Americans function in a normative society, where outliers are considered dangerous or ridiculous. The patriarchal ideals on which the United States was founded placed heterosexual white males at the top of the social ladder, but in doing so, all those who do not reach this specific status find themselves struggling to climb towards normality. 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 an actor other than Jack Nicholson in the role of Melvin Udall, whose neurotic behavior is part of his particular charm. Noted film critic Roger Ebert gave the film a three-star rating, stating that "it's something of a 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 purposely offensive and derogatory comments. But he gets away with it because that's the nature of American film comedy. Comedies allow audiences to laugh at what makes them uncomfortable, giving them a way to address recognizable social anxieties (Belton 164). Melvin exposes these anxieties with every barb and jibe he makes, each a commentary on the topic of race, class, sexuality and gender. The film begins with Melvin pushing his gay neighbor's dog into the garbage chute, setting the stage for how the audience perceives his character. What kind of person is capable of doing something like that? There must be something wrong with him, as demonstrated by the way Melvin turns the light switch on and off, compulsively counting the number of times he closes and opens the front door. His behavior... in the middle of the paper... at the beginning of the film. What they probably didn't expect was how entertaining mental disorder, gay bashing, and female exploitation could be. Melvin's outright demeanor is the perfect catalyst for humor, and in saying exactly what he means to say with complete disregard for the feelings of others, he gives voice to what the audience wants to deny themselves thinking. The characters in Everything Has Changed, with Melvin at the helm, rebel against an all-encompassing happy ending step by step, proving that people are set in their ways and, sometimes, have to laugh to keep from crying, because maybe this is what they really are." the best there is." Dir. James L. Brooks. Perf. Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding, Jr. TriStar, 1997. DVD.Ebert, Roger. Rev. of Everything You Need to Know. Rogerebert.com. 22 December 1997. Web. 01 May 2014.