We all love Scrooge and here's a romantic version for the 1990s.

Melvin (Jack Nicholson) may not be the meanest man in the world, but he's in the running.

He writes romantic novels whose characters he despises, hates his gay neighbour (Greg Kinnear) whose dog he throws down the garbage chute, has a passion amounting to see-your-doctor about hygiene, and superstitions about stepping on cracks.

He also has a facility for making the crassest of remarks at entirely the wrong time, like telling the waitress (Helen Hunt) at his favourite fast-food restaurant that her asthmatic son isn't likely to live long.

How Melvin's life is retrieved from the ashes is affectingly, funnily dealt with in a well-crafted screenplay, fuelled by three worthily Oscar-nominated performances from Nicholson, Hunt (both winners) and Kinnear.

Though most of Melvin's spasmodic struggle to join the human race will make you laugh, there are killer lines here that will bring a lump to your throat as well.