Set in NYC, Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson), is a cranky, bigoted, misanthropic writer who has his life turned upside down when neighboring gay artist Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear) is brutally beaten and hospitalized. His dog Verdell is entrusted to Melvin. He insists on sitting at the same table at the same restaurant each day. Carol (Helen Hunt), the only waitress who will tolerate him, must leave work to care for her sick son, making it impossible for Melvin to eat breakfast. Because his obsessive-compulsive disorder requires a structured routine for him to maintain his sanity, Melvin arranges for a doctor to help her son at no charge. She shows up at his doorstep in the rain and tells Melvin she will never have sex with him. Melvin and Carol drive Simon to his parents in Baltimore to obtain money. They return to Manhattan, and Simon learns that Melvin has taken him in because Simon's apartment has been sublet, allowing Simon an opportunity to get back on his feet. Carol and Melvin resume their attempts at a relationship, with Carol resignedly telling Melvin it won't work because, "All you do is make me feel bad about myself." In unfamiliar territory, Melvin struggles to compliment Carol. He goes on to say that she represents everything that is good and right in the world, the balance he needs to deal with his disorder, and life in general. They kiss. The movie ends with Carol and Melvin walking into a bakery early in the morning, and Melvin no longer compulsively avoids sidewalk cracks.
Jack Nicholson won a Best Actor Oscar, and Helen Hunt won a Best Actress Oscar for their performances in this witty romantic comedy. Enough said? Mark Andrus wrote the screenplay from his own story. James L. Brooks directed.
