Search - As Good As It Gets [Widescreen/Fullscreen]

James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News) directed this $50 million-plus romantic comedy, set in Manhattan. Dysfunctional, acid-tongued romance novelist Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson), who suffers from an obsessive-compulsive disorder, takes pride in his ability to offend. At a nearby cafe, the only waitress willing to stand up to his sarcastic tirades is Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt), a single mother struggling to raise her chronically asthmatic son. In Melvin's West Village apartment building, talented contemporary artist Simon Nye (Greg Kinnear) lives across the hall from Melvin. Simon is the current darling of the New York art world, reason enough to draw Melvin's verbal fire, but Simon's gay lifestyle is further grist for the novelist's malicious mill. These three New Yorkers, none of whom appears to have a chance in hell at finding true happiness, discover their fates intertwined because of the fourth complicated character in the piece, Verdell, a tiny Brussels Griffon dog (played by newcomer Jill, after a 15-week training program). Melvin seems to have no friends or family, and he lives alone, working on his 62nd book.

When Simon goes into the hospital after a brutal mugging, Melvin has to take care of Verdell, and the dog actually warms Melvin's cold heart -- to the degree that he sets up unsolicited medical care for Carol's son. Eventually, Melvin is cornered into driving Simon and Carol to Baltimore, and during a hotel stopover, Melvin confesses to Carol, "You make me want to be a better man." The trip becomes an odyssey of self-realization for all three. Locations included Brooklyn's Prospect Park (Carol's neighborhood) and Greenwich Village (where Melvin's building is on 12th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues). Other exteriors were shot in downtown Los Angeles, where a dilapidated transient hotel at the corner of 4th Street and Main was transformed into the chic cafe where Carol works. Sets for the Simon/Melvin apartment interiors were erected on a soundstage at the Sony Pictures lot. Simon's paintings were created for the film by New York artist Billy Sullivan, whose work is part of the modern art collection at NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Art and the New Orleans Museum of Art. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Jack Nicholson - Melvin Udall
Helen Hunt - Carol Connelly
Greg Kinnear - Simon Bishop
Cuba Gooding, Jr. - Frank Sachs
Skeet Ulrich - Vincent
Shirley Knight - Beverly
Jesse James - Spencer Connelly
Harold Ramis - Dr. Betz

1997	Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or C (winner)	Golden Globe	Helen Hunt
1997	Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Com (winner)	Golden Globe	Jack Nicholson
1997	Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic (nominee)	Golden Globe	Greg Kinnear
1997	Best Director (nominee)	Golden Globe	James L. Brooks
1997	Best Screenplay (nominee)	Golden Globe	Mark Andrus
1997	Best Screenplay (nominee)	Golden Globe	James L. Brooks
1997	Best Actor (winner)	Broadcast Film Critics Association	Jack Nicholson
1997	Best Director (nominee)	Directors Guild of America	James L. Brooks
1997	Best Actor (winner)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Jack Nicholson
1997	Best Actress (winner)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Helen Hunt
1997	Best Editing (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Richard Marks
1997	Best Musical or Comedy Score (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Hans Zimmer
1997	Best Original Screenplay (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	James L. Brooks
1997	Best Original Screenplay (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Mark Andrus
1997	Best Picture (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	James L. Brooks
1997	Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Greg Kinnear
1997	Best Actor (winner)	National Board of Review	Jack Nicholson
1997	Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic (winner)	National Board of Review	Greg Kinnear
1997	Best Actor - Runner-up (winner)	Toronto Film Critics Association	Jack Nicholson
1997	Best Actor (winner)	Screen Actors Guild	Jack Nicholson
1997	Best Actress (nominee)	Screen Actors Guild	Helen Hunt
1997	Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic (nominee)	Screen Actors Guild	Greg Kinnear
1997	Best Picture (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Bridget Johnson
1997	Best Picture (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Kristi Zea

James L. Brooks' surprising tale proving that an obsessive-compulsive writer, a single mother, and a gay artist living in Manhattan are really just like anyone else makes for an appealing DVD. The double-sided disc allows for viewing in 16 x 9 widescreen or full-screen formats. Sound selections include English Dolby Surround Sound or 5.1 Digital, as well as a French-language option. A still-frame chapter selection allows for easy navigation through the film. English, French, and Spanish subtitles are also available. The DVD also features an in-depth commentary with director Brooks, actors Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, and Greg Kinnear, editor Richard Marks, producer Laurence Mark, and composer Hans Zimmer. This commentary covers every aspect of the film, allowing viewers to see just why three Manhattanites and their troubles really do matter to the rest of us. ~ Christopher Fielder, All Movie Guide

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