Americans live in a normative society, where outliers are considered either dangerous or laughable. The patriarchal ideals on which the United States was founded place white heterosexual men at the top of the social ladder, but in doing so, anyone who does not meet this specific condition finds themselves struggling to climb toward normalcy . This ideal, however, is challenged by the film's gleefully offensive and obsessive-compulsive main character, As Good as it Gets. It's hard to imagine any actor other than Jack Nicholson playing the role of Melvin Udall, whose neurotic behavior is part of his particular charm. Famed film critic Roger Ebert gave the film a three-star rating, stating, "It's a kind of twisted tribute to Nicholson that he's able to use this dialogue in what is, after all, a comedy. » Melvin casually insults everyone he comes into contact with, his interactions with people limited to intentionally hurtful and derogatory remarks. But he gets away with it because that's the nature of American cinematic comedy. Comedies allow audiences to laugh at what makes them uncomfortable, providing them with a way to cope with recognizable social anxieties (Belton 164). Melvin exposes these anxieties with every punch he throws, each a commentary on the theme of race, class, sexuality and gender. The film begins with Melvin pushing his gay neighbor's dog down the garbage chute, setting the stage for how the audience perceives his character. What kind of person is capable of doing such a thing? There must be something wrong with him, as evidenced by the way Melvin flips the light switch on and off, compulsively counting the number of times he locks and unlocks the front door. His behavior...... middle of paper ......at the beginning of the film. What they probably didn't expect was how funny mental illness, gay bashing, and exploitation of women could be. Melvin's utter demeanor is the perfect catalyst for humor and by saying exactly what he means with complete disregard for the feelings of others, he gives voice to what the audience wants to deny he thinks. The characters in As Good as It Gets, with Melvin at the helm, rebel against an all-encompassing happy ending every step of the way, showing that people are set in their ways and, sometimes, have to laugh to keep from crying. because maybe it really is “as good as it gets”. Works cited as good as it gets. Real. James L. Brooks. Perf. Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding, Jr. TriStar, 1997. DVD. Ebert, Roger. Rev. from As good as it gets. Rogerebert.com. December 22, 1997. Web. May 1 2014.