'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.