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Comedy drama

As Good as It Gets (1997): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

As Good as It Gets (1997) movie poster

As Good as It Gets is a 1997 comedy drama starring Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt and Greg Kinnear. It runs 2 hours 19 minutes and earned $314.2 million worldwide on a $50 million budget. It won 2 Oscars, including Actor in a Leading Role and Actress in a Leading Role, and 8 awards in all. Critics gave it 67 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.3/10.

IMDb rating
7.3/10
worldwide gross
$314.2M
Oscars won
2
Metascore
67
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As Good as It Gets (1997) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 19m (139 min)
Genres
Drama , Comedy , Romance
Original language
English
Budget
$50M
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is As Good as It Gets About?

The premise of As Good as It Gets without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Shane Douglas, the reigning ECW World Heavyweight Champion, faces a mysterious challenger hand-picked by "Ravishing" Rick Rude. Adding to the chaos, former rivals New Jack and John Kronus unexpectedly team up, setting their sights on confronting the dominant Dudley Boys. The evening promises intense rivalries and unpredictable clashes as these legendary figures collide in a high-stakes showdown.

As Good as It Gets Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • character says oh my god
  • jerk
  • reference to marilyn manson
  • italian flag
  • italian american
  • hit with a guitar
  • fat man
  • valet
  • sexy woman
  • tough guy
  • tough girl
  • leather jacket
+38 more
  • reference to the dallas cowboys
  • maniac
  • gangsta
  • tag team
  • franchise
  • pitbull
  • drinking beer
  • cigarette smoking
  • crutch
  • intergender wrestling
  • bald man
  • dancing
  • referee
  • freak
  • southerner
  • whistle
  • manager
  • wheelchair
  • towel
  • assault on police officer
  • steel
  • chain
  • garbage can
  • canadian
  • return
  • fire
  • singapore cane
  • surprise
  • debut
  • african american
  • thong
  • sports bra
  • east indian
  • cookie sheet
  • ladder
  • table
  • chair
  • blood
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Cast & crew

As Good as It Gets Cast

Jack Nicholson leads the cast, with Helen Hunt and Greg Kinnear.

Ratings

As Good as It Gets Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave As Good as It Gets 67 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.3/10.

Plot

As Good as It Gets Plot Summary

What happens in As Good as It Gets from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Misanthropic New York best-selling romance novelist Melvin Udall has a struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which manifests in his numerous peculiar habits. He insists on using a bar of soap only once before discarding it, utilizes paper towels to handle public restroom fixtures, dodges sidewalk cracks, adheres to strict rituals involving switches and locks, and maintains consistent routines. His breakfasts are always consumed at the same table in his favorite diner, where he arrives with his own plastic cutlery. The only server who can bear his odd and abrasive demeanor is Carol Connelly.

Full summary

The whole story of As Good as It Gets, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

As Good as It Gets Box Office & Budget

As Good as It Gets grossed $314.2 million worldwide on a $50 million budget, 6.3 times what it cost. $148.5 million came from the US and Canada and $165.7 million (53%) from the rest of the world.

1997 box office

Worldwide gross

$314.2M

6.3× its budget

US & Canada
$148.5M
International
$165.7M
Budget
$50M
US & Canada 47% Rest of the world 53%
Awards

As Good as It Gets Awards & Nominations

As Good as It Gets won 2 Oscars, including Actor in a Leading Role and Actress in a Leading Role, and 8 awards in all. Its biggest night was the Golden Globes 1998, with 3 wins from 6 nominations.

8 wins18 nominations5 ceremonies

Show all 5 ceremonies
Videos

As Good as It Gets Trailers & Videos

3 videos: 1 trailer and 2 featurettes.

Official Trailer
  • Featurette Jack Nicholson winning an Oscar® for "As Good as it Gets"
  • Featurette Chris Wilkinson on As Good As It Gets
Quiz

How Well Do You Know As Good as It Gets?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is Melvin Udall's profession?

Cars

Cars in As Good as It Gets

29 cars on screen, including the 1996 SAAB 900 Cabrio and the 1989 BMW 525i E34.

All 29 cars
  • 1996 SAAB 900 Cabrio in As Good as It Gets 1996 SAAB 900 Cabrio Important role
  • 1989 BMW 525i E34 in As Good as It Gets 1989 BMW 525i E34 Minor role
  • 1980 Chevrolet Caprice Classic in As Good as It Gets 1980 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Minor role
  • 1990 Ford LTD Crown Victoria in As Good as It Gets 1990 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Minor role
Details

As Good as It Gets Also Known As

36 alternative titles, including “Mejor Imposible” and “Old Friends”.

Also known as
  • Mejor Imposible
  • Old Friends
  • 이보다 더 좋을순 없다
  • Melhor é Impossível
  • Pour le pire et pour le meilleur
  • Mejor... imposible
  • 尽善尽美
  • Bolje ne može
  • Lepší už to nebude
  • Det bli'r ikke bedre
  • Enam paremaks minna ei saa
  • Elämä on ihanaa
+24 more
  • Besser geht's nicht
  • 恋愛小説家
  • เพียงเธอ...รักนี้ดีสุดแล้ว
  • Qualcosa è cambiato
  • Лучше не бывает
  • Benden Bu Kadar
  • Lesz ez még így se!
  • Livet från den ljusa sidan
  • Добро да боље не може бити
  • Lepiej być nie może
  • Καλυτέρα δε Γίνεται
  • הכי טוב שיש
  • Mai bine nu se poate
  • Колкото толкова
  • 愛在心裡口難開
  • Millor, impossible
  • Kaip bus, taip gerai
  • Livets lyse side
  • Bolje ne bo nikoli
  • 이보다 더 좋을 순 없다
  • Tak dobre, ako sa len dá
  • Краще не буває
  • 貓屎先生
  • أفضل ما يمكن حصوله, უკეთესი არ არსებობს

Seen As Good as It Gets?

FAQ

As Good as It Gets FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards

Runtime, release date, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of As Good as It Gets, each answered in a sentence.

How long is As Good as It Gets?

As Good as It Gets runs 2 hours 19 minutes (139 minutes).

When was As Good as It Gets released?

As Good as It Gets was released on December 23, 1997.

Who is in the cast of As Good as It Gets?

As Good as It Gets stars Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt and Greg Kinnear.

How much did As Good as It Gets make at the box office?

As Good as It Gets grossed $314.2 million worldwide ($148.5 million domestic, $165.7 million international) on a budget of $50 million.

How is As Good as It Gets rated?

As Good as It Gets has 7.3/10 on IMDb, 67 on Metacritic and 74% on TMDB.

What awards did As Good as It Gets win?

As Good as It Gets won 8 awards from 18 nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes 1998.

Does As Good as It Gets have a post-credit scene?

No. As Good as It Gets has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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