Mark Darrah's Blog - Posts Tagged "as-good-as-it-gets"
As Good As It Gets
Emily Dickinson doesn't pin it on Pinterest. John Steinbeck wouldn't have followed friends on Facebook. If Jack Kerouac and his crew had used smart phones, the poetry of a generation would have been lost to transitory tweets.
In the 1997 film "As Good As it Gets," Jack Nicholson plays Melvin Udall, a misanthropic, multi-phobic, best-selling novelist. When Melvin's gay neighbor is hurt in a brutal robbery, Melvin is persuaded to take care of the neighbor's dog, and Melvin's life begins to change.
Mark Twain and Charles Dickens would have been prolific bloggers -- if they had been paid. Walt Whitman would have become a YouTube celebrity. Jacqueline Susann would have hired someone to manage her social media.
The skills one uses to be a popular social media personality, though, aren't necessarily the skills one needs to be a good writer. In fact, writers may be better served by having antisocial skills like the thoroughly unpleasant Melvin Udall.
When Melvin goes to see his psychiatrist, he looks around the reception area at the sad, troubled, and depressed people waiting to get help. Melvin, in his best mean and crazy Jack Nicholson, asks, "What if this is as good as it gets?"
A writer has to look and not flinch. A writer has to speak and not be concerned whether the words pierce and hurt. A writer has to be willing to ask, "What if this is as good as it gets?"
In the movie, Melvin, a waitress he kind of befriends, and his gay neighbor take a car trip to Baltimore to meet his neighbor's parents. Because of events on this journey, Melvin begins to recognize how his behavior upsets others. The film ends with their return home and the prospect of romance between Melvin and the waitress.
A happy ending, right? The misanthrope Melvin Udall becomes a nice, reasonably adjusted guy? Maybe so, but I doubt he writes a best seller again.
Mark Darrah
Author of A Catalogue of Common People
October 4, 2015
In the 1997 film "As Good As it Gets," Jack Nicholson plays Melvin Udall, a misanthropic, multi-phobic, best-selling novelist. When Melvin's gay neighbor is hurt in a brutal robbery, Melvin is persuaded to take care of the neighbor's dog, and Melvin's life begins to change.
Mark Twain and Charles Dickens would have been prolific bloggers -- if they had been paid. Walt Whitman would have become a YouTube celebrity. Jacqueline Susann would have hired someone to manage her social media.
The skills one uses to be a popular social media personality, though, aren't necessarily the skills one needs to be a good writer. In fact, writers may be better served by having antisocial skills like the thoroughly unpleasant Melvin Udall.
When Melvin goes to see his psychiatrist, he looks around the reception area at the sad, troubled, and depressed people waiting to get help. Melvin, in his best mean and crazy Jack Nicholson, asks, "What if this is as good as it gets?"
A writer has to look and not flinch. A writer has to speak and not be concerned whether the words pierce and hurt. A writer has to be willing to ask, "What if this is as good as it gets?"
In the movie, Melvin, a waitress he kind of befriends, and his gay neighbor take a car trip to Baltimore to meet his neighbor's parents. Because of events on this journey, Melvin begins to recognize how his behavior upsets others. The film ends with their return home and the prospect of romance between Melvin and the waitress.
A happy ending, right? The misanthrope Melvin Udall becomes a nice, reasonably adjusted guy? Maybe so, but I doubt he writes a best seller again.
Mark Darrah
Author of A Catalogue of Common People
October 4, 2015
