on in the story.
Finally there’s Jack Nicholson. His portrayal of Melvin Udall stands out as one of his great performances because of all the subtle nuances. The shot of him holding Verdell the dog and cooing to him is one of the signature shots not only from the movie but from his whole career. Near 60 when the movie was produced, he comes across more fit and polished than usual, definitely more so that his portrayal of the raucous astronaut in Terms of Endearment, another one of his great performances, which had occurred 13 years earlier.
If you’ve never seen it what on earth are you waiting for? And if, like me you’ve seen it over and over, hopefully this review gives some new insight as to why «As Good as it Gets» is so gloriously watchable, over and over again.
As Good As It Gets is one of those incredibly moving films that is also hugely entertaining. It’s not just a comedy, you can’t quite label it a drama piece, it just is what it is; simply great.
What works here so well are the actors and the script. Nicholson and Hunt both won Oscars and they’re simply great but Kinnear is no less effective as Nicholson gay neighbour. Plus that dog is amazing as well. This film really relies on great performances and there’s no shortage of that here.
As Good As It Gets is also remarkably well written. So well defined characters and completely involving, you quite simply grow to love them and sympathize with their plight. Nicholson’s remarks are terrific, each one very quotable (personal fav; I think of a man and I take away reason and accountability).
Direction is first rate, Brooks made Terms of Endearment so it’s well established that he’s quite capable of making great films. As Good As It Gets is very nearly as good it gets.
Really, how to make something original, fresh and odd out of absolutely nothing except a few characters? Using characters, only characters and nothing except characters. That’s the simple formula Brooks uses in all of his work, but, for me, he has never created so much charm, warmth and sensibility as he did in `As good as it gets’.
Everything is good and warm in this movie, everything is fresh and vivacious, understandable and well performed. Jack Nicholson brings one of the best performances of his career, that terrific Helen Hunt finally got a chance to show how skilfully an actor can connect naturalism with the laws of the camera performance, and Greg Kinnear shows the most convincing emotions coming from a gay character I’ve ever seen.
The relationships between the characters are created in the way that you can’t predict anything that’s going to happen, eventhough you know in advance what could come out of their mouth and what kind of attitude they’ll have in a certain situation.
You can simply feel the progressive collaboration that occurred between Brooks and the actors and the mutual understanding they developed, and it’s not often that you see that kind of artistic superstructure shining on the screen so much as it does here.
I find `As good as it gets’ complexed, vital, intelligent, emotionally deep and studied, fresh, original, amusing, cheerful, funny, and one of the best films of 1997.
Jack Nicholson is one of those actors who impresses me the second (and I’m not overstating in the least bit) he appears on screen. The moment I see Jack’s face on screen, I get this feeling that everything’s going to be all right. He could do a Pauly Shore film, and elevate its quality with his mere presence. And I didn’t even get to his acting.
Nicholson won a well-deserved Oscar for this movie. Then again, I feel like he deserves an Oscar for virtually everything he’s been in. Hell, you can even give him an Oscar nod for «Anger Management.» THAT’S how great he is! He’s one of those actors who can communicate even more emotion when he’s not saying anything than when he is. And of course, he has one of the coolest movie star voices ever, so it makes it a joy whenever he does speak. I still feel like «You can’t handle the truth!» wouldn’t be as priceless a line if Jack didn’t yell it. He can say almost any line of dialogue and turn it into gold. In this movie it was «You make me wanna be a better man.» Again, an otherwise forgettable line of dialogue made gold by Jack.
«As Good As It Gets» is a flawed film, with scenes that drag and an overlong running time, but it’s highly enjoyable and altogether pretty well-written. Aside from its many hilarious moments, it’s also quite touching. But I have to admit that it’s the comedy that sticks out most in my memory. There’s some priceless gags like when a Jewish couple is sitting at Jack’s usual table. He first intrudes into their conversation saying, «People who speak in metaphors oughtta shampoo my crotch.» He complains to Helen Hunt, his usual waitress, saying «I have Jews at my table!» He then intrudes in the couple’s conversation again, noticing the food on their table, saying «Obviously your appetites aren’t as big as your noses.» Now, I probably wouldn’t want to personally know a man like Melvin in my real life, but I still found those cracks to be hysterically funny. The same when he attacks Greg Kinnear’s gay character with constant homosexual slurs.
The performances are great all-around. Though Jack pretty much steals the show, Greg Kinnear gives a wonderfully endearing performance. He doesn’t play out the gay stereotypes, yet he’s sensitive and feminine enough to have me convinced that he is gay (unlike Eric McCormack on «Will and Grace» who acts like he’s gay for the sake of the show’s gimmick). It’s nice to see Kinnear rise from the host of «Talk Soup» and the thankless late night talk show «Later» to a fine actor. Previously, I wouldn’t have any notion that he could become what he is now. Helen Hunt also gives a compelling, emotionally packed performance. And Shirley Knight, as her mother, provides a little bit of comic relief. Cuba Gooding Jr. has a small but interesting role, and he makes the best of it.
The film does have its dull moments, but Jack’s one-of-a-kind performance makes it all worthwhile. There is nobody, and I mean NOBODY, who could’ve played Melvin better than him. I read in the trivia that John Travolta was originally offered the role. Now, I like Travolta, but in this type of role he wouldn’t hold a candle to Jack.
My score: 7 (out of 10)
Now I know what good acting means. You are absolutely surrounded with it in this movie. There is not a single actor or actress in this movie that didn’t exceed himself/herself. Helen Hunt is great (I don;t know why, but I find her quite attractive) and I won’t bore you about the performance given by Jack Nicholson. When I first saw this movie I thought it was really boring and overrated, but I saw it again the second day and immediately loved it. Maybe the ending is a little bogus, but it’s a romantic comedy, so it didn’t bother me that much. A fairly complicated plot presented with ease and simplicity works perfectly and there’s a nostalgic tone to the movie in whole. Maybe because it’s a rare occasion nowadays to come across a movie that isn’t stuffed with special effects. This is a movie that should be seen on a beautiful day, when you’re in a good mood.
Great fun that keeps getting better and better each time I see it. A strong 8/10.
Directed by Oscar nominee James L. Brooks, the story written by Mark Andrus brings up not only very interesting characters but also very interesting issues. I have the video and enjoy watching it. The CD is great with music of Nat King Cole, Shawn Colkin. Outstanding acting by Helen Hunt (Mad About You, Twister) who won an Oscar for this role where she plays Carol Connelly, a single mother, working as waitress in Manhattan, New York. A single parent trying to cope with her work and paying medical bills for son Spencer Connelly, played by Jesse James (Message in a Bottle, The Gingerbread Men, Gods and Monsters). Jack Nicholson (A Few Good Men, Easy Rider, Witches of Eastwick) is Melvin Udall who is an obsessive compulsive. Nicholson also won an Oscar for his part. His obsessive compulsiveness has taken over his life and he is not able to live a normal life. Melvin Udall has tons of soap all organized in his medicine cabinet. He uses a bar of soap once and then throws it out. He will not step on a crack on the side walk but skips to the next block of concrete. When he goes to the restaurant he brings his own plastic fork, knife and spoon in a plastic bag. Udall uses plastic gloves to hold the dog and has all his office supply stacked and all color coordinated in his home/office. He eats at the same restaurant, sits at the same table, if someone is seating at his table he insults them to make them leave so that he has his table back, wants the same waiter Carol to wait on him, and takes forever to take a shower. He closes his door several times and counts how many times he has done it. As a writer who works at home I do understand Mr. Udall really well. Writers think somewhat like this: we like to be alone with ourselves in order to think. We have to go inside ourselves to produce good work. It is a very isolated world. We do not like to be bothered unless we are bored, or tired, in which case we want to communicate with the outside world for a brief period of time, then after one hour or so we want to go back inside ourselves again and be left alone. This is somehow like Melvin thinks. People think that he has nothing to do and they keep knocking at his door and he gets really aggravated about that. He is my favorite character in this movie, not to diminish the other ones. He is just so full on nuances that make him very entertaining. Helen’s role is very, very, good and she did a really good job with it. Greg Kinnear (Sabrina) is Simon Bishop, the artist who is Udall’s next door neighbor who finally has Melvin turning into a little more normal human being and he is there to teach him many life lessons. The supporting actors are great, you have Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire) playing Frank Sachs, Simon’s agent.
My favorite scenes: elementary school kids all in uniform screaming: «Wait! Melvin, wait»! Greg Kinnear imitating Melvin. Melvin and Caroll going to eat fresh rolls in the wee hours of the morning. When Melvin realizes that the dog is also skipping cracks on the sidewalk.
My favorite quote: «I am drowning here and you are describing the water.» This is a nice story telling movie. I recommend it!
At first, i didn’t know if I should put this film in my best of the year category, I liked it alot, but I wondered if Titanic would go over it. It didn’t, so I put this film in, and well deserved. The film is directed by Oscar winning director James L. Brooks (of Terms of Endearment and The Simpsons TV show fame) and stars Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt (Nicholson won his third Oscar for this and Hunt won her first).
The story follows a bitter old scrooge (Nicholson in his usual perfect self) who is also a romance novelist (his line «I think of a man, and I take a way reason and accountability» when describing writing women is classic), but through a series of events including a cute dog, a gay artist (Greg Kinnear is endearing in this role), and a waitress with some problems (Hunt), he becomes a little better. Conventional to be sure, but it is definately a winner in laughs and romance. That’s comic veteran Harold Ramis as a doctor. A+
And yet, Nicholson’s performance makes it not matter quite so much.
Jack Nicholson is simply phenomenal. Yes, I will give credit where it is due and congratulate Greg Kinnear, Helen Hunt, and Cuba Gooding, Jr, on their fine performances. They are talented. But I am mesmorized by Jack’s intricate facial expressions and inflection each time I see this movie.
Critics panned this movie for being totally unbelievable. I would have to agree-why would Carol fall for Melvin? Why does Melvin change his ways after so many years of acid-tongued insults? I don’t know. I know people who disliked the film because Melvin was such a you-know-what. Personally, I love the evil retorts he hurls at any innocent bystander. Maybe it’s a sick pleasure, but Nicholson’s delivery is perfect and I couldn’t help but laugh as he takes on everyone.
Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) is a romance novel writer who has problems. He bullies his gay neighbor Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear). In fact, the first thing he does in the movie is to shove Simon’s dog down the garbage chute. He’s a petty angry horrible man suffering some OCD. He has to eat at the restaurant where Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt) works as his personal waitress. She’s a tough woman trying to get by with a sick child. When Simon is attacked in his home, Melvin is left to take care of the dog.
Of course he learns to accept other people. He falls Carol and she saves him from a bitter lonely life. That’s the basic storyline and director James L. Brooks adds the colors of a memorable performance by Jack Nicholson. Nicholson is definitely tapping into his sly mean-spirited self. Some of his action is funny, but a lot of it is too angry. I wish he had more vulnerability at the start to allow the audience to root for him.
Helen Hunt is obviously way too young for Jack Nicholson. But there is something about Jack that he can certainly get a woman that age in real life. It’s Helen Hunt that doesn’t really fit. She isn’t really the MPDG type. She seems to be too smart to get involved with that mess. Although it makes for a good movie.
I am amazed I kind of liked this modern-day soap opera-romance with the usual Liberal twists and sometimes-annoying characters. Yet, despite the annoyances, the story was very interesting, the acting was superb and Jack Nicholson combined both to his make character the most interesting of them all. He had some memorable lines. The story was involving, meaning it was tough to put down once you started. Also, for a film that featured the story a lot more than any scenery, it was well-filmed.
I did have a few complaints but they are fairly minor, such as too many OMGs and a little too worldliness at times, but nothing’s perfect. For today’s usual group of comedies which tend to be on a sleazy side, this was had some class to it.
The cast was phenomenally on point for the characters. Each and every character added flavor and depth to the storyline-Even the expressive dog.
So many small roles played by actors that are huge now.
This is one that will go in my time capsule.
«How do you write women so well?» asks a flattered young lady after reading one of the man’s sappy romantic paperback novels and recognizing his face on the street. He turns around, looks at her and says, «I think of a man, and I take away reason and accountability.»
The secret of «As Good As It Gets» is its unconventional, and often times irreverent, view of the entire romance scene. It is centered solely on two people, Melvin (Jack Nicholson) and Carol (Helen Hunt). Melvin writes those corny romance novels you always manage to find tucked in between the fiction and non-fiction area of your local bookstore. You know, the kind that little old ladies like to read through at an incredible speed in an ill-fated hope to re-live moments of their past.
Melvin is a bit like Paul Sheldon, from Rob Reiner’s «Misery,» although I’m sure if he had been found by a murderous fan he would have been killed early on—he’s incredibly blunt and annoying. He probably would have told Annie Wilkes what he thought of her from the get-go, not hesitating any more than he has to.
Melvin has obsessive-compulsive disorder, which basically means he goes through strange routines every time he does something, whether it means locking a door twice or not stepping on the cracks of a sidewalk (we all do that, sometimes). I recently read a new Steve Martin novella about a man with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and it reminded me very much of «As Good As It Gets» and the Melvin character. Melvin is such a wacko that he pushes his gay neighbor’s dog down the laundry chute after he finds it wandering around the hallway.
The gay man is played by Greg Kinnear. His name is Simon, and he has a small little dog he likes to call «precious.» Simon is an artist, but when a band of kids wreck his apartment and beat him up, he is left with the realization that he hasn’t enough money to keep his flat, and his boyfriend (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) may break up with him.
But the biggest worry of all is. what to do with his precious?
Frank, played by Gooding Jr., decides to give the dog to Melvin—who refuses at first but is left without any option but to obey. He soon achieves a certain subtle love for the beast, and when Simon has healed and comes back for the dog, it doesn’t even want to leave. It even starts to develop nasty habits—like avoiding cracks in the sidewalk.
Meanwhile, a troubled single mother and a part-time waitress, Carol is constantly nagged by Melvin. Only she can deliver him food. Only she can take his order. Only she can kick him out of the restaurant. Mistaking this for some sort of sexual craving, she tells Melvin flat-out that she will never sleep with him. He doesn’t seem to care. That had never even crossed his mind.
The fact is that Melvin is insufferably lonely. He likes to act as though he likes to be lonely, but the truth is that his loneliness is something he loathes. He would love to reach out and gain some friends—but he’s too proud to humble himself in such a way. We all know people like Melvin—he just takes himself to a new extreme.
Melvin is surely one of the great screen characters of all time, ranking up there with Raymond «Rain Man» Babbitt and Forrest Gump as some of the most unique and likable inventions to ever grace the big screen. Nicholson presents his character in an especially effective way—at first he seems gruff, then he seems strange, then his soft side is revealed, and he slowly becomes the likable mean guy who lives upstairs and likes to try and kill neighbors’ dogs.
Hunt won the Oscar for her work in «As Good As It Gets,» but it was truly Nicholson who deserved it.
Regardless of all this, «As Good As It Gets» still stands alone as one of the cleverest romantic comedies of all time, and certainly one that both sexes can agree on. The film features some of the most memorable lines ever written on paper, the majority of them all coming from the lips of Melvin Udall, perfectly spoken by a typical gruff Jack Nicholson. They all come off as utterly hilarious and convincing. (Nicholson: «How old are you? If I would guess by your eyes, I’d say you’re fifty.» Hunt: «If I went by your eyes I’d say you were kind.»)
This is the type of new-age romantic comedy that rivals the greatness of «When Harry Met Sally» or «Sleepless in Seattle.» It’s founded in its characters, their lives, their interaction, and how they learn to overcome their own personal obstacles and moral obligations. This film carries all the Autumn-time sweetness and cleverness of a Rob Reiner comedy, and all the lightness of a Frank Capra movie. It’s a delightful blend of comedy and romance, and the type of redefining genre motion picture that «When Harry Met Sally» was eight years prior.
Перевод песни As good as it gets (Set It Off)
As good as it gets
Лучше не бывает
They tell me that I’m 10 feet tall
Then tell me why I feel so small
I’d break my neck to have it all (To have it all)
I’m back down on my knees again
I’m feelin’ like there’s nothin’ left
I’d break my neck to get ahead (To get ahead)
And I think it’s my fault that I’m hitting this wall
That I built for myself
‘Cause the minute
I get what I said that I wanted
It’s never enough
Is it as good as it’s ever gonna be, ever gonna be?
What if I peaked too soon?
Is it as good as it’s ever gonna be, ever gonna be?
What have I got to lose?
There’s gotta be more than this
There’s gotta be somethin’ I missed
As good as it’s ever gonna be, ever gonna be
Hell nah-na-na-na-na, this ain’t as good as it gets
Living like I’m on the run
But I don’t even know what from
I can’t go back until I won
And I think it’s my fault that I’m hitting this wall
That I built for myself
‘Cause the minute
I get what I said that I wanted
I want something else
Is it as good as it’s ever gonna be, ever gonna be?
What if I peaked too soon?
Is it as good as it’s ever gonna be, ever gonna be?
What have I got to lose?
There’s gotta be more than this
There’s gotta be somethin’ I missed
As good as it’s ever gonna be, ever gonna be
Hell nah-na-na-na-na, this ain’t as good as it gets
Is it as good as it’s ever gonna be, ever gonna be?
What if I peaked too soon?
Is it as good as it’s ever gonna be, ever gonna be?
What have I got to lose?
There’s gotta be more than this
There’s gotta be somethin’ I missed
As good as it’s ever gonna be, ever gonna be
Hell nah-na-na-na-na, this ain’t as good as it gets
There’s gotta be more than this
There’s gotta be somethin’ I missed
As good as it’s ever gonna be, ever gonna be
Hell nah-na-na-na-na, this ain’t as good as it gets
Мне говорят, что я десяти футов ростом.
Тогда скажите мне, почему я чувствую себя таким мелким?
Я сломал шею в погоне за всем. (В погоне за всем).
Я вновь на коленях
С чувством, что больше мне ничего не осталось.
Я сломал шею, чтоб вырваться вперёд. (Чтоб вырваться вперёд).
И думаю, в том моя вина, что бьюсь о стену,
Которую сам воздвиг для себя.
Потому что в ту минуту,
Когда получаю то, что, по моим словам, жаждал,
Оно становится недостаточным.
Действительно ли лучше не бывает, лучше не бывает?
Что, если я достиг этого слишком быстро?
Действительно ли лучше не бывает, лучше не бывает?
Что я упустил?
Должно быть что-то большее,
Должно быть что-то, что я упустил.
Лучше не бывает, лучше не бывает.
Чёрт, най-на-на-на-на, может быть и лучше.
Живу словно в бегах,
Но даже не в курсе от чего бегу.
Не могу вернуться, пока не добуду победы.
И думаю, в том моя вина, что бьюсь о стену,
Которую сам воздвиг для себя.
Потому что в ту минуту,
Ккогда получаю то, что, по моим словам, жаждал,
Оно становится недостаточным.
Действительно ли лучше не бывает, лучше не бывает?
Что, если я достиг этого слишком быстро?
Действительно ли лучше не бывает, лучше не бывает?
Что я упустил?
Должно быть что-то большее,
Должно быть что-то, что я упустил.
Лучше не бывает, лучше не бывает.
Чёрт, най-на-на-на-на, может быть и лучше.
Действительно ли лучше не бывает, лучше не бывает?
Что, если я достиг этого слишком быстро?
Действительно ли лучше не бывает, лучше не бывает?
Что я упустил?
Должно быть что-то большее,
Должно быть что-то, что я упустил.
Лучше не бывает, лучше не бывает.
Чёрт, най-на-на-на-на, может быть и лучше.
Должно быть что-то большее,
Должно быть что-то, что я упустил.
Лучше не бывает, лучше не бывает.
Чёрт, най-на-на-на-на, может быть и лучше.
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User Reviews
Several years ago, my wife watched «As Good As It Gets» and she told me she didn’t like the film. So, I avoided it for years. and now I wish I hadn’t listened to her. I loved the film—just don’t tell her I said so!
The film, to me, was perhaps a bit different experience than it would have been for the average viewer. As a former psychotherapist, I kept trying to analyze Jack Nicholson’s character in order to understand the story better. He appeared to either have a variety of personality disorders—including an avoidant personality (where he pretends to HATE everyone and pushes them away to avoid being hurt), an obsessive-compulsive personality (or perhaps an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and probably a nice dose of either Asperger’s or was just socially retarded. Regardless, this sort of person would NORMALLY live a very solitary and sad existence. However, the film manages to make it seem believable that a man like this could change. some. as well as find love. It’s all very improbable but also very charming and sweet. And, later in the film rather oddly romantic. Additionally, the film is, at times, rather funny. Overall, a quirky and well-written film with some terrific acting.
A lot of other stuff has been written about this multi-Oscar-winning film. so I’ll just end by saying my wife is 100% wrong. but I still think she’s terrific.
«You make me want to be a better man.»
I finally got around to watching this touching and funny film directed by James L. Brooks that stands out thanks to some wonderful performances and memorable characters. As Good As it Gets is proof that actions are louder than words because despite how cruel and mean Nicholson’s character is, he does incredible and kind things for others. In a way this film reminded me of David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook as I found both films to be difficult to follow at first due to the lack of a likable character, but once we get to know who these people are we forgive their flaws and end up routing for them. Both Nicholson and Helen Hunt give excellent performances, and their Oscar wins were well deserved in my opinion. As Good As it Gets is the very definition of charm, and the screenplay written by Mark Andrus (Life As a House) shines thanks to some incredible performances. I really enjoyed this film and found myself laughing through most of the scenes. This is one more film I can eliminate from my shame list, and I’m glad I finally got to experience this romantic comedy which also has a lot to say about overcoming illness.
We are introduced to Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson), a cranky but successful author who suffers from OCD. He lives on his own in a beautiful apartment where he spends most of his time writing. He always goes out on his daily breakfast ritual which consists of walking to a nearby cafe without touching anyone or stepping on any cracks. He always sits in the same place at the cafe and always demands to be served by the same waitress, whose name is Carol (Helen Hunt). Carol is actually the only one in the cafe who stands his constant outbursts and cruel comments. Melvin’s daily routine changes through two events that end up affecting his life. First, his homosexual artist neighbor named Simon (Greg Kinnear) suffers an accident and Melvin unwillingly accepts to take care of his dog in his absence. Second, Carol’s son, Spencer (Jesse James) gets ill and she quits her job. Not accepting the fact that Carol isn’t there to serve him, Melvin tries to find her in order to restore order back to his life. These series of events force Melvin to change his routine and at the same time he forms an unlikely friendship with Carol and Simon proving that he isn’t as bad as he seems to be.
The performances by each one of the talented actors are the heart and motor of this film. Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt share an incredible chemistry together. It’s funny how despite never being able to share his feelings towards her and always saying the wrong things, it becomes clear that she does inspire him to become a better person. The supporting cast is also incredible here, especially Greg Kinnear and Cuba Gooding Jr. who deliver several funny scenes. I was partial to Brooks’s work considering I had only seen How Do You Know which didn’t work for me and Spanglish which I did enjoy, but As Good As it Gets is without a doubt his best work thanks to an unbelievable cast. This is a smart and funny film, which also could be cruel at times, but it was well balanced. Despite the schmaltzy story it still worked thanks to the characters that carried this film. It’s hard not to leave this film with a smile on your face.
Melvin is a romantic novelist who is a selfish manic compulsive who is rude and insulting to all he meets. When Melvin’s gay neighbour is beaten up and robbed, Melvin agrees to look after his dog. The dog gives Melvin something to care about other than himself and his life is approaching normal until his regular waitress has to leave work to look after her asthmatic son and his neighbour wants his dog back. Melvin starts to realise that his life needs others for more than just selfish reasons.
The big Oscar winner for Jack is recent years is enjoyable if you come to it knowing what to expect. The film is very sentimental but in a good way. The film is gently comic and amusing and the characters (although exaggerated) are winning and involving. The telling is a little long winded at times and the film could have been shorter but it is still enjoyable. It does tip over into sickly sentimentality at times and can be a bit syrupy but it comes with the territory.
Nicholson is excellent and is the main reason it all works well. His un-PC Melvin is funny but also a character that you can hate and pity on several occasions. Kinnear is good because he is a solid understated character and not hammy or OTT like he can be. Hunt is good but is left with the majority of the syrup and sentiment where the other characters get more share of the laughs. Gooding Jr continues his trend of being good in over the top roles and is funny and happily avoids becoming a flaming gay stereotype.
Overall this is a sentimental romantic comedy that is typical for the genre. The story wanders to it’s point but the good cast, led by a great Nicholson, hold the whole thing together. A superior piece of sentimentality.
and this movie can be watched again, and again, and again (at least by me).
By now, most people who watch movies are aware that this one practically swept the Oscars for the year it was produced. It won Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt best Actor/Actress awards, came away with Best Picture and also Greg Kinnear won Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of Simon Bishop, a sensitive gay artist.
Seventeen years later the movie stands up well because of its timeless quality. «As Good as it Gets» is a very tight story and performance by all the actors and there is not one moment, scene or actor wasted. The story centers around people’s expressions more than most movies. One example is an elderly woman actress who has opened her apartment door to run an errand and her features contort in disgust when she happens upon Melvin Udall, the Jack Nicholson character who is about to do some mischief with his gay neighbor’s dog.
Another example is Skeet Ulrich, who plays a street tough who somehow winds up doing a modeling job for Simon (Greg Kinnear) the gay artist. When Simon explains to Vincent (Ulrich) what he is looking for in a pose, Vincent’s eyes widen and he murmurs «Wow.» Moments later he nonchalantly delivers the type of pose Simon is looking for. Unfortunately, Simon and Vincent’s association ends badly and creates a turning point for the movie.
There are also several layers of irony at play in the story. It is ironic that Melvin, a hardcore misanthropist mired in full-blown OCD can somehow deliver romance novels that women love and buy by the barrelful. Also ironic is that Melvin’s character transformation begins when he must take care of Simon’s dog, an adorable little Brussels Griffon.
It’s also ironic that Carol, Helen Hunt’s waitress character, works in a restaurant populated by actress-hopefuls who serve diners while striving for their big acting break. Some have stated that Hunt, a fetching but not-too-glamorous actress was too pretty for the role. However she was dressed down just enough for the role to make it work and her understated beauty comes into play in a big way later on in the story.
Finally there’s Jack Nicholson. His portrayal of Melvin Udall stands out as one of his great performances because of all the subtle nuances. The shot of him holding Verdell the dog and cooing to him is one of the signature shots not only from the movie but from his whole career. Near 60 when the movie was produced, he comes across more fit and polished than usual, definitely more so that his portrayal of the raucous astronaut in Terms of Endearment, another one of his great performances, which had occurred 13 years earlier.
If you’ve never seen it what on earth are you waiting for? And if, like me you’ve seen it over and over, hopefully this review gives some new insight as to why «As Good as it Gets» is so gloriously watchable, over and over again.
As Good As It Gets is one of those incredibly moving films that is also hugely entertaining. It’s not just a comedy, you can’t quite label it a drama piece, it just is what it is; simply great.
What works here so well are the actors and the script. Nicholson and Hunt both won Oscars and they’re simply great but Kinnear is no less effective as Nicholson gay neighbour. Plus that dog is amazing as well. This film really relies on great performances and there’s no shortage of that here.
As Good As It Gets is also remarkably well written. So well defined characters and completely involving, you quite simply grow to love them and sympathize with their plight. Nicholson’s remarks are terrific, each one very quotable (personal fav; I think of a man and I take away reason and accountability).
Direction is first rate, Brooks made Terms of Endearment so it’s well established that he’s quite capable of making great films. As Good As It Gets is very nearly as good it gets.
Really, how to make something original, fresh and odd out of absolutely nothing except a few characters? Using characters, only characters and nothing except characters. That’s the simple formula Brooks uses in all of his work, but, for me, he has never created so much charm, warmth and sensibility as he did in `As good as it gets’.
Everything is good and warm in this movie, everything is fresh and vivacious, understandable and well performed. Jack Nicholson brings one of the best performances of his career, that terrific Helen Hunt finally got a chance to show how skilfully an actor can connect naturalism with the laws of the camera performance, and Greg Kinnear shows the most convincing emotions coming from a gay character I’ve ever seen.
The relationships between the characters are created in the way that you can’t predict anything that’s going to happen, eventhough you know in advance what could come out of their mouth and what kind of attitude they’ll have in a certain situation.
You can simply feel the progressive collaboration that occurred between Brooks and the actors and the mutual understanding they developed, and it’s not often that you see that kind of artistic superstructure shining on the screen so much as it does here.
I find `As good as it gets’ complexed, vital, intelligent, emotionally deep and studied, fresh, original, amusing, cheerful, funny, and one of the best films of 1997.
Jack Nicholson is one of those actors who impresses me the second (and I’m not overstating in the least bit) he appears on screen. The moment I see Jack’s face on screen, I get this feeling that everything’s going to be all right. He could do a Pauly Shore film, and elevate its quality with his mere presence. And I didn’t even get to his acting.
Nicholson won a well-deserved Oscar for this movie. Then again, I feel like he deserves an Oscar for virtually everything he’s been in. Hell, you can even give him an Oscar nod for «Anger Management.» THAT’S how great he is! He’s one of those actors who can communicate even more emotion when he’s not saying anything than when he is. And of course, he has one of the coolest movie star voices ever, so it makes it a joy whenever he does speak. I still feel like «You can’t handle the truth!» wouldn’t be as priceless a line if Jack didn’t yell it. He can say almost any line of dialogue and turn it into gold. In this movie it was «You make me wanna be a better man.» Again, an otherwise forgettable line of dialogue made gold by Jack.
«As Good As It Gets» is a flawed film, with scenes that drag and an overlong running time, but it’s highly enjoyable and altogether pretty well-written. Aside from its many hilarious moments, it’s also quite touching. But I have to admit that it’s the comedy that sticks out most in my memory. There’s some priceless gags like when a Jewish couple is sitting at Jack’s usual table. He first intrudes into their conversation saying, «People who speak in metaphors oughtta shampoo my crotch.» He complains to Helen Hunt, his usual waitress, saying «I have Jews at my table!» He then intrudes in the couple’s conversation again, noticing the food on their table, saying «Obviously your appetites aren’t as big as your noses.» Now, I probably wouldn’t want to personally know a man like Melvin in my real life, but I still found those cracks to be hysterically funny. The same when he attacks Greg Kinnear’s gay character with constant homosexual slurs.
The performances are great all-around. Though Jack pretty much steals the show, Greg Kinnear gives a wonderfully endearing performance. He doesn’t play out the gay stereotypes, yet he’s sensitive and feminine enough to have me convinced that he is gay (unlike Eric McCormack on «Will and Grace» who acts like he’s gay for the sake of the show’s gimmick). It’s nice to see Kinnear rise from the host of «Talk Soup» and the thankless late night talk show «Later» to a fine actor. Previously, I wouldn’t have any notion that he could become what he is now. Helen Hunt also gives a compelling, emotionally packed performance. And Shirley Knight, as her mother, provides a little bit of comic relief. Cuba Gooding Jr. has a small but interesting role, and he makes the best of it.
The film does have its dull moments, but Jack’s one-of-a-kind performance makes it all worthwhile. There is nobody, and I mean NOBODY, who could’ve played Melvin better than him. I read in the trivia that John Travolta was originally offered the role. Now, I like Travolta, but in this type of role he wouldn’t hold a candle to Jack.
My score: 7 (out of 10)
Now I know what good acting means. You are absolutely surrounded with it in this movie. There is not a single actor or actress in this movie that didn’t exceed himself/herself. Helen Hunt is great (I don;t know why, but I find her quite attractive) and I won’t bore you about the performance given by Jack Nicholson. When I first saw this movie I thought it was really boring and overrated, but I saw it again the second day and immediately loved it. Maybe the ending is a little bogus, but it’s a romantic comedy, so it didn’t bother me that much. A fairly complicated plot presented with ease and simplicity works perfectly and there’s a nostalgic tone to the movie in whole. Maybe because it’s a rare occasion nowadays to come across a movie that isn’t stuffed with special effects. This is a movie that should be seen on a beautiful day, when you’re in a good mood.
Great fun that keeps getting better and better each time I see it. A strong 8/10.
Directed by Oscar nominee James L. Brooks, the story written by Mark Andrus brings up not only very interesting characters but also very interesting issues. I have the video and enjoy watching it. The CD is great with music of Nat King Cole, Shawn Colkin. Outstanding acting by Helen Hunt (Mad About You, Twister) who won an Oscar for this role where she plays Carol Connelly, a single mother, working as waitress in Manhattan, New York. A single parent trying to cope with her work and paying medical bills for son Spencer Connelly, played by Jesse James (Message in a Bottle, The Gingerbread Men, Gods and Monsters). Jack Nicholson (A Few Good Men, Easy Rider, Witches of Eastwick) is Melvin Udall who is an obsessive compulsive. Nicholson also won an Oscar for his part. His obsessive compulsiveness has taken over his life and he is not able to live a normal life. Melvin Udall has tons of soap all organized in his medicine cabinet. He uses a bar of soap once and then throws it out. He will not step on a crack on the side walk but skips to the next block of concrete. When he goes to the restaurant he brings his own plastic fork, knife and spoon in a plastic bag. Udall uses plastic gloves to hold the dog and has all his office supply stacked and all color coordinated in his home/office. He eats at the same restaurant, sits at the same table, if someone is seating at his table he insults them to make them leave so that he has his table back, wants the same waiter Carol to wait on him, and takes forever to take a shower. He closes his door several times and counts how many times he has done it. As a writer who works at home I do understand Mr. Udall really well. Writers think somewhat like this: we like to be alone with ourselves in order to think. We have to go inside ourselves to produce good work. It is a very isolated world. We do not like to be bothered unless we are bored, or tired, in which case we want to communicate with the outside world for a brief period of time, then after one hour or so we want to go back inside ourselves again and be left alone. This is somehow like Melvin thinks. People think that he has nothing to do and they keep knocking at his door and he gets really aggravated about that. He is my favorite character in this movie, not to diminish the other ones. He is just so full on nuances that make him very entertaining. Helen’s role is very, very, good and she did a really good job with it. Greg Kinnear (Sabrina) is Simon Bishop, the artist who is Udall’s next door neighbor who finally has Melvin turning into a little more normal human being and he is there to teach him many life lessons. The supporting actors are great, you have Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire) playing Frank Sachs, Simon’s agent.
My favorite scenes: elementary school kids all in uniform screaming: «Wait! Melvin, wait»! Greg Kinnear imitating Melvin. Melvin and Caroll going to eat fresh rolls in the wee hours of the morning. When Melvin realizes that the dog is also skipping cracks on the sidewalk.
My favorite quote: «I am drowning here and you are describing the water.» This is a nice story telling movie. I recommend it!
At first, i didn’t know if I should put this film in my best of the year category, I liked it alot, but I wondered if Titanic would go over it. It didn’t, so I put this film in, and well deserved. The film is directed by Oscar winning director James L. Brooks (of Terms of Endearment and The Simpsons TV show fame) and stars Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt (Nicholson won his third Oscar for this and Hunt won her first).
The story follows a bitter old scrooge (Nicholson in his usual perfect self) who is also a romance novelist (his line «I think of a man, and I take a way reason and accountability» when describing writing women is classic), but through a series of events including a cute dog, a gay artist (Greg Kinnear is endearing in this role), and a waitress with some problems (Hunt), he becomes a little better. Conventional to be sure, but it is definately a winner in laughs and romance. That’s comic veteran Harold Ramis as a doctor. A+
And yet, Nicholson’s performance makes it not matter quite so much.
Jack Nicholson is simply phenomenal. Yes, I will give credit where it is due and congratulate Greg Kinnear, Helen Hunt, and Cuba Gooding, Jr, on their fine performances. They are talented. But I am mesmorized by Jack’s intricate facial expressions and inflection each time I see this movie.
Critics panned this movie for being totally unbelievable. I would have to agree-why would Carol fall for Melvin? Why does Melvin change his ways after so many years of acid-tongued insults? I don’t know. I know people who disliked the film because Melvin was such a you-know-what. Personally, I love the evil retorts he hurls at any innocent bystander. Maybe it’s a sick pleasure, but Nicholson’s delivery is perfect and I couldn’t help but laugh as he takes on everyone.
Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) is a romance novel writer who has problems. He bullies his gay neighbor Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear). In fact, the first thing he does in the movie is to shove Simon’s dog down the garbage chute. He’s a petty angry horrible man suffering some OCD. He has to eat at the restaurant where Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt) works as his personal waitress. She’s a tough woman trying to get by with a sick child. When Simon is attacked in his home, Melvin is left to take care of the dog.
Of course he learns to accept other people. He falls Carol and she saves him from a bitter lonely life. That’s the basic storyline and director James L. Brooks adds the colors of a memorable performance by Jack Nicholson. Nicholson is definitely tapping into his sly mean-spirited self. Some of his action is funny, but a lot of it is too angry. I wish he had more vulnerability at the start to allow the audience to root for him.
Helen Hunt is obviously way too young for Jack Nicholson. But there is something about Jack that he can certainly get a woman that age in real life. It’s Helen Hunt that doesn’t really fit. She isn’t really the MPDG type. She seems to be too smart to get involved with that mess. Although it makes for a good movie.
I am amazed I kind of liked this modern-day soap opera-romance with the usual Liberal twists and sometimes-annoying characters. Yet, despite the annoyances, the story was very interesting, the acting was superb and Jack Nicholson combined both to his make character the most interesting of them all. He had some memorable lines. The story was involving, meaning it was tough to put down once you started. Also, for a film that featured the story a lot more than any scenery, it was well-filmed.
I did have a few complaints but they are fairly minor, such as too many OMGs and a little too worldliness at times, but nothing’s perfect. For today’s usual group of comedies which tend to be on a sleazy side, this was had some class to it.
The cast was phenomenally on point for the characters. Each and every character added flavor and depth to the storyline-Even the expressive dog.
So many small roles played by actors that are huge now.
This is one that will go in my time capsule.
«How do you write women so well?» asks a flattered young lady after reading one of the man’s sappy romantic paperback novels and recognizing his face on the street. He turns around, looks at her and says, «I think of a man, and I take away reason and accountability.»
The secret of «As Good As It Gets» is its unconventional, and often times irreverent, view of the entire romance scene. It is centered solely on two people, Melvin (Jack Nicholson) and Carol (Helen Hunt). Melvin writes those corny romance novels you always manage to find tucked in between the fiction and non-fiction area of your local bookstore. You know, the kind that little old ladies like to read through at an incredible speed in an ill-fated hope to re-live moments of their past.
Melvin is a bit like Paul Sheldon, from Rob Reiner’s «Misery,» although I’m sure if he had been found by a murderous fan he would have been killed early on—he’s incredibly blunt and annoying. He probably would have told Annie Wilkes what he thought of her from the get-go, not hesitating any more than he has to.
Melvin has obsessive-compulsive disorder, which basically means he goes through strange routines every time he does something, whether it means locking a door twice or not stepping on the cracks of a sidewalk (we all do that, sometimes). I recently read a new Steve Martin novella about a man with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and it reminded me very much of «As Good As It Gets» and the Melvin character. Melvin is such a wacko that he pushes his gay neighbor’s dog down the laundry chute after he finds it wandering around the hallway.
The gay man is played by Greg Kinnear. His name is Simon, and he has a small little dog he likes to call «precious.» Simon is an artist, but when a band of kids wreck his apartment and beat him up, he is left with the realization that he hasn’t enough money to keep his flat, and his boyfriend (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) may break up with him.
But the biggest worry of all is. what to do with his precious?
Frank, played by Gooding Jr., decides to give the dog to Melvin—who refuses at first but is left without any option but to obey. He soon achieves a certain subtle love for the beast, and when Simon has healed and comes back for the dog, it doesn’t even want to leave. It even starts to develop nasty habits—like avoiding cracks in the sidewalk.
Meanwhile, a troubled single mother and a part-time waitress, Carol is constantly nagged by Melvin. Only she can deliver him food. Only she can take his order. Only she can kick him out of the restaurant. Mistaking this for some sort of sexual craving, she tells Melvin flat-out that she will never sleep with him. He doesn’t seem to care. That had never even crossed his mind.
The fact is that Melvin is insufferably lonely. He likes to act as though he likes to be lonely, but the truth is that his loneliness is something he loathes. He would love to reach out and gain some friends—but he’s too proud to humble himself in such a way. We all know people like Melvin—he just takes himself to a new extreme.
Melvin is surely one of the great screen characters of all time, ranking up there with Raymond «Rain Man» Babbitt and Forrest Gump as some of the most unique and likable inventions to ever grace the big screen. Nicholson presents his character in an especially effective way—at first he seems gruff, then he seems strange, then his soft side is revealed, and he slowly becomes the likable mean guy who lives upstairs and likes to try and kill neighbors’ dogs.
Hunt won the Oscar for her work in «As Good As It Gets,» but it was truly Nicholson who deserved it.
Regardless of all this, «As Good As It Gets» still stands alone as one of the cleverest romantic comedies of all time, and certainly one that both sexes can agree on. The film features some of the most memorable lines ever written on paper, the majority of them all coming from the lips of Melvin Udall, perfectly spoken by a typical gruff Jack Nicholson. They all come off as utterly hilarious and convincing. (Nicholson: «How old are you? If I would guess by your eyes, I’d say you’re fifty.» Hunt: «If I went by your eyes I’d say you were kind.»)
This is the type of new-age romantic comedy that rivals the greatness of «When Harry Met Sally» or «Sleepless in Seattle.» It’s founded in its characters, their lives, their interaction, and how they learn to overcome their own personal obstacles and moral obligations. This film carries all the Autumn-time sweetness and cleverness of a Rob Reiner comedy, and all the lightness of a Frank Capra movie. It’s a delightful blend of comedy and romance, and the type of redefining genre motion picture that «When Harry Met Sally» was eight years prior.
| Лучше не бывает | ||
|---|---|---|
 | 139 минут | |
| Страна | Соединенные Штаты | |
| Язык | английский | |
| Бюджет | 50 миллионов долларов [1] | |
| Театральная касса | 314,1 млн. Долл. США [1] | |
Лучше не бывает американец 1997 года романтическая комедия фильм режиссера Джеймс Л. Брукс, который написал это в соавторстве с Марк Андрус. Звезды кино Джек Николсон как человеконенавистнический и обсессивно-компульсивное писатель Хелен Хант как мать-одиночка с хронически больным сыном, и Грег Киннер как художник-гей. Картины к фильму были созданы Нью-Йорк художник Билли Салливан. [2] Фильм был показан в кинотеатрах 23 декабря 1997 года и имел кассовые сборы 314,1 миллиона долларов при бюджете в 50 миллионов долларов.
Николсон и Хант выиграли Академическая награда за лучшую мужскую роль и лучшую женскую роль соответственно, Лучше не бывает самый последний фильм, получивший обе награды за главную роль, и первый с 1991 года Молчание ягнят. Он также был номинирован на лучший фильм, но в конечном итоге проиграл Титаник. Он занимает 140-е место в рейтинге Империя список журнала «500 величайших фильмов всех времен». [3]
Содержание
участок
Мелвин Удалл человеконенавистнический самый продаваемый романист в Нью-Йорк, чья обсессивно-компульсивное расстройство заставляет его избегать наступления на трещины на тротуаре во время прогулки по городу и каждый день завтракать за одним столом в одном и том же ресторане. Он проявляет интерес к своей официантке Кэрол Коннелли, единственной официантке в ресторане, которая может терпеть его грубое поведение.
Между тем, нападение Саймона и его реабилитация в сочетании с предпочтением Верделла Мелвину заставляют Саймона потерять свою творческую музу и впасть в депрессию. Не имея медицинской страховки, он приближается к банкротству из-за своих медицинских счетов. Фрэнк уговаривает его пойти в Балтимор просить денег у своих отчужденных родителей. Поскольку Фрэнк слишком занят, чтобы доставить раненого Саймона в Балтимор, Мелвин неохотно соглашается сделать это; Фрэнк дает Мелвину использовать свой Saab 900 кабриолет для поездки. Мелвин предлагает Кэрол сопровождать их в поездке, чтобы уменьшить неловкость. Она неохотно принимает приглашение, и отношения между ними развиваются.
Вернувшись в Нью-Йорк, Кэрол говорит Мелвину, что больше не хочет его видеть в своей жизни. Позже она сожалеет о своем заявлении и призывает извиниться. Отношения между Мелвином и Кэрол остаются сложными, пока Саймон (которому Мелвин позволил переехать к нему, так как ему пришлось продать свою квартиру) не убеждает Мелвина признаться в любви к ней. Мелвин идет к Кэрол, которая колеблется, но соглашается попытаться установить с ним отношения. Фильм заканчивается прогулкой Мелвина и Кэрол. Открывая для Кэрол дверь утренней кондитерской, он понимает, что наступил на трещину в тротуаре, но, похоже, не возражает.
As Good As It Gets
There’s something about Jack Nicholson that makes you want to grin. Maybe it’s the anticipation that you’ll see him get away with something. He’s the guy who knows the angles. His screen persona was established for all time the moment he told the waitress to hold the chicken salad between her knees in «Five Easy Pieces.»
«As Good as It Gets» takes that attitude as far as it will go in the direction it was already headed: He plays an obsessive-compulsive curmudgeon whose communication with the world is mostly limited to insults—not funny ones, but comments intended to wound. It is some kind of twisted tribute to Nicholson that he’s able to use this dialogue in what is, after all, a comedy. He hurls racist, sexist, homophobic and physical insults at everyone he meets, and because it’s Nicholson, we let him; we know there has to be a payback somehow. If you see the movie, ask yourself how Nicholson’s tirades would sound coming from any other actor. They’d bring the film to an appalled halt.
Nicholson plays Melvin Udall, a man who crouches in the apartment where he has ground out 62 romance novels for women. Asked how he writes the female characters so convincingly, he replies, «I think of a man. And I take away reason and accountability.» He hates everyone in the building, and the movie opens with him hurling his neighbor’s little dog down the garbage chute. Then he marches out to take his habitual meal in a nearby restaurant, where he lays out his own plastic cutlery.
«Sometimes you must try other people’s clean silverware, as part of the fun of eating out,» advises Carol the waitress (Helen Hunt). She waits on him, but she doesn’t like him, and when he makes a disparaging remark about her asthmatic son, she makes him take it back, or she will never, ever serve him again. Since she’s the only waitress who will serve him, and since this is the only restaurant he will eat in, he backs down. (Later, when he’s finally thrown out of the restaurant, there’s applause from the regulars.)
We meet Melvin’s neighbor, the dog owner. He’s a gay artist named Simon (Greg Kinnear), who is beaten up one day by the friends of one of his models. During his recovery, his agent and dealer (Cuba Gooding Jr.) insists that Melvin take care of the little dog, which has been rescued from the garbage. Melvin doesn’t want to, but he does, and to his amazement (but not ours) he develops a grudging affection for the mutt.
«As Good as It Gets» was directed by James L. Brooks, whose films («Terms of Endearment,» «Broadcast News») show original characters in unexpected lights. This film, co-written with Mark Andrus, creates memorable people, but is not quite willing to follow them down unconventional paths. It’s almost painful, watching the screenplay stretch and contort these characters to fit them somehow into a conventional formula—they’re dragged toward the happy ending, screaming and kicking all the way.
If the movie had been either more or less ambitious, it might have been more successful. Less ambitious, and it would have been a sitcom crowd-pleaser, in which a grumpy Scrooge allows his heart to melt. More ambitious, and it would have touched on the underlying irony of this lonely man’s bitter life. But «As Good as It Gets» is a compromise, a film that forces a smile onto material that doesn’t wear one easily. Melvin is not a man ever destined to find lasting happiness, and the movie’s happy ending feels like a blackout, seconds before more unhappiness begins.
Yet there’s so much good here, in the dialogue, the performances and the observation, that the movie succeeds at many moments even while pursuing its doomed grand design. Consider Melvin’s decision to arrange for the medical treatment of Carol’s son. The little boy suffers agonizing asthma attacks, but through Melvin, Carol is able to find a dedicated doctor (Harold Ramis) who can do some good. The material here is right out of a silent weeper: Repentant Scrooge helps poor child to breathe again. But by casting the wonderfully droll Ramis as the doctor and skewing the dialogue just slightly, Brooks makes it new and screwy.
The main story line gets a similar treatment. It becomes clear that Melvin has been destined by the filmmakers to become a better man: First he accepts dogs, then children, then women, and finally even his gay neighbor. But Brooks and Andrus, having blocked out this conventional progression, then write against it, using rich irony so that individual scenes seem fresh even while the overall progress follows ancient custom. When Melvin goes back for a belated visit to his onetime therapist, for example, they give him a perfect line: «How can you diagnose someone as having obsessive-compulsive disorder and yet criticize him for not making an appointment?»
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Описание фильма Лучше не бывает
Писатель Мелвин Адал не очень то любит общаться с людьми. Большую часть времени он проводит в уединении, ведь его профессия не требует постоянного общения с людьми. Отдыхать Адал тоже предпочитает в одиночестве, да и окружающие Адала люди не горят желанием с ним общаться. Соседи Адала уезжают и просят писателя присмотреть за их собакой. Адал соглашается, вскоре он привязывается к своему новому другу. Мелвин неожиданно открывает для себя мир чувств и эмоций, которые долгие годы были скрыты от него. Теперь он хочет общаться не только с собакой, но и с людьми.
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СОДЕРЖАНИЕ
участок
Между тем, нападение Саймона и его реабилитация в сочетании с предпочтением Верделла Мелвину заставляют Саймона потерять творческую музу и впасть в депрессию. Не имея медицинской страховки, он приближается к банкротству из-за своих медицинских счетов. Фрэнк уговаривает его поехать в Балтимор, чтобы попросить денег у своих разлученных родителей. Поскольку Фрэнк слишком занят, чтобы отвезти раненого Саймона в Балтимор, Мелвин неохотно соглашается сделать это; Фрэнк дает Мелвину использовать его кабриолет Saab 900 для поездки. Мелвин предлагает Кэрол сопровождать их в поездке, чтобы уменьшить неловкость. Она неохотно соглашается, и отношения между ними развиваются.
Вернувшись в Нью-Йорк, Кэрол говорит Мелвину, что она больше не хочет его видеть в своей жизни, но позже сожалеет о своем заявлении и призывает извиниться. Отношения между Мелвином и Кэрол остаются сложными, пока Саймон (которому Мелвин разрешил переехать к нему, так как ему пришлось продать свою квартиру) не убеждает Мелвина признаться в любви к ней. Мелвин идет к Кэрол, которая нерешительно соглашается попытаться установить с ним отношения. Фильм заканчивается прогулкой Мелвина и Кэрол вместе. Открывая для Кэрол дверь утренней кондитерской, он понимает, что наступил на трещину в тротуаре, но, похоже, не возражает.
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Производство
В 1996 году Джеймс Л. Брукс отправил Джеффри Раша из Сиднея в Лос-Анджелес на прослушивание на роль Саймона Бишопа и предложил ему роль, но Раш отказался. Бетти Уайт предложили роль в фильме, но она отказалась.
Оуэн Уилсон работал ассоциированным продюсером, что было одной из его первых работ в Голливуде.
Николсон и Брукс поссорились на съемочной площадке из-за того, как Николсон сыграл Мелвина, что привело к остановке производства для них двоих, чтобы найти правильный тон для персонажа.
Картины были созданы к фильму нью-йоркским художником Билли Салливаном.
Саундтрек
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Театральная касса
Критический прием
Критики неоднозначно хвалили фильм. Хотя Роджер Эберт поставил фильму три звезды (из четырех), он назвал фильм «компромиссом, фильмом, который заставляет улыбнуться материал, который нелегко носить», написав, что фильм «вернулся» к формулам рассказа, «но были хорошие диалоги и выступления. Критик Washington Post Дессон Хоу дал в целом отрицательный отзыв о фильме, написав, что он «увяз в сентиментальности, а его колеса безуспешно крутятся в решающей жизни перегрузке».
Агрегатор обзоров Rotten Tomatoes сообщает, что 85% профессиональных критиков дали фильму положительную рецензию на основе 79 рецензий, при этом консенсус гласит: «Джеймс Л. Брукс и Джек Николсон, делая то, что у них получается лучше всего, сочетают умный диалог и безупречную игру, чтобы выжать. новое развлечение вне жанра романтической комедии ». Metacritic дал фильму оценку 67 из 100, основываясь на отзывах 30 критиков, что указывает на в целом положительные отзывы.
As Good as It Gets
| As Good as It Gets | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | James L. Brooks |
| Produced by | James L. Brooks Bridget Johnson Kristi Zea Laura Ziskin (executive) |
| Screenplay by | Mark Andrus James L. Brooks |
| Story by | Mark Andrus |
| Starring | Jack Nicholson Helen Hunt Greg Kinnear Cuba Gooding, Jr. Shirley Knight Skeet Ulrich Yeardley Smith Lupe Ontiveros |
| Music by | Hans Zimmer |
| Cinematography | John Bailey |
| Editing by | Richard Marks |
| Studio | Gracie Films |
| Distributed by | TriStar Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 25, 1997 ( 1997-12-25 ) |
| Running time | 139 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $50 million [ 1 ] |
| Box office | $314,178,011 [ 1 ] |
As Good as It Gets is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by James L. Brooks and produced by Laura Ziskin. It stars Jack Nicholson as a misanthropic, obsessive-compulsive novelist, Helen Hunt as a single mother with an asthmatic son, and Greg Kinnear as a gay artist. The screenplay was written by Mark Andrus and James L. Brooks.
Both Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt won the Academy Award for Best Actor and Academy Award for Best Actress, respectively, making As Good As It Gets the latest film to win both of the lead acting awards, and the first since 1991. It is ranked 140th on Empire magazine’s «The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time» list. [ 2 ]
Contents
Melvin Udall is a misanthrope who works at home as a best-selling novelist in New York City. He suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder which, paired with his misanthropy, puts off the neighbors in his Manhattan apartment building and nearly everyone else with whom he comes into contact. He eats breakfast at the same table in the same restaurant every day using disposable plastic utensils he brings with him due to his pathological germophobia. He takes an interest in his waitress, Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt), the only server at the restaurant who can tolerate his behavior.
One day, Melvin’s neighbor, a gay artist named Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear), is assaulted. Melvin is forced to take care of the artist’s dog Verdell while Simon is in the hospital. Although he initially finds caring for the dog distasteful, Melvin becomes emotionally attached to Verdell, and he also gains more attention from Carol. When Simon comes home Melvin has to return the dog, a situation he is unable to cope with. He rushes to his psychiatrist who throws him out since he has not made an appointment. On his way out, Melvin turns to the other patients in the waiting room and says, «What if this is as good as it gets?»
Melvin’s life is further altered when Carol decides to get a job closer to Brooklyn so she can spend more time with her acutely asthmatic son (Jesse James). Unable to adjust to another waitress, Melvin arranges to pay for her son’s medical expenses. Wary of owing Melvin for this gesture, Carol takes the train to his apartment in the middle of the night to tell him that she will not sleep with him.
In the meantime, Simon’s assault and rehabilitation, coupled with Verdell’s preference for Melvin, causes Simon to lose his creative muse. His agent, Frank Sachs (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), seeing Simon has no medical insurance and mounting hospital bills, and is facing eviction due to unpaid rent, convinces Simon to go to Baltimore and ask his estranged parents for money. Frank offers Melvin use of his car for the trip. Melvin invites Carol to accompany them on the trip to lessen the awkwardness. She reluctantly accepts the invitation and relationships among the three develop. Once in Baltimore, Carol agrees to have dinner with Melvin. The date ends in disaster; however, upon seeing the frustrated Carol reenter the apartment, Simon begins to sketch her and rekindles his creativity, once more feeling a desire to paint. He briefly reconnects with his parents, but is able to tell them that he’ll be fine.
After returning to New York City, Carol tells Melvin that she does not want him in her life anymore. She later regrets her statement and calls him to apologize. The relationship between Melvin and Carol remains complicated until Simon, whom Melvin has allowed to move in with him until he can get a new apartment, convinces Melvin to declare his love for her at her apartment in Brooklyn, where the two realize the depth of their personal connection. The film ends with Melvin and Carol taking a walk together to buy fresh rolls at the corner bakery.
Primary cast
Soundtrack
| As Good as It Gets | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer and various artists | |
| Released | 13 January 1998 |
| Label | Sony Records |
The soundtrack features instrumental pieces composed by Hans Zimmer and songs by various artists.
Reception
The film received generally positive reviews from film critics and was nominated for and received many film awards, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture and a Golden Globe award for Best Picture-Music or Comedy. Review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reports that 86% of professional critics have given the film a positive review based on 75 reviews. The film has an 88% score from the website’s top critics. [ 3 ] Metacritic, a web site that evaluates films by averaging its overall critical response, gave the film a metascore of 67, signifying generally favorable reviews. [ 4 ] The film’s two lead actors, Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, both received Academy and Golden Globe awards for their performances. Chicago Reader film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum wrote that what director James Brooks «Manages to do with (the characters) as they struggle mightily to connect with one another is funny, painful, beautiful, and basically truthful-a triumph for everyone involved.» [ 5 ]
However, praise for the film was not uniform among critics. Roger Ebert gave the film three stars (out of four) and called the film a «compromise, a film that forces a smile onto material that doesn’t wear one easily,» writing that the film drew «back to story formulas,» but had good dialog and performances. [ 6 ] Washington Post critic Desson Howe gave a generally negative review of the movie, writing that it «gets bogged down in sentimentality, while its wheels spin futilely in life-solving overdrive.» [ 7 ]
Awards
Organizations
| Organization | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Jack Nicholson | Won |
| Best Actress in a Leading Role | Helen Hunt | Won | |
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Greg Kinnear | Nominated | |
| Best Editing | Richard Marks | Nominated | |
| Best Picture | James L. Brooks, Bridget Johnson and Kristi Zea | Nominated | |
| Best Original Score – Musical or Comedy | Hans Zimmer | Nominated | |
| Best Screenplay – Original | Mark Andrus and James L. Brooks | Nominated | |
| ALMA Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Film | Lupe Ontiveros | Nominated |
| Chlotrudis Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| Czech Lions | Best Foreign Language Film | James L. Brooks | Nominated |
| GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Film – Wide Release | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role – Musical or Comedy | Jack Nicholson | Won |
| Best Actress in a Leading Role – Musical or Comedy | Helen Hunt | Won | |
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Greg Kinnear | Nominated | |
| Best Director | James L. Brooks | Nominated | |
| Best Film – Musical or Comedy | Won | ||
| Best Screenplay | Mark Andrus and James L. Brooks | Nominated | |
| MTV Movie Awards | Best Performance – Female | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role – Musical or Comedy | Jack Nicholson | Won |
| Best Actress in a Leading Role – Musical or Comedy | Helen Hunt | Won | |
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Musical or Comedy | Cuba Gooding, Jr. | Nominated | |
| Greg Kinnear | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Musical or Comedy | Shirley Knight | Nominated | |
| Best Film – Musical or Comedy | James L. Brooks, Bridget Johnson and Kristi Zea | Won | |
Guilds
| Guild | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Cinema Editors | Best Edited Film | Richard Marks | Nominated |
| Casting Society of America | Best Casting – Comedy Film | Francine Maisler | Nominated |
| Directors Guild of America | Outstanding Directing – Motion Pictures | James L. Brooks | Nominated |
| Motion Picture Sound Editors | Best Sound Editing – Music (Domestic and Foreign) | Nominated | |
| Producers Guild of America | Motion Picture Producer of the Year | James L. Brooks, Bridget Johnson and Kristi Zea | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild | Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role | Jack Nicholson | Won |
| Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role | Greg Kinnear | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role | Helen Hunt | Won | |
| Writers Guild of America | Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen | Mark Andrus and James L. Brooks | Won |
See also
References
External links
Complete List · (1951–1960) · (1961–1980) · (1981–2000) · (2001–2020)
Лучше не бывает
Я пойду куплю цветов, дорогая. Я вернусь через 20 минут.
Сейчас сезон тюльпанов. Я так счастлива.
Иди сюда, дорогуша.
Джек Николсон
Иди ко мне, дорогуша.
Мы немного прокатимся с тобой. А потом, можешь, обоссать хоть весь город.
Иди сюда. Тебя ждет лифт.
Ко мне.
Стоять! Ногу вниз. Ногу вниз.
Вот так. Иди ко мне.
Нет! Тупоголовая дрянь!
Ты в последний раз нассал на моем этаже.
Вот если бы ты был настоящей собакой.
Обезьяна с собачьими ушами.
Фильм Джеймса Брукса
Это Нью-Йорк.
Если ты делаешь это здесь, значит, можешь это делать везде.
Вонючая дрянь.
Лучше не бывает
Верделл?
Где мой хороший мальчик? Верделл?
Иди ко мне, дорогой.
Мистер Юдолл?
Вы не видели Верделла?
А как он выглядит?
Это моя собака. Вы же знаете.
Маленькая собачка со смешной мордочкой.
Разве вы забыли, как выглядит моя собака?
Вот оно что! Вы говорите о вашей собаке?
А я подумал, что это имя того цветного парня, который только что был в холле.
И какого цвета он был?
Как знойная патока.
— Еще у него был широкий нос.
— Фрэнк!
Этому носу известен запах неудач и тюремной еды.
— Саймон, тебе пора одеваться.
— Фрэнк Сакс, Мэлвин Юдолл.
Как поживаете?
Фрэнк выставляет мои работы, мистер Юдолл.
— Вы знаете.
— Скоро соберутся гости.
Я знаю одно, пока вы держитесь подальше от меня со своими делишками,
мне не будет дела до того, где именно, вы являете миру свое дешевое шоу.
Надеюсь, вы меня поняли, по-соседски?
— Привет, Карл.
— Где он, Фрэнк?
— Его нет? Он ведь живет здесь.
— Не волнуйтесь.
— У него возникли проблемы с собакой.
— Видели бы вы эту собаку.
Он великолепен.
Кто покупает больше меня? Кроме него работает еще масса мастеров.
Господи Боже. Где ты был?
Посмотрите на моего мальчика.
Только посмотрите.
— Я нашел его, мистер Бишоп.
— Мы уже поняли. Мы вам так благодарны.
Где был мой мальчик?
Я нашел его в мусорном баке, в подвале. Он ел объедки.
— Молодец, Джон, считай шутка удалась.
— Я удивился не меньше вашего.