Nicholson's unrecognized performance
Jack Nicholson gave a great and understated performance in this film and in About Schmidt. His subtle changes in facial expression and demeanor said more than any of his trademark ranting and shouting could. However, both his performances and the movies themselves went mostly unrecognized by critics and didn't fare well at the box office.
Instead, critics and the Academy Awards committees praise him to the skies for phoned-in performances in movies like As Good as It Gets, where we just get an over the top self-parody of "Jack" rather than acting.