As Good as It Gets Backdrop Blur
As Good as It Gets Poster

As Good as It Gets

"A comedy from the heart that goes for the throat."

A misanthropic author, a single mother and waitress, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship after the artist is assaulted in a robbery.

Top Cast

  • Jack Nicholson

    Jack Nicholson

    Melvin Udall

  • Helen Hunt

    Helen Hunt

    Carol Connelly

  • Greg Kinnear

    Greg Kinnear

    Simon Bishop

  • Cuba Gooding Jr.

    Cuba Gooding Jr.

    Frank Sachs

  • Shirley Knight

    Shirley Knight

    Beverly Connelly

  • Jesse James

    Jesse James

    Spencer Connelly

  • Yeardley Smith

    Yeardley Smith

    Jackie Simpson

  • Lupe Ontiveros

    Lupe Ontiveros

    Nora Manning

  • Skeet Ulrich

    Skeet Ulrich

    Vincent Lopiano

Overview

A misanthropic author, a single mother and waitress, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship after the artist is assaulted in a robbery.

Rating

7.4 / 10
4,151 Reviews
3 Popular

3 Reviews

  • Andre Gonzales
    Andre Gonzales
    6 Apr 18, 2023

    When I first saw this movie I thought it was going to be a funny movie. It's actually a serious drama movie. I still liked it but he's a prick in this movie.

  • Rob
    Rob
    8 May 19, 2023

    This movie will hit you hard, force you to think about your biases and make you pretty damn uncomfortable. But don't fret, you'll feel better by the end. And Nicholson is so natural as a misanthrope.

  • CinemaSerf
    CinemaSerf
    7 May 28, 2023

    Greg Kinnear ("Simon") finds himself in hospital after a brutal bit of gay-bashing, and that means that his small, yappie, dog ("Jill") has to be entrusted to his rather curmudgeonly, author neighbour "Melvin" (Jack Nicholson) - not exactly the most loving and obvious of choices. Now this latter guy isn't exactly flavour of the month - indeed it's really only waitress "Carol" (Helen Hunt) who will put up with his selfish and churlish behaviour. When her young son becomes ill, she has to take time off and "Melvin" finds himself truly alone - with no breakfast! The solution, well all three of them take a trip and, well, you can imagine that with Nicholson and Hunt on super form here, Kinnear clearly thriving as their foil, and a screenplay from James L. Brooks at his best, we get an highly entertaining and earthy hybrid of comedy and the most unlikely semblance of romance as the three realise that there is so much more to life than any realised was possible. It's a wee bit long, but the characterisations are rich and engaging and there is a genuine chemistry on screen between all three - and the dog! It's a feel good film that has some serious undercurrents but those are dealt with in a fashion that is potent but not preachy and provides us with food-for-thought wrapped in a smile. Definitely worth watching.

Trailers & Clips

Recommendations

A Dog Year

Jon Katz is close to burnout. He's a writer with writer's block; his wife has left for her sister's because he's emotionally distant; he rarely answers his phone. A kennel sends him a border collie that's undisciplined because of abuse. Despite a series of mishaps, Jon decides to keep trying with the dog, and he rents a dilapidated farm house to give the dog room to run. A local handyman refers Jon to a woman who might be able to help him train the dog. Reluctantly, Jon gives her a try. Is the dog the problem, or the owner?

A Dog Year

6.1 2009