As Good as It Gets

86%

Tomatometer

85 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) is an obsessive-compulsive writer of romantic fiction who's rude to everyone he meets, including his gay neighbor Simon (Greg Kinnear), but when he has to look after Simon's dog, he begins to soften and, if still not completely over his problems, finds he can conduct a relationship with the only waitress (Helen Hunt) at the local diner who'll serve him.

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Critics Consensus

James L. Brooks and Jack Nicholson, doing what they do best, combine smart dialogue and flawless acting to squeeze fresh entertainment value out of the romantic-comedy genre.

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Critics Reviews

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As Good as It Gets | Rotten Tomatoes (1)

Duane Byrge

Hollywood Reporter

With terrific lead performances by Jack Nicholson as a demonic novelist and Helen Hunt as a Manhattan waitress, As Good as It Gets is as good as mature adult entertainment gets on the silver screen.

Dec 23, 2019

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As Good as It Gets | Rotten Tomatoes (2)

Anupama Chopra

Film Companion

This is the stuff of formula but director James L. Brooks and co-writer Mark Andrus elevate it with terrific writing.

Aug 28, 2018

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As Good as It Gets | Rotten Tomatoes (3)

Jason Bailey

Vice

On one hand, it's Brooks's film that most betrays his TV sitcom roots; it's also one of his more ambitious works, packing in subplots and subjects by the handful-indicative of a filmmaker who seems to genuinely struggle with the confines of the genre.

Jan 2, 2018

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As Good as It Gets | Rotten Tomatoes (4)

James Croot

Stuff.co.nz

Despite seemingly being given pretty much free rein to ham things up mercilessly, he [Jack Nicholson] shines without ever becoming too much.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 28, 2023

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As Good as It Gets | Rotten Tomatoes (5)

Dan DiNicola

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

A charming romantic comedy that will make you laugh and feel good. Excellent performances all around.

Rated: A-

Jan 19, 2023

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As Good as It Gets | Rotten Tomatoes (6)

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

James L. Brooks’ screenplay is fantastic, we are in their lives, it feels as if we are PART of their lives and watching it from right up close.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 7, 2023

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Audience Reviews

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Fabrícia F Uma comédia deliciosamente temperada com uma trama coerente e atuações brilhantes. Vale a pena conferir, rir e pensar sem se levar tão a sério. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/01/24 Full Review Sams K J & H what a couple! Wonderful movie. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/24/24 Full Review Ben S Amazing film that I didn't see till 16 years after its release.JN & HH ARE AT THERE BEST . Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/31/24 Full Review Ollie S With the perfect ingredients, the perfect recipe, and the most perfect cooks, you end up getting the perfect meal. As good As it Get's is exactly that, the best of the best, a film that only comes along once every 25 years. A once in a lifetime experience is seeing this movie for the first time and then the 20 times after that. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/28/24 Full Review John M Endless unbearable cringe, maybe there was a different standard in 1997, but it is unwatchable now. Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 04/20/24 Full Review Aidan M Nicholson in most of his films is a jerk, especially in this one, but this film shows the complexities of one's life and how people change, about how you think of man and take away reason and accountability. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/27/24 Full Review Read all reviews

As Good as It Gets

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Cast & Crew

James L. Brooks Director Jack Nicholson Melvin Udall Helen Hunt Carol Connelly Greg Kinnear Simon Bishop Cuba Gooding Jr. Frank Sachs Skeet Ulrich Vincent Lopiano

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As Good as It Gets

As Good as It Gets: Official Clip - Sell Crazy Someplace Else