As Good As It Gets (1997) Jack Nicholson Melvin Udall Helen Hunt Carol Connelly Greg Kinnear Simon Bishop Cuba Gooding Jr Frank Sachs Skeet Ulrich Vincent Shirley Knight Beverly Yeardley Smith Jackie Lupe Ontiveros Nora Jill (II) Verdell--the Dog Timer Supporting Dog Billy (II) Supporting Dog Bibi Osterwald (II) Neighbor Woman Ross Bleckner Carl Directed by: James L. Brooks Produced by: Richard Sakai, Laurence Mark, Laura Ziskin Melvin Udall is a sarcastic writer who lives alone in an apartment, eats at the same restaurant each day, is afraid of germs, and generally hates people. His neighbor, Simon, is a gay artist whose dog is constantly becoming entangled in Melvin's life annoying Melvin and giving rise to much anti-homosexual sentiment on his part. Carol is a waitress at Melvin's usual eating spot who is trying to take care of an asthmatic son and has to suffer Melvins obnoxious behavior. However, the door to Melvin's self-awakening is opened by Simon's dog who Melvin has to watch after Simon is brutally mugged. He comes to love the dog and respect Simon, and to see that Carol's son receives much-needed medical care. ========== New York City. Melvin Udall, a cranky, bigoted, obsessive-compulsive writer, finds his life turned upside down when neighboring gay artist Simon is hospitalized and his dog is entrusted to Melvin. In addition, Carol, the only waitress who will tolerate him, must leave work to care for her sick son, making it impossible for Melvin to eat breakfast. ========== The trials and tribulations of a compulsive writer, Melvin Udall. After his homosexual neighbor is brutally beaten, he is entrusted to the care of the neighbor's dog, with a difficult relationship with a waitress to add on top of that. What develops is a weekend trip/triangle between these three individuals, and together they learn the true meaning of "the sunny side of life".