Movie #278 - As Good As It Gets

As Good As It Gets
1997 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 19 min
Director: James L Brooks
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding Jr, Skeet Ulrich, Shirley Knight, Yeardley Smith

The late addition reviews continue with this, the winner of both Best Actress and Best Actor at 1998's Academy Awards ceremony.  It lost Best Picture to Titanic that year, just so you can get your bearings on that tidbit.

Anyhow, this movie's fun.  Curmudgeony, OCD-battling Jack Nicholson is a treat to watch, even if he is a bit annoying. And the relationship that blooms between him and Helen Hunt's friendly waitress / troubled mother of a sick boy, well it's about as awkward as possible.  This is the first movie I remember seeing Greg Kinnear in and I loved him right away.  The chemistry among these three on their "getaway" makes the whole movie worthwhile.  Why it's over two hours, I can't be sure. It does drag in parts.

Overall, a great "feel good" movie that's really a study in human relationships... also human/dog relationships.  Cute and funny, but I guess not more impressive than a sinking cruiseliner.

Movie #242 - Grandma's Boy

Grandma's Boy
2006 - Rated R - 1 hr 34 min
Director: Nicholaus Goosen
Starring: Allen Covert, Linda Cardellini, Peter Dante, Shirley Jones, Shirley Knight, Joel Moore, Kevin Nealon, Doris Roberts, Nick Swardson, Jonah Hill

Allen Covert's not exactly the kind of guy you'd pick for a leading role.  He's not handsome or charming, he's not lovable or even likable for most of the movie.  He plays a low life kind of guy, stuck in a job that's beneath his abilities, evicted from his apartment and forced to live with his grandma, and seriously addicted to pot.  Also, he's 36.

Time to grow up, right?

Somehow, you still end up rooting for him, even if only because everyone else in this movie is equally or more unlikable. Particularly his nemesis JP, a video game genius who talks like a robot when he's nervous and dresses like he just fell out of The Matrix. By comparison, Allen Covert's character actually is the most likable.

His grandma, though, is probably the best part of this movie.  Yes, it's the mom from Everybody Loves Raymond. And her two roommates are pretty cool as well, one of whom is classic TV's Shirley Jones, or the Patridge Family mom.  Sweet.

There's not much of a life lesson to be gleaned from this one.  It's entertaining, but very middle of the road in terms of comedy.  Meh.