Customer Reviews
'I should have danced with you'.... - By: RD, 14 Feb 2008 
This is one of my favourite movies of alll time. I harass as many of my friends as possible into watching it (preferably with me so I can have my fix!).
Most American comedies rely on people doing silly/stupid things for their humour as opposed to being witty. 'As good as it gets' aims to address this in my opinion. Most of the humour comes from Jack Nicholson being the scathing, disinhibited (and hence) friendless Melvin.His OCD means he visits the same diner every morning for breakfast where Helen Hunt is a waitress. She is also the only person who will put up with him, always quite happy to tell him to watch it and/or shut it she is Melvin's secret love.
The robbery & assault of Melvin's neighbour serves as the catalyst for change in his life which includes trying to win Carol's affections with some funny faux pas as a result.
This is an utterly brilliant movie. The romance subtle as is some of the humour. There are many layers to what is happening making it more than just a romantic comedy. Defintely deserving of the oscars garnered.
Don't believe the hype!!! - By: Frank Candour, 19 Jan 2008 
If you take the meaning to be positive(As good as it gets) then you'll be in for something which eluded me??? My take is that it was As good as it gets(in the negative)...I like Nicholson & the premise...but it did nothing for me...totallly over-rated.....
It does what is says on the wrapper. - By: Jay Zee, 22 Nov 2007 A reallly well executed feel good romantic comedy with excellent performances from the three main characters played by Helen Hunt, Jack Nicholson & Greg Kinnear. The redemption of the loveless Nicholson character is well done from obsessive asocial loner to lovelorn social incompetent. Kinnear is pitch perfect but the Hunt character is my favourite because of the dignity in adversary, & the wet tee shirt scene didn't hurt either.
Well worth the trouble; buy it so you can watch it again.
Quite simply 'as good as it gets' - By: Penelope, 15 Oct 2007 This is a wickedly funny movie, dealing with an illness often reduced to the butt of jokes. It is fitting then that Jack Nicholson's portrayal of Melvin an obsessive compulsive is tragicallly genuine, yet wonderfully funny in its demonstration of the complete irrationality typical of the disease. Nicholson neither plays the character as a martyr, nor as a completely inhuman being. Rather the facets of his character develop as his love firstly for a dog & then for a woman compromise his insular & restricted lifestyle. The developing relationship between Nicholson & Helen Hunt's Carol is lovely to watch, particularly the growingly evident fact that Melvin the obsessive & Carol the neurotic have more in common with each other than they realise. Furthermore it is a joy to watch the chemistry between Melvin & the dog Verdal. Most evidently this is a movie that demonstrates the important & healing effect human relationships can have on people. It is not dependent on special effects, gimmicks or even conventionallly good looking actors, rather it simply relies on an absolutely fantastic, flawless script. Nicholson delivers his lines like no other actor could, enunicating his deliciously shocking reproaches with his own personal charisma. This is probably why the film gets away with some of Melvin's more bigoted attitudes. Also because Melvin insults just about everyone he comes into contact with it is difficult to take his straight talking attitude personallly. Rather it should simply be viewed as symptomatic of his illness, & ultimately the joke is on Melvin who can't walk on the cracks in the pavement, or eat with the restaurant cutlery. I can return to this film time & time again & it never fails to make me laugh out loud. It has real heart & depicts a subtle, unusual & genuine romance, that draws out the humanity behind Nicholson's anti-social & critical Melvin. Melvin's character development from his this is 'as good as it gets' attitude, to his realisation that Carol 'makes him want to be a better man', poignantly demonstrates his desire to overcome his illness in order to truely live his life. Jack Nicholson throughly deserved his oscar for his portrayal of the truelly one-off Melvin.
Definitely recommended - very funny, very touching - By: P. G. Harris, 01 Sep 2007 
This is a film which could be defined by what it's not. Yes its a rom com, but its far too edgy for that to fit. Its not a chick flick , its an everybody movie. Its a Jack Nicholson film, but its not Jack Nicholson acting by numbers, its Jack Nicholson genuinely giving a complex & compelling performance. The central relationship between Nicholson & the stunningly good Helen Hunt is of course the touching heart of the film, but for me the relationship between Melvin (Nicholson) & his gay neighbour Simon (Greg Kinnear) provides the laugh out loud moments. The chinese soup scene is an absolute killer. Should be part of everybody's DVD collection.
