'As Good As It Gets' rebels with extraordinariness

'As Good As It Gets' rebels with extraordinariness

By Rayya Makarim

JAKARTA (JP): The opening scene of As Good As It Gets shows
Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson), a romance novelist, hurling his
neighbor's dog down the garbage chute. In the next 15 minutes,
Melvin proceeds to insult everyone in sight, turn his door lock
five times, throw away bars of soap after one use, avoid cracks
on the sidewalk, and dine out taking along his own plastic
utensils.

When asked how he writes the female character so convincingly,
he replies with an evil smirk, "I think of a man, and I take away
reason and accountability." Do we really want to continue
watching this film? Most definitely!

Old-time hyphenate: director-writer-producer James L. Brooks
is a three-time Academy Award winner who brought to the screen
such achievements as Terms of Endearment and Broadcast News. This
year, he is back with a film that has an incredible cast, an
unconventional love story, and seven Oscar nominations for Best
Picture, Best Actor. Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best
Original Screenplay, Best film editing and Best Musical or Comedy
Score.

The Academy Awards will be presented tomorrow in Los Angeles.

As Good As It Gets revolves around three extraordinary
characters that find their lives strangely intertwined. Melvin is
a recluse in his Manhattan apartment and suffers from an
obsessive-compulsive disorder.

He rails against blacks and Jews, and cringes when another
person touches him. Part of Melvin's daily ritual is brunch at a
nearby cafe where Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt) is a waitress, his
only contact with humankind, and the only person who can deal
with his behavior.

Meanwhile, Melvin's neighbor, Simon Nye (Greg Kinnear), who
for antagonistic purposes is a gay artist, is robbed and battered
in his apartment, a perfect vehicle to get these three together.
Melvin is forced to take care of Verdell, the dog, and later,
drive Simon to see his parents and ask them for money.

To make the journey bearable Melvin asks Carol to come along.
The road trip leads to the exploration of each character's
personality and needs, unveiling a story about tolerance, love
and friendship.

The script may seem clumsy, and the dialog loose, giving a
rather disconnected feeling, yet the story grows on you.
Nicholson is brutal in his portrayal of the obnoxious and
seemingly inhumane Melvin.

But when Carol's son, who has chronic, life-threatening
asthma, takes a turn for the worst, it is Melvin who steps in and
pays all medical expenses, although supposedly with an ulterior
motive i.e.: that Carol return to work, ready to take his order.

Nicholson handles this complex role with phenomenal results.
For the first time. Nicholson does not fill the screen with his
usual overbearing persona. Instead, he weaves in and out of focus
with a vulnerable uncertainty that allows him to share the space
with others.

Comments directed at Carol or about her, such as, "You make me
want to be a better man," or "She's the kind of woman that if you
make her laugh, you've got a life" are delivered by Nicholson
with an awkward, almost naive honesty.

As a result, the two-time Oscar winner succeeds in showing the
transformation of a man, without it ever getting overly
sentimental.

Equally astounding performances are from Hunt and Kinnear.
Better known as Jamie Buchman on NBC's hit series Mad About You,
and got big-screen popularity in Twister, Hunt offers balanced
doses of tough and tender scenes, the perfect ingredients to cope
with Melvin's cynicism.

Kinnear's Simon is careful and never overdone, producing an
exceptional characterization that if played by a lesser actor
could have easily been reduced to a stereotype.

The three play off each other beautifully. During the trip
Carol supports the vulnerable and wounded Simon. Finally, both
Simon and Carol's positive energy rubs off on Melvin.

These two people manage to touch Melvin's life, and the most
obvious indication of this is when Melvin, near the conclusion
says, "I forgot to lock the door."

As Good As It Gets' principle merit is that it does not try to
be extraordinary. The film written by Mark Andrus and James L.
Brooks really is as good as it gets. Through the film, one
recognizes the double-edged meaning of the title expression, and
the film skillfully illustrates both interpretations.

The treatment of the title can be taken in a positive or
negative way. Similarly, the plot can be viewed as being
extremely contrived or completely random. But, one thing is
certain, As Good As It Gets is fluid, it flows, like life, with
all its chance meetings and interactions.