"You Make me want to Be a Better Man!" As Good As It Gets Movie Reaction!!

My first time watching As Good As It Gets
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I’ve never seen a film quite like this. Three very different characters and stories, yet each one was surprisingly captivating. VERY impressed with each performance in this film. I hope you enjoyed my As Good As It Gets movie reaction & commentary.
Favorite quote? "You make me want to be a better man." What's yours?
Hi, I'm Chris! Welcome to my channel. I react to movies & tv shows hoping to represent what it's really like to experience them for the first time. If you enjoy, you can support me by liking the video, subscribing to the channel, and letting me know your thoughts in the comments.
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Original Movie: As Good As It Gets (1997)

[@CasualNerdReactions]

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[@jeremymlad]

One of the things I like so much about this movie is it's three people who are not speaking the same language to each other at all, but also desperately trying to communicate to each other. Melvin is definitely despicable at the beginning! His fear of vulnerability chief among his fears does not excuse his actions. But as these people spend more time "looking at each other, seeing their humanity" as it were, they all learn each other's languages, learn to hear each other, and I love that. I wish more modern movies used this simple formula.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

That’s such a great way to put it! I love the idea that they’re speaking g different languages and the MANY ways that could be applied. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[@reneerocha1796]

Very good synopsis! 😊

[@VictorLugosi]

He’s actually accurate.. he’s just lacking in tact.. nothing he said was wrong..

[@CitizenScorn]

I was 11 or 12 when I first saw this in 97/98, and I thought it was amazingly beautiful. I'm almost 40 now, and it still is 😊 Keep up the great work on the channel!

[@stephenridolfi6464]

James L. Brooks is a genius with getting the best out of his actors. Every actor in the movie performed at their peak. It's no wonder that Helen Hunt and Jack Nicholson both won Oscars.

[@emdeeeff]

This _was_ a pretty popular and well-thought-of movie when it came out. It's such a shame that the randomness of time made it one that's so largely disappeared from consciousness, so it's great seeing new people find and talk about it. Jack and Helen are so good in so many moments, but for me, it's Greg Kinnear's work that really blows it over the top. He's basically a supporting character in many ways, but the things that happen to him are also fundamentally the impetus for _everything_ that happens and everything that changes in everyone else. And man, he's so good. He's _always_ so good, in everything he acts in. I think he occupies kinda the same role in the Sabrina remake, too; certainly a secondary character, but also the catalyst for everything that happens, and via another _great_ performance.

[@nsasupporter7557]

“Pretty popular?” It was very popular, it won awards. Unfortunately it didn’t age well though

[@hollytooker507]

Well said. I agree. Greg Kinnear is always more interesting than his looks might indicate.

[@dorat.88]

He's also amazing in Little Miss Sunshine

[@NorthernShrew]

This is such a perfect movie. Simon is one of my favorite characters of all time - in the sense that he is someone I know I would love and cherish as a friend IRL. Adorable, in the truest sense of the word. ❤

[@nuckynox]

This movie is so raw real. Nothing is perfect but trying to be a better human on any scale is just enough to make yourself and the world better.😊

[@mledda621]

I liked seeing the transformation of the relationships between them. It was emotional and heartfelt but also made me laugh. Loved it❤

[@scapevelocity]

It's a minor point, but I love Harold Ramis's brief appearance as Spencer's doctor. I got to sit with Mr. Ramis on a flight once, and he spent most of the time telling me stories and just being a mensch. A great actor and director, gone much too soon.

[@sp72929]

For such a great and hilarious comedy it should not be able to move you to tears as many times as it made you laugh out loud. It takes you on a complete Rollercoaster of emotions. All three performances are absolutely outstanding. That it is not well known is a shame.

[@magicbrownie1357]

"...good times....noodle salad..." One of my all time favorite Jack Nicholson films....and lines.

[@heather9857]

Ditto, love that line.

[@nsasupporter7557]

@@heather9857”sell crazy some place else, we’re all stocked up here” 😂

[@PhantomFilmAustralia]

"I was just...trying to give you a boost!" That and the "Noodle salad" line are my favorites.

[@leeannmcdermott8313]

The Brooklyn part of this movie was filmed in my neighborhood and at that time no one famous was ever in Brooklyn but after they’d film some scenes Jack Nicholson would stay around and sign autographs and talk to everyone. We were so surprised how cool he was considering how famous he is.

[@victorsixtythree]

Written, Directed and Produced by the amazing James L. Brooks. What a career he has had in television and movies! From legendary TV shows including The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi and The Simpsons to award winning movies like Broadcast News and Terms of Endearment.

[@faithnyou1732]

There's another great movie similar to this, and it's one of my favorites with Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, and Keanu Reeves. It's called "Something's Gotta Give". I highly recommend this film for a future reaction! Thanks for this great reaction and choice. ✌💙✌

[@nsasupporter7557]

Yes and “About Schmidt”

[@PedroCastillo_1980]

Thank you bro for reacting As Good as It Gets great classic. For this film both Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt won an Oscars for best actor and best actress🙂🙂🙂🙂

[@nsasupporter7557]

Greg Kinnear (Simon) was nominated for best supporting actor, but he lost out to Robin Williams for Good Will Hunting

[@jollyrodgers7272]

A really moving off-the-wall film. How do you write women so well? "I think like a man, and I take away Reason and Accountability." - just Priceless! So many great quotes came out of this movie.

[@menolikey_]

This movie always hits me hard. Much love to your patroen subs that keep recommending bangers.

[@victorsixtythree]

Haha...Yeardley Smith, who voices Lisa Simpson, played Simon's friend named...Jackie Simpson.

[@danholmesfilm]

One of the few Masterpiece Rom Coms

[@edudario1974]

Didn't read all the comments, but as far as I did, I didn't find any mentioning the cutest character of all... Verdell. We know all the humans here, great actors and amazing performances in this one, but that dog's eyes got me every time.

[@joshuah9109]

12:42... GHOSTBUSTERS!! the late, great, Harold Ramis (Egon Spengler)☺️

[@nsasupporter7557]

Yeah, RIP. I loved him in Orange County where he plays the Dean… “Shawn, you’re my same height… that is neat” lol 😂

[@flashxdoe295]

i watched this in health class and fell in love with it

[@markwilliams7712]

It's sad Hollywood can't produce scripts like this anymore.

[@OpenMawProductions]

This is one of my favorite movies. Used to watch it growing up a lot.

[@itt23r]

One of my favorite Jack Nicholson movies as he proves once again that when it comes to doing crazy he is the king. He can do every flavor of it. He even made Helen Hunt look like a brilliant actress, the only movie I've seen her in where I can say that. thanks for doing it. And whatever you are doing to find these great movies that most of your competitors are missing, keep it up.

[@nsasupporter7557]

Who do you like better, him or Robert De Niro?

[@reneerocha1796]

Great movie!! Don’t know why more people don’t react to this. Popcorn in Bed has. Not seen any/many more…..thanks! 😊

[@lyleandrew6891]

Shout out to the popcorn sisters from Canada.

[@christisheeks6334]

Great reaction! I love this movie. Glad you liked it, too.

[@maggieshevelew7579]

I love this movie. It’s one you can watch over and over again, and never get tired of seeing it. Jack Nicholson is very good, and I’m no great fan of his. But, Helen Hunt is absolutely brilliant in this role. The subtle nuances in her acting blow me away every time I watch.

[@askme2469]

Greg Kineer got robbed not getting the Oscar too

[@Tusc9969]

Um no...Greg Kinnear was very good but Robin Williams was clearly giving the greatest performance of that year and of his career, plus he was due for a Oscar.

[@ArchaegeoNeosophy]

@@Tusc9969 i do agree that was a stellar performance by Robin, but i hate "due" oscars :) Robin should have won for Dead Poet's Society

[@Tusc9969]

@@ArchaegeoNeosophy Yes indeed! Dead Poet's Society, Fisher King and One Hour Photo!!

[@nsasupporter7557]

@@Tusc9969and Insomnia, he plays the villain in that movie too like he did in One Hour Photo

[@nsasupporter7557]

@@ArchaegeoNeosophywhat’s incredible was that Titanic won every Oscar that year, but it lost out to this for acting 😮 Helen Hunt beat out Kate Winslet for best actress

[@karolmetal4256]

I forgot how fricking good this movie is.

[@jrobwoo688]

One of my favorite films. Please watch Chasing Amy.

[@naterater100]

I second that vote! Chasing Amy is my second all time favorite!

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Marked Chasing Amy for a future poll, thanks!

[@johnathanstruble1064]

Quite honestly, a masterpiece in film making. Kinda miss it. ❤

[@Parallax-3D]

“You make me want to be a better man.” 😭

[@DerGeek]

This was the last film I saw with my paternal grandmother, right around Christmas. Such good memories.

[@zpitzer]

a great movie, have seen it many times, they do deserve the oscars. Helen Hunt is under rated, watch her in Twister.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I didn’t Intend to release twister so close to this one, but I did! Hope you enjoy! kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGO7o6Odl7KJr6M

[@cheshirekat528]

I love that you watch a little bit of everything, more and more reactors are dipping their toes into movies like this and that is awesome. So many wonderful stories and lessons just waiting for a new generation. I saw this in theaters with my Mom. She was my go to movie watching buddy and is where my love of film comes from. This movie always makes me cry the full spectrum of emotions, especially now that my Mom has passed on. On the 23rd of this month it will have been 6 years since her passing. This was a wonderful reminder of the countless happy and good times spent with her just relaxing and enjoying a good movie. Thank you again for the great reaction to a great movie and memory!

[@elizabethstrong6057]

Yessss I've been waiting for someone to react to this! And I enjoy your reactions so this is perfect :)

[@Uncle-Charlie]

The acting in this movie was fantastic!

[@nsasupporter7557]

Yes, Helen Hunt beat out Kate Winslet for Titanic. Whenever I tell people that they are in complete disbelief lol

[@AprilGabrielle]

This is one of my favorite movies!

[@fayesouthall6604]

This is a kooky film about a very difficult guy and a very straightforward woman! I worked in a coffee shop for a few years and I saw people like him. A young girl came to the counter with her mother and wrote a note. It explained she wanted a banana and to put it in a bag and then put she would pay for it, also not to mention the word banana. Her mother sat down and the daughter told me that her mother was triggered by bananas even the mention of them. I told her I was with snakes. She said that sounded more rational than bananas!

[@Uncle-Charlie]

One of my favorite of all time! Love seeing it reacted too!

[@RL20066]

Good call on the 2 actors from House!! Taub and Cuddy YES!😃

[@zatornagirroc7175]

I don't think there are three main characters in this movie. I think there are 4 - the watcher is the fourth. What I like is that while the individual journeys of the characters are amazing and well performed, our own journey is just as powerful. As the movie goes on, we start feeling empathy with all three of them - with Carol and Simon, it's easy to feel empathy for them, but we start out really disliking Melvin, but slowly we are turned away from that dislike, and it turns to empathy. You are right - having OCD is not an excuse to treat people badly, but I wonder how much of a choice he really has, especially when he is isolated and alone in his apartment and everyone dislikes him so much. I think he is just speaking his truth, and it is coarse and even abusive, but if he can manage to change his gears, he suddenly understands and knows he is messing things up. He just needs a reason to make that mind flip, and it's hard. But having relationships makes it easier in some ways, maybe. Anyway, our journey to empathy is one of the reasons why I think this movie hits as hard as it does. Thank you for doing this one.

[@naterater100]

I absolutely LOVE this movie! It taught me so much about myself and about tolerance (I hate that word) sorry, not about myself tolerating someone, but about them tolerating me, being a gay male in Texas is hard . I love the character reform and the growing to understand everyone's lives, and that it's not just about YOU, all three went through that, and it's beautiful. ~N~

[@hackapump]

It becomes you that you were mainly offended by Melvin’s anti-social antics. But it is a comedy. When I saw it in a theatre people laughed uncontrollably, me included. He’s atrocious, but he is witty as hell, and Jack Nicholson's delivery is to die for. Underrated comedy actor. Both he and Helen Hunt won an Oscar for this movie though.

[@lynnie6633]

Great reaction to a great movie!! Thanks Chris!

[@5hanesBoard]

I like that this movie isn't at all ageist. She's probably in her mid/late 40s, and he's probably in his 70s, but hey they like each other and that's all that matters.

[@Zorros2ndCousinTwiceRemoved]

You're quite a bit off. Helen was 34, Jack was 60 at the time. But yeah, big age difference.

[@nsasupporter7557]

@@Zorros2ndCousinTwiceRemovedit’s incredible how she beat out Kate Winslet for best actress

[@innercircle341]

One of my all time feel good movies

[@carriesmith742]

LOVED this movie when I first saw it.

[@WolfHreda]

Damn, talk about an out of the blue movie pick. I really loved this one, even as a teenager when such things were totally beneath me. 🤣

[@joshuah9109]

7:42...notice that voice? 11:48...again...the voice?? Lisa Simpson 😁

[@ArabianLady]

Glad to watch this edited but it's a good story. Great preformances.

[@Zorros2ndCousinTwiceRemoved]

24:52 - great Robert De Niro impression! 😉 Very good recommendation, this is one of my go-to movies when I need a cinematic pick-me-up. The only thing that irks me a little is that Greg Kinnear's performance gets a bit overlooked by most people because of Nicholson and Hunt, although he really knocked it out of the park. You're right, Melvin's way too, uhm, complicated to ever really get anything going with Carol. I like to tell myself that the writer knows this, and that's why the film ends here, on a high note.

[@Uncle-Charlie]

Great job reacting to it!

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Thanks!

[@Uncle-Charlie]

@@CasualNerdReactions 👍🏻

[@BigGator5]

"How do you write women so well?" "I think of a man, and I take away reason and accountability." Fun Fact: Theatrical movie debut of Jesse James. Casting Notes Fact: The couple Melvin insults at the restaurant in the beginning of the movie are played by Peter Jacobson and Lisa Edelstein, who would later appear both star on House (2004). Cameos Cameos Fact: The film contains several directors acting in small part: Lawrence Kasdan, Harold Ramis, Todd Solondz, and Shane Black. Shirley Knight's real-life actress daughter, Kaitlin Hopkins, has a cameo in this film. Her character bumps into Helen Hunt, who plays her on-screen daughter, in the lobby. Dog Wangler Fact: Verdell the dog, was played by six Brussels Griffons, named Timer the Dog, Sprout, Debbie, Billy the Dog, Parfait, and Jill the Dog. Jill was the main the star. In one scene the dog starts mimicking Jack Nicholson by stepping over the cracks in the sidewalk. The filmmakers accomplished this by placing little obstacles on the cracks so that the dog had to step over them. They then removed the obstacles digitally in post-production.

[@greenbeech3055]

I think Jack Nicholson might be the best movie actor all time. He can do any type of personality.

[@PatrickPrejusa]

THIS MOVIE AND SCENT OF A WOMAN ARE MY FAVS.

[@comfeycushion7944]

A beautiful film, that is all i need to say

[@reneerocha1796]

You should react to THE BUCKET LIST! Jack Nicholson & Morgan Freeman. What a pair!!! It’s a great movie!! Yeah Jack Nicholson is a mess in this!!!! 😂😅 he’s so good at it. And I LOVE Helen Hunt!

[@innercircle341]

Btw Happy Xmas ❤

[@wendydarling5790]

Saw this in the theater on a first date. Good choice.

[@nsasupporter7557]

This movie beat out Titanic for best actress 😳

[@judyodom994]

I believe this movie is…..As Good As It Gets!

[@laurenherda2415]

Amazing movie ❤😂😊

[@christhornycroft3686]

I saw this in the theatre as a teenager and it really affected me. I know Titanic was a huge blockbuster that everyone liked and Good Will Hunting had Robin Williams, but this movie was robbed of the Oscar for Best Picture. Comedies, even ones that are very dramatic, don't win Academy Awards. At least Jack, Greg and Helen won their Oscars for this. They were brilliant. And I like the ending. There's nothing neat and tidy. These are 2 people giving it a go, still struggling with their issues, but doing their best. This was made in the 90s, so you could still have a redeemable bigot in a movie. Now, you can't even have a bigot. Villains are basically cartoon characters who are bad because...well, they're bad. I have a hard time hating villains for being villains anymore. Mostly, I just hate villains these days because they're lame. Jack Nicholson isn't entirely a villain. He's struggling, too. I kind of like these movies where everyone's having problems, but they come together and help each other, and no one is entirely healed. Like real life. When it's done right, it's great. James L. Brooks is the guy responsible for The Tracey Ullman Show, the 80s show that introduced the world to the Simpsons and some very progressive themes, like teenage girls (played surprisingly convincingly by 30 year old women) with 2 Dads. Check out "Francesca: A Girl's Life." The Fox Network actually aired those sketches.

[@kierancurtis5123]

Greg Kinnear didn't win for best supporting actor he was beaten out by Robin Williams in good will hunting. With Burt Reynolds in boogie nights the likely runner up.

[@MaxxRemKing1]

HAS ANYONE TOLD YOU... that you look like Gregory Buck Kinnear's younger brother?

[@ericmarois6960]

That's Helen Hunt. The woman as far as I know can't look bad if she tried. Fell for her in Mad About You. she plays sweet, vulnerable yet not helpless so well.

[@sarahwhite4906]

Even though Melvin comes across as repulsive (and he is a bigot) his OCD is very well delivered to an average audience. Routine is everything from: repeated thoughts, behavior, seating, hygiene, hoarding, etc... Not just stepping around cracks on the sidewalk (though I do that too).

[@nsasupporter7557]

Hopefully you’re not as mean as him lol

[@sarahwhite4906]

@@nsasupporter7557 Not in the slightest! I try to be kind and bring joy to everyone as best I can.

[@satyadasgumbyji8956]

✌️🎅❤️

[@_enjjeh_]

❤‍🩹

[@menolikey_]

House shoutout on rewatch. Was.

[@izzonj]

The context of the expression 'as good as it gets' is so sad and unexpected. You think it's a positive sentiment but it's so full of pessimism its devastating.

[@NuWhoSucks]

Melvin Udall - "I think of a man and I take away reason and accountability" Harsh but fair.

[@heather9857]

Wow you need to expand your circle.

[@nsasupporter7557]

1 thing that’s refreshing about Melvin Udall is that he spoke his mind with no shame because in 97 you could actually do that. Unlike these “hush hush” times we’re living in now.

[@menolikey_]

Bro, if you dont at least tear up during this I'll unsub

[@couch.patati-patata]

Brad Pitt ain't no shit.