As Good As It Gets

Melvin Udall (Nicholson), a cranky, bigoted, obsessive-compulsive writer, finds his life turned upside down when neighboring gay artist Simon (Kinnear) is hospitalized and his dog is entrusted to Melvin. In addition, Carol (Hunt), the only waitress who will tolerate him, must leave work to care for her sick son, making it impossible for Melvin to eat breakfast. What develops is a weekend trip/triangle between these three individuals, and together they learn the true meaning of "the bright side of life".

Revealing mistake: At the beginning of the movie, when Melvin catches Simon's dog, he holds it away from him, with his arms stretched. When the dog begins to pee, you can see that the urine is coming out from Melvin's glove. (00:01:30)

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Melvin Udall: I've got a really great compliment for you, and it's true.
Carol Connelly: I'm so afraid you're about to say something awful.
Melvin Udall: Don't be pessimistic, it's not your style. Okay, here I go: Clearly, a mistake. I've got this, what - ailment? My doctor, a shrink that I used to go to all the time, he says that in fifty or sixty percent of the cases, a pill really helps. I *hate* pills, very dangerous thing, pills. Hate. I'm using the word "hate" here, about pills. Hate. My compliment is, that night when you came over and told me that you would never... All right, well, you were there, you know what you said. Well, my compliment to you is, the next morning, I started taking the pills.
Carol Connelly: I don't quite get how that's a compliment for me.
Melvin Udall: You make me want to be a better man.
Carol Connelly: ...That's maybe the best compliment of my life.
Melvin Udall: Well, maybe I overshot a little, because I was aiming at just enough to keep you from walking out.

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Trivia: Helen Hunt won a Oscar for her role in this movie. Earlier that year she won an Emmy for Mad About You making her the only actress in history to win both awards in the same year.

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Question: Why does Melvin struggle to look Carol in the eye? Is that something to do with his mental illness?

Answer: It has everything to do with his mental illness. His OCD condition has kept him isolated with anti-social tendencies. He just finds it difficult to directly interact with people.

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