Synopsis

A misanthropic novelist's rigid life is disrupted when he is forced to care for his neighbor's dog after a violent robbery. His routine is further unsettled by the absence of his favorite waitress, who leaves work to care for her sick son. As the novelist, waitress, and artist gradually form an unlikely bond, their guarded lives begin to change.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was released theatrically in the United States on December 25, 1997, after premiering earlier that month.

• Jack Nicholson and James L. Brooks temporarily halted production while they worked out the right tone for Melvin's difficult personality.

• The dog playing Verdell stayed at Nicholson's Hollywood home during production.

• To make the dog appear to avoid sidewalk cracks, filmmakers placed small obstacles over the cracks and digitally removed them afterward.

• Nicholson was not originally supposed to kiss Helen Hunt in one scene. Brooks reportedly urged him to do it during filming.

• Helen Hunt once performed an entire eighteen-page version of Carol's letter during a take, although the finished film uses only part of it.

• The paintings shown in Simon's apartment were created specifically for the film by New York artist Billy Sullivan.

• Owen Wilson worked as an associate producer, one of his early Hollywood production jobs.

• Betty White reportedly declined a role because of the scene in which Verdell is thrown into a trash chute.

• The film received seven Academy Award nominations. Nicholson won Best Actor and Hunt won Best Actress, making it the most recent film to win both lead acting awards.

• Hans Zimmer's score was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score.

• The film earned more than $314 million worldwide against a reported $50 million production budget.