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Once upon a time, in a far away land, there lived a handsome prince. Well, maybe not so far away…Manhattan is really
only about a days drive. And come to think of it, prince doesn’t really define his line of work…though being a
writer is certainly a revered occupation. As for handsome…maybe slightly attractive is more accurate. Anyway, this slightly
attractive writer from Manhattan was loved by all…wait, no, that’s definitely not right. This guy could not even
boast to having a positive regard from the mailman. Of the neighboring city.
As Good As It Gets is the story about a very bitter, mean mouthed writer named Melvin Udall. At the start of the film,
Melvin's greatest peeves are his two neighbors: Simon the homosexual artist and Verdell, his precocious puppy. While Simon's
art soirees and Verdell's bathroom habits don't seem to upset the rest of the tenants in the Manhattan apartment building,
Melvin goes out of his way express his displeasure at their existence. And expressing his displeasure is what Melvin excels
in. It is clear that Melvin would like nothing more than a world in which only Melvin himself inhabited
Fate, however, has a completely different plan for Melvin. After Simon is horribly assaulted, Verdell has no home and Melvin
is forced to take him in. While he is not happy with this at first, the cuddly pooch's keen observations emulations of what
pleases Melvin, quickly begin to thaw his icy heart. Verdell makes Melvin realize how wonderful companionship can be.
Someone else whom Melvin doesn’t count on to change his sacred routine is Carole. Carole is a waitress at the restaurant
where Melvin eats the same breakfast every day. Melvin also makes it a point to add difficulty to Carole's life. Difficulty
that is not welcome as her son suffers from asthma. Carole is a strong, hardworking, ethically conscious woman who does not
take Melvin's guff, a courage that Melvin secretly admires and appreciates. Realizing her plight, Melvin arranges for a personal
doctor to cater for her son's every medical need. In return, Carole offers her heart...well, after a fight or two.
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