Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) is not someone who will charm you over dinner. On the contrary, he is someone you would see on the street and change your direction. He is a misogynist and a misanthrope; throw in the mix a couple of phobias, and there you have Melvin Udall.And yet, there comes a turn in As Good As It Gets (1997), when this cantankerous prick somehow manages to have a genuine loving moment—after being “tasked” to pay a compliment to balance out the insensitive remark he had hurled earlier. It happens over dinner with Carol (Helen Hunt), the woman (actually the only person in his life) with whom he can interact on a human level. Also, the only person who can make him want to be a better man.This diner scene is where the movie’s emotional equilibrium shifts, transforming Udall into someone affable instead of someone hateful. This is where Udall’s character stops being a caricature and becomes painfully relatable.Why does this line work even today? Is it the writing? Delivery? Or timing? Let’s explore.The Unlikely Redemption of Melvin UdallA Portrait of MisanthropyMelvin appears to be beyond redemption from the opening scene—you know, where he dumps a little puppy down a garbage chute. His daily routines are dictated by his OCD, which he combines with racism, homophobia, and unrelenting cruelty. He treats Carol more like a servant than a human, berates strangers without hesitation, and unabashedly taunts his gay neighbor, Simon (Greg Kinnear). We have very little reason to...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Today