As Good as It Gets

As Good as It Gets has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available on Crave. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. 4,166 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Jack Nicholson sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Start it on Crave whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

As Good as It Gets arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. As Good as It Gets does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. A misanthropic author, a single mother and waitress, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship after the artist is assaulted in a robbery. Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1997. The timing in As Good as It Gets is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

For viewers who want something light without wanting something stupid, As Good as It Gets respects your intelligence. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Jack Nicholson's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.