Analysis of the - As Good As It Gets - Movie Review Example

Analysis of the Movie “As Good As It Gets” The movie As Good As It Gets is considered to be among the greatest to have been made in all time and this is because it works towards the development of an understanding of the basic human characteristics which are hardly ever considered to be a part of social make up. This film, Starring Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, is a masterpiece because it deals with real social problems and while it may have some sad moments, it is also a film which brings about an understanding of how different people live with various psychological conditions that they suffer from. The movie is one based on redemption because the individuals involved, especially Nicholson’s character Melvin, has to grow from basically being a recluse to being an individual that is more accepting of the diversity that life has to offer. The movie addresses issues which were considered to be taboo during the previous century as seen when there develops a friendship between the homophobic Melvin and his gay neighbor Simon. Melvin is a character that is not only homophobic but also obsessive-compulsive and this makes him a suitable individual to bring about the theme of individual isolation. This is mainly because he is an individual who only wishes to be left alone and does not care anything for all the people that live around him. He works from within his own apartment as a novelist, making a good living and one would even go as far as to say that he has everything going for him (Howe). However, this is not the case because as a result of his psychological condition, he is incapable of dealing with the issues of everyday life such as having friends, being tolerant of his neighbours, being polite, and most of all, getting along with all people that he encounters. Instead, Melvin does not have any meaningful interaction with anybody else except for the waitress Carol in his regular restaurant. His ability to interact is mainly limited to his hurling insults at anyone who attempts to address him or those that he deems to be beneath his notice. Melvin’s attitude ends up making him a man who is not only isolated but one who no one who knows him is willing to interact with. It is possible that if Carol did not tolerate his nature in the restaurant, then no other waitress would have been willing to serve him and this would most likely have left his more isolated than ever. One would therefore suggest that Carol is probably Melvin’s only true contact with the outside world and this is probably because of her human nature. One of the main themes of this movie is that of discrimination and this is shown through the behavior of Melvin towards anybody with whom he interacts. The discriminatory attitude adopted by Melvin is because of his misanthropy which is a psychological condition that involves an individual hating or not being able to tolerate other human beings (Hoof, Raaijmakers, Beek, Hale and Aleva 773). It is because of this condition, coupled with his obsessive-compulsion, which makes him so intolerant of other people in his life. From the onset of the movie, one finds him hurling racist, sexist, homophobic, or physical insults towards anyone that irritates him; which is essentially everybody that he meets. This attitude is what makes it difficult for Melvin to live a normal life because he is not able to stand anyone without feeling the urge to hurl an insult that not only hurts individuals but is aimed at damaging their self-esteem. The movie brings about the realization that it is possible that people are not actually intentionally bent on discriminating against others but are suffering from one form of a psychological condition or another, which may affect the way that they interact with others. Moreover, because of his obsessive compulsion, we seen Melvin brining his own plastic cutlery to the restaurant despite there being clean silverware available for his use, as Carol tactfully tells him. However, as the movie progresses, we find that Melvin’s attitude begins to change as he comes to view life from a different perspective that is not clouded by his misanthropy or his obsessive-compulsion. The result is that Melvin is able to deal with his issues to such an extent that he comes to win the love of Carol with the movie ending with his taking the first step towards doing away with his negative perception of the world and all the people with whom he interacts. Another theme that appears in the movie is the need for social interaction as seen through the lives of the three main characters. Melvin’s misanthropy and obsessive-compulsion seem to develop mainly because he chooses not to have any cordial relationships with anyone (McLoughlin 3). Instead, he lives an isolated life resulting in his developing attitudes which go against most social norms. His negative attitude is so bad that at the beginning of the movie, one sees Melvin hurling Simon’s dog down a garbage chute most likely out of spite. Moreover, when he goes out to a nearby restaurant, he brings his own cutlery with him because he is afraid that he might get infected with germs from the restaurant’s cutlery; a result of his obsessive-compulsive condition. The only person with whom Melvin seems to have any sort of conversational relationship is Carol, a waitress at his customary restaurant. Carol is a humane individual who, despite Melvin’s frequent cruel remarks towards her, seems to be able to tolerate him where others avoid him. We find out that Carol has a son who has severe asthma and it is likely that her behavior towards Melvin is shaped by her care for her son. Therefore, instead of taking Melvin’s remarks personally, she chooses to ignore him and keep on serving him where other waitresses do not dare. The only instance where Carol gets upset with Melvin is when he makes a derogatory remark about her son, and Carol threatens not to ever serve him again unless he takes back the remark he has just made. Melvin immediately does so because that is the only restaurant from which he can tolerate eating. When all hope seems to be lost in the redemption of Melvin from his antisocial behavior, something happens which becomes a positive reinforcer in his life. After an incident where his neighbor, the artist Simon is beaten up and severely wounded, Simon’s agent convinces Melvin to take care of his dog; the same one that he threw down the garbage chute (Frutkin 27). Although he does not want to Melvin decides to take care of it and as time goes by, he comes to develop some affection towards the dog; a feeling which is completely unexpected not only for him, but also for the audience. Later, when it seems that he might lose the services of the only waitress who will serve him, Melvin offers to take care of all the medical expenses of Carol’s asthmatic son as long as she continues to work at the restaurant. While this action is done out of self-interest, it shows that even though he cares nothing for other people, Melvin still has a heart and he will do what it takes to ensure that Carol’s son gets the treatment needed to make him better. Therefore, Melvin is forced by circumstances to become a better man because if he does not take this step to improve himself, then it is likely that he will end up completely alone without the social support that all human beings need in order to live fulfilling lives. The ability to make a compromise in his beliefs as well as ensure that he not only caters for Carol’s son, but also allows Simon to move in with him as the latter recovers, puts Melvin on the road to become a better man and ensures that he eventually wins the love of Carol, who he admits he loves. In conclusion, one would suggest that this is a movie of redemption as Melvin moves from being an antisocial individual to one who is not only responsible, but also has friends on who he can rely. He comes to discover long dormant feelings within him such a genuine affection as well as caring; aspect of his character which are not witnessed at the beginning of the movie. At the beginning, one finds that Melvin is a character that is not only homophobic but also obsessive-compulsive and this makes brings about the theme of individual isolation. In addition, the theme of discrimination is displayed in the movie and this is shown through the behavior of Melvin towards anybody with whom he interacts. Another theme that appears in the movie is the need for social interaction as seen through the lives of the three main characters, namely Melvin, Carol, and Simon, as each contributes to their odd friendship. Finally, the discussion above has shown that when all hope seems to be lost in the redemption of Melvin from his antisocial behavior, a positive reinforce comes into play that turns Melvin into a better man. Works Cited As Good As It Gets. Dir. James L. Brooks. TriStar Pictures, 1997. Film. Frutkin, Alan. "Gregs Gay Outing: Talk Soups Former Host has a Burgeoning Movie Career. in His Latest Film, as Good as it Gets, Greg Kinnear Plays it Gay -- and, Learns a Lesson Or Two about Homophobia." The Advocate Dec 23 1997: 27. Hoof, A., Raaijmakers, Q.A.W., Beek, Y., Hale, William W. and Aleva, L. "A Multi-mediation Model on the Relations of Bullying, Victimization, Identity, and Family with Adolescent Depressive Symptoms." Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 2008. 37.7: 772-782. Howe, Desson. “As Good as It Gets: Saving the Worst for Last.” Washington Post. December 23, 1997. McLoughlin, Gavin. Friendliness; and my fight against it. New York: Touchstone Press, 2003. Read More