When it came out in 1997, I really liked the movie “As Good as It Gets.”

The story was good, the acting solid. Predictable and not terribly realistic, but it’s a movie — not real life.

If you haven’t seen it, the title comes from a scene in which Jack Nicholson, a neurotic obsessive compulsive yet best-selling author, accosts a waiting room of other mental health patients. “What if this is as good as it gets?” he demands. No one answers; they just look uncomfortable.

It’s dark. Because who in the throes of depression, anxiety or other illness wants to think that? “What if this is as good as it gets?”

Content with life?

For a long time after I first watched it, that line would come to me. “What if this is as good as it gets?”

Usually, I could shake it off. Sometimes because things were pretty good. Other times, I would think — hope — they’d get better.

But generally, I was content with my life. Or I thought I was. Now I wonder if maybe I was just internalizing the belief that yes, this is as good as it gets. Make do. It could be worse. Count your blessings. Be grateful for what you have.

Those things are true, of course. We should be grateful for what we have. Things could be worse.

But can they be better?

 

As good as it gets?

If the movie title is true, I’m in a really good spot. There isn’t a lot of room for upward movement from living the dream — literally — in Portugal. Yes, there are a few things I’d improve upon, but if this was it — as good as it gets — it’s pretty damn good.

Others I know are in different spots in their lives — some who might be content — legitimately content with how good life is — while others would be distressed at thinking this is the pinnacle.

I believe we can always move up. I figured that out after years of believing the opposite was true. It required a shift in thinking and a lot of life changes after that, but it’s possible.

I recently watched the movie again with friends. It was funny and touching. But that title scene still got me.

I even said out loud to my companions how mean it was of the character to say that to those people in that situation — people who might not be able to see that things can be better. I suppose it was meant to shake them from their apathy — real or perceived. Of course, it was also the character’s realization that he didn’t want it to be true. He was speaking to himself — asking a rhetorical question of the others while demanding an answer from himself.

This? Is this as good as it gets?

You’ll have to decide.

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Be a Better Writer Tip

Quote marks: Movie titles and direct quotes

Quote mark usage has changed since I started in newspapers. AP Style still has rules about when to use them, and I still like to follow them. But the Internet has changed how and when they are used.

For example, I set off the name of the movie in quotes. It would be possible to not use them, just capitalize the movie title — maybe link to it or italicize it.

I also used quotes around the phrase the character says in the movie.

In this case, I used it as a direct quote, which means as a reporter/writer, it should be set off in quote marks to indicate it is exactly what was said.

You will note I did not put quote marks around it in other instances — such as the penultimate line. That’s a partial quote, so I could have added quote marks around “as good as it gets,” but I wasn’t referring to a specific person saying it at that point. Rather, I was referring back to the main point of the column. Therefore, I didn’t feel it was necessary to add the quote marks.

I also think it’s more effective without the quote marks in that instance. They might be distracting to readers, and I wanted to emphasize the thought — not the fact it was a partial quote.