As Good As It Gets (1997)

A gay artist (Greg Kinnear), a single mother (Helen Hunt) and an obsessive compulsive author (Jack Nicholson) find themselves together on a road trip.

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I'm pretty sure that Romantic Comedy is the most reviled genre among cineastes. Countless Gary Marshall films have helped to hammer this knee-jerk reaction into our collective unconscious. The mere mention of the term can call up horrific thoughts of Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey like you're a 'nam vet with a bad case of PTSD. But let us not forget that Harold & Maude is a romantic comedy. Annie Hall and Punch-Drunk Love are too. Oh and of course there are the countless classic comedies of Hollywood's Golden Age like His Girl Friday, Ninotchka and The Apartment. In the hands of the right creative team, romantic comedy can be a marvelous thing. Back in 1997 while everyone else was gorging themselves on Titanic, I saw As Good As It Gets three times in a theater. Films like this are the reason Wes Anderson and Cameron Crowe speak of James L. Brooks in such reverent tones. This film can rightfully stand shoulder to shoulder with all of the aforementioned classics because it's funny, it's romantic, it's well made, it's well acted and boy is it charming. To this day I am still in love with Helen Hunt. What can I say? She makes me want to be a better man.