Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) is the kind of man most people wouldn't want to meet. A bigoted, obnoxious writer with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, he spends his life avoiding cracks in the sidewalk and verbally abusing everybody around him, including his soft-spoken gay neighbor, Simon (Greg Kinnear.) The only person he will tolerate is Carol (Helen Hunt,) a stressed-out waitress struggling to support a chronically sick son. Carol, unsurprisingly, despises Melvin.
One day, Simon is robbed and badly beaten by a couple of thugs, and is unable to care for Verdell, his beloved dog. His partner, Frank (Cuba Gooding Jr.) decides to coerce Melvin into caring for the animal, as payment for his relentless bullying of the couple. Simon is understandably worried for Verdell's safety (Melvin once threw him down a garbage disposal,) but goes along with the plan. Luckily, Frank is the only person who really intimidates Melvin, and Verdell remains in one piece.
As the film progresses, Melvin begins to become a better person. At first for selfish reasons, he starts helping Carol and Simon, but eventually he becomes less self-centered and cares somewhat for others. He even forms an attachment for Verdell, Simon's ugly-but-almost-cute dog, who has an almost uncanny resemblance to an ewok.
The problem is, I'm making this movie sound like a tacky tearjerker, and it's actually quite good. This isn't the kind of epiphany story where Melvin suddenly learns to love humanity and turns from horrible jerk to lovely person (a la' "Rain Man.") Nor is it a testament to the Christian faith, like the totally forgettable "The Ultimate Gift." It is a nicely constructed story that provides no easy answers, no escape routes to morality. Also, some of the lines, especially Melvin's ("People who speak in metaphors ought to shampoo my crotch") are very funny and great to quote.
This is a very good movie, despite it's overlength (running at 139 minutes.) For you movie buffs, Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt won best actor and actress at the 1997 Academy Awards.
One day, Simon is robbed and badly beaten by a couple of thugs, and is unable to care for Verdell, his beloved dog. His partner, Frank (Cuba Gooding Jr.) decides to coerce Melvin into caring for the animal, as payment for his relentless bullying of the couple. Simon is understandably worried for Verdell's safety (Melvin once threw him down a garbage disposal,) but goes along with the plan. Luckily, Frank is the only person who really intimidates Melvin, and Verdell remains in one piece.
As the film progresses, Melvin begins to become a better person. At first for selfish reasons, he starts helping Carol and Simon, but eventually he becomes less self-centered and cares somewhat for others. He even forms an attachment for Verdell, Simon's ugly-but-almost-cute dog, who has an almost uncanny resemblance to an ewok.
The problem is, I'm making this movie sound like a tacky tearjerker, and it's actually quite good. This isn't the kind of epiphany story where Melvin suddenly learns to love humanity and turns from horrible jerk to lovely person (a la' "Rain Man.") Nor is it a testament to the Christian faith, like the totally forgettable "The Ultimate Gift." It is a nicely constructed story that provides no easy answers, no escape routes to morality. Also, some of the lines, especially Melvin's ("People who speak in metaphors ought to shampoo my crotch") are very funny and great to quote.
This is a very good movie, despite it's overlength (running at 139 minutes.) For you movie buffs, Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt won best actor and actress at the 1997 Academy Awards.
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