Was surprised that this didn't feel more dated. When I saw In & Out about a month ago, the gay stuff felt VERY hamfisted and uncomfortably uncomfortable with the subject. As Good As It Gets, minus maybe four or five intolerant one-liners from Jack, gives Greg Kinnear a very three-dimensional character, and gives his relationships with everyone real depth. I'm stunned that Jack and Helen won the Oscar but not him-- his performance may be the best in the film.

Was also surprised by how great Helen Hunt, who disappeared shortly after this film, was. I almost cracked jokes on Twitter when she appeared on screen about how she makes me think "nineties," but her performance is really quite moving. Again, more memorable than Jack's work. Really, the stuff with Jack is the *least* compelling stuff in the film.

Some awkward direction stuff (a slo-mo effect at one point during the road trip especially strange), but definitely among Brooks' best, and thankfully not nearly as dated as I thought it'd be.