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MTDb โ€บ Best of โ€บ 1997 โ€บ As Good as It Gets

As Good as It Gets poster

As Good as It Gets (1997)

โ€œA comedy from the heart that goes for the throat.โ€

7.4/10 ยท 4,269 votes 2h 19m pg-13 ComedyRomanceDrama

#29 of 113 films from 1997 #366 of 2885 in comedy

Directed by James L. Brooks ยท Written by James L. Brooks, Mark Andrus

โ–ถ Trailer, images & where to stream

Overview

A misanthropic author, a single mother and waitress, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship after the artist is assaulted in a robbery.

Cast

Jack Nicholsonas Melvin Udall
Helen Huntas Carol Connelly
Greg Kinnearas Simon Bishop
Cuba Gooding Jr.as Frank Sachs
Shirley Knightas Beverly Connelly
Jesse Jamesas Spencer Connelly
Yeardley Smithas Jackie Simpson
Lupe Ontiverosas Nora Manning
Skeet Ulrichas Vincent Lopiano
Harold Ramisas Dr. Bettes
Bibi Osterwaldas Neighbor Woman
Ross Bleckneras Carl
Bernadette Balagtasas Caterer
Jaffe Cohenas Partygoer

Facts

Release dateDecember 19, 1997
Runtime139 min (2h 19m) โ€” longer as the 1997 average of 109 min
GenresComedy, Romance, Drama
LanguageEN
Budget$50,000,000
Box office$314,178,011 (6.3ร— budget)
IMDbtt0119822

More from James L. Brooks

Terms of EndearmentTerms of Endearment1983 ยท โ˜… 7.1 ยท 2h 12m SpanglishSpanglish2004 ยท โ˜… 6.1 ยท 2h 10m How Do You KnowHow Do You Know2010 ยท โ˜… 5.3 ยท 2h 1m

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Questions

How long is As Good as It Gets?
As Good as It Gets runs 139 minutes (2h 19m).
Is As Good as It Gets worth watching?
TMDB users give it 7.4/10 across 4,269 votes, which places it #29 of 113 films released in 1997 in this index (top 75%) and #366 among 2885 comedy titles.
Who directed As Good as It Gets?
As Good as It Gets was directed by James L. Brooks. Other well-rated titles by the same director: Terms of Endearment (1983), Spanglish (2004), How Do You Know (2010).
Who stars in As Good as It Gets?
Jack Nicholson as Melvin Udall; Helen Hunt as Carol Connelly; Greg Kinnear as Simon Bishop; Cuba Gooding Jr. as Frank Sachs; Shirley Knight as Beverly Connelly; Jesse James as Spencer Connelly.
What is As Good as It Gets rated?
It carries a pg-13 certification in its home market. Ratings differ by country.
Where can I watch the trailer for As Good as It Gets?
Open the title in the MTDb app for trailers, images and streaming links: https://mv.peoplentools.com/titles/14533.

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Film data and images from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB. Ratings are TMDB user scores as of 2026-10-05.