As Good As It Gets

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Beautiful and intelligent rendering of George Orr and his world-changing dreams. James Caan is suitably self-serving as his conniving therapist, Dr. Haber.Note how Penny, Dr. Haber's assistant, so prim and proper at the outset, dresses more decadently as the story unfolds. This - like other events - is presented without elaboration.Never having read the book or seen the original movie, I am judging this work on its own. As such, I rate it as a masterpiece.

I'm really not sure why this has such bad reviews. The film is gentle, thoughtful, evenly paced and contains a rather beautiful performance from Lukas Haas. For such a gawky, gangly man, he gives a performance full of stillness and calm which anchors the whole piece perfectly.There were so many opportunities for James Caan to be the clichéd villain of the piece, but they are resisted with a will ensuring his performance is also understated but compelling.The story is strong - perhaps unsurprising when you consider the book was written by Ursula Le Guin - and gives the viewer plenty to think about as it dodges from change to change seamlessly. On a side note, credit has to be given to the costume department for the bewildering array of outfits necessary for said changes. There is plenty to think about, both during and after the movie.Give it a chance and make up your own mind rather than simply disregarding this small oasis of calm and intelligence

Although more subtle than the earlier (1980-PBS) version the star power and the set atmosphere carries the same message that we all create our own realities to some extent. Watch for the changes in all the people with each passing dream; much like the Butterfly effect you can see how small changes in reality can change everything more than you can possibly control. All the main actors did their part to make the film work; they could have muffed it but they held their own through all the changes believably. Some of the tag lines between the principles also work well in that they help tie the plot together in an otherwise shifting universe. This film is a good introduction to the book and takes nothing away from it. If you are looking for more read the book – you will be rewarded.

I've recently seen both the PBS and this version, in that order. Personally, I didn't fall in love with either one. I know there are a ton of you who are fans of the PBS version, but I would suggest that its innovation (a for-TV produced cereberal Sci-fi drama 30 years ago) made a bigger crater than the actual production itself.That said, the PBS version was better in all respects save the visuals. And even then, the A&E version *still* seems like a poor-man's sci-fi film as it tries to use futuristic-like but unmodified outdoor buildings and scenery. The costumes were pretty well done though.Sadly, though, to me both films are either too abstract for me or logically complete. Maybe that's the problem with a plotline where you give a character transcendent, unlimited, unexplainable powers. I mean, realize I'm a huge Philip Dick fan, and enjoy thought-provoking, open-ended endings. But both the A&E and PBS versions leave me with that incomplete, unsatisfied feeling.