As Good as It Gets (1997)

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.

Outrageous! (1977)

Gay Toronto hairdresser Robin Turner (Craig Russel) is a very talented female impersonator who does an act in local gay clubs. His roommate is Liza Connors (Hollis McLaren), a high-school friend who is now pregnant and recently released from a mental hospital where she was being treated for schizophrenia. She is determined never to return to the hospital again, and he wants to be a show-business success with his impressions. When Robin loses his job, the two try their luck in NYC at the "Jackrabbit Club". His perfect impressions of Bette Davis, Barbra Streisand, Carol Channing, Tallulah Bankhead, and Mae West make a splash. But as Robin's star rises, Liza spirals into misery and madness. Robin and Liza need each other, and this can be explained by their total acceptance of one another. They both have to take chances in life, but as Robin says, people treat, “life as though it’s a can of Coke, and they’re afraid to drink it too fast.” Hunky gay cab driver Bob (David McIlwraith) meets them, and as a former talent agent agrees to represent Robin and gets him a job at "Ziggy's Cabaret", where he becomes their sensational star attraction. Liza goes to the hospital to give birth, but the baby is stillborn. She goes into a deep depression, believeing she is "the one born dead." Robin replies "You're not dead. You're alive and sick and living in New York like eight million other people." He tells Liza that yes, she's crazy, but she has to make that crazy work for her. "You’ll never be normal," he says, "but you’re special.” The film ends with Robin and a recovering Liza dancing madly together.

This show-business cult comedy with a twist is a great, touching, and sincere 1970's period peice with charming performances by all. It's a gay classic with sad and campy fun moments. Craig Russel's many impersonations are the best in cincema history. He worked as the private secretary to Mae West, so he could impersonate her perfectly. Richard Benner directed from his own script based on Margaret Gibson Gilboord's short story.

"Too Outrageous" (1987) is the somewhat disappointing sequel to "Outrageous!". It is a better production, with a bigger budget, better cast, and Craig Russell has a very attractive boyfriend. Robin Turner, the hairdresser-turned-female impersonator who began his nightclub routine in the earlier film, is still playing in small clubs, and his devoted friend Liza Connors (Hollis McLaren) hasn't yet fulfilled her dream of becoming a successful writer. The film tells what happens after Robin is discovered by a pair of agents who are intent on making him a big star. The agents, particularly a woman named Betty (Lynne Cormack), gush about what great potential Robin has, and dream of revamping his act so antiseptically that they can bill him as ''Canada's Comic Illusionist", instead of the specialty performer that he really is. Robin gets even when he appears on a live talk show and lets the world know that its host is gay. They deal with AIDS in this one, but it seems out of place with the rest of the movie. Russell works best when left to his own devices. He's better off wisecracking and performing than he is anguishing over his professional future. The film also features a female impersonator named Jimmy James, who looks uncannily like Marilyn Monroe, and Robin exclaims "He's good!". Once again Richard Benner wrote the script and directed.