Director: Bobby and Peter Farrelly
Starring: Jack Black, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jason Alexander
Released: 2001
Box Office Gross: $141,069,860 (Worldwide)
Throwback Review
"Shallow Hal wants a gal!"
I remember the first time I saw Shallow Hal. Another one of my brother's choices, I couldn't stop laughing the entire film. This is the Farrelly Brothers we all love to see. In-your-face humour at its finest, Shallow Hal pushes the boundaries with regards to views on weight and looks and what it really means to be "beautiful".
Shallow Hal stars Jack Black as Hal Larson, a superficial, habitually single man who's obsession with the physical beauty of women has kept him single for years. Along with his friend Mauricio (Jason Alexander), Hal tries to find the "perfect" woman at various nightclubs, while trying to move up the corporate ladder at the company he works for.
Hal runs into life coach Tony Robbins and the two get stuck in an elevator, providing Robbins with an opportunity to bestow a "gift" on Hal; going forward, he will only see the physical manifestations of a person's inner beauty. Immediately after the elevator's power is restored, Hal runs into a beautiful young woman and is shocked to find that she openly flirts with him. After meeting several more eager and beautiful (in Hal's eyes) women at his usual nightclub (though to Mauricio, and the rest of the world, these women are anything but beautiful), Hal meets the girl of his dream, Rosemary Shanahan (Gwyneth Paltrow - who plays the character in two parts: one as herself and the second in a "fat suit"). The two begin a relationship but Mauricio is determined to "save" his friend and restore him to the "shallow" Hal that he knows and loves.
The subject matter of this film is a tough one to tackle. It's a sensitive issue and done in a wrongful, tasteless manner, can be detrimental to a film's success. However, the Farrelly brothers incorporate just enough crudeness with the right mix of light Jack Black type comedy and a significant amount of heart, to make this film a success. Though many thought the film strayed too far from the Farrelly brothers' usual work (There's Something About Mary, Me, Myself and Irene), I found the film to be more refreshing than their previous work. Where in their past movies, comedic presence was relied heavily on gross-out, crude humour, Shallow Hal paid close attention to the heart of the story and drew out comedic elements from the characters.
Everything about this film made it enjoyable: music, characters, story. Each of these elements were strongly represented in this film and created a movie that can be watched several times over. I still laugh at the same jokes and can`t help but smile at the end. Again, like their previous work, the Farrelly Brothers are able to pull on your heartstrings when you least expect it, especially in this film where you genuinely feel for the characters.
Final Verdict: See it. A great comedy with surprisingly, a lot of heart. Black is at the top of his game in this laugh out loud film. Paltrow fits well in this role and is very believable as the self-conscious, overweight, kindhearted, Rosemary. Throw in a great tune from Darius Rucker and you have a fun and funny film for anyone who wants a good laugh.
Rotten Tomatoes
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