Melvin is subtly drawn into the artists dilemma of not being able to pay rent because of his injuries and lack of artistic output, and grudgingly helps him out in various ways. Whats glaring is that none of Simons own community seems to be around to help him out, not even his gay agent/promoter, who instead relies on Melvin to do what the agent should have been doing.
Melvins benevolence at the end is truly inspiring, although he never jettisons his distaste for homosexuality or his epithets about Simon the fag. Todays movies would have castigated such a character as Melvin as a hater bound for damnation.
I have never seen the movie.
I’ll have to look for it.