Jack Nicholson’s name has to be brought up whenever any discussions are had about the greatest actors of all time, as it is rather overwhelming to consider how many excellent classics he has appeared in. Nicholson is one of the rare stars who has been in the industry throughout several stages of development; he got his big break during the “New Hollywood” era, but remained active in making new films until his final performance in How Do You Know back in 2010. Nicholson was always great at playing villains, and is often associated with the line “here’s Johnny” in The Shining, or “you can’t handle the truth” in A Few Good Men . However, a touching monologue about the importance of self-improvement in As Good as It Gets represents the best of what Nicholson can do on screen.
‘As Good as It Gets’ Is an Inspiring Romantic Dramedy
As Good as It Gets stars Nicholson as the reclusive author Melvin Udall, whose social awkwardness, irritability, and struggles with OCD make it very hard for him to connect with others. Melvin eventually begins to get out of his shell when he begins to fall in love with the waitress Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt), who tolerates his peculiarities and treats him with more respect than he probably deserves. As the two begin to fall closer in love, after they go on a road trip with their friend Simon (Greg Kinnear), Melvin takes Carol out for a fancy dinner. Although attending a nice restaurant and conforming to social constraints generally makes him feel uncomfortable, Melvin tells Carol, “you make me want to be a better man,” suggesting that he is trying very hard to become someone that she could imagine spending the rest of her life with.
Nicholson shows why this admission is very important for Melvin, as he has remained apprehensive about making any serious changes to the manner in which he conducts his daily routines. While Carol has been very kind to him, Melvin understands that her pleasant nature is simply inherent, and that he needs to make an effort if he wants them to be more than just acquaintances. Melvin’s struggles with his mental health make it very difficult for it to seem like he is changing, as he cannot help but be a bit abrasive when he is under a lot of stress. The admission that Carol has been inspiring him to make positive changes in his life isn’t just a rare moment of vulnerability, but an attempt by Melvin to treat someone else with compassion.
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Jack Nicholson Hilariously Shut Down Mark Wahlberg’s Attempt at Improvising on ‘The Departed’
“Make sure that’s the end of that!”
‘As Good as It Gets’ Showed a Different Side of Jack Nicholson
As Good as It Gets marked a major career achievement for Nicholson, as it was a role that won him an Academy Award for Best Actor. While there are many great actors that struggle to retain relevance later on in their careers, Nicholson was cast against type as a nervous, temperamental scoundrel who had difficulty performing basic duties. While he was certainly still at the top of the box office thanks to the success of Batman and The Witches of Eastwick, As Good as It Gets showed that Nicholson hadn’t lost any of the attention to detail that had made him so beloved in the first place. By not relying on his idiosyncrasies and immersing himself in a somewhat untraditional cinematic hero, Nicholson revealed a deeper level to his brilliance.
As Good as It Gets would not work nearly as well without Nicholson, as he is what allows the film to be so dynamic in terms of its tone. There are moments of slapstick comedy in the film that are simply uproarious, but there are also some very distressing scenes of anguish and trauma that become very upsetting to watch. Nicholson’s powerful line about the effect that Carol has had on Melvin sums up what As Good as It Gets is going for; it’s a film about the relationships that people have, and how strange, unpredictable, and insightful they can be. While the line may have come off as forced from anyone else, Nicholson’s delivery makes it just about perfect.
As Good As It Gets
- Release Date
- December 19, 1997
- Cast
- Helen Hunt , Jack Nicholson , Greg Kinnear , Cuba Gooding Jr. , Shirley Knight , Jesse James , Yeardley Smith , Lupe Ontiveros , Skeet Ulrich , Harold Ramis , Bibi Osterwald , Ross Bleckner , Bernadette Balagtas , Jaffe Cohen , Laurie Kilpatrick , Alice Vaughn , Brian Doyle-Murray , Kristi Zea , Annie Maginnis Tippe , Patricia Childress , Rebekah Johnson , Missi Pyle , Leslie Stefanson , Tara Subkoff , Shane Black
- Runtime
- 139 minutes
- Writers
- James L. Brooks
As Good as It Gets is currently streaming on Max in the U.S.
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