Six Crazy Pieces

January, 2004

6. Melvin Udall—As Good As It Gets (1997) As the planet's most deranged romance novelist, Nicholson dodges cracks in the sidewalk, never uses the same bar of soap twice and shoves his gay neighbor's dog down the garbage chute.Psycho-bite: "People who talk in metaphors oughta shampoo my crotch."Diagnosis: Obsessive-compulsive disorder with a side of antisocial acerbic wit.5. Randle Patrick McMurphy—One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) This guy had to have a screw loose to start a war...