Shallow Hal
Release Date:
November 9, 2001
The Farrelly Brothers bring us another unusual comedy piece with the story of Shallow Hal, a fellow who gets sage advice from his father. While on his deathbed, the man tells his son to only date the youngest, most gorgeous women. Hal, played by Jack Black, takes this advice to heart, only to discover himself quite unhappy and lonely as he reaches a mid-life crisis. Imagine his surprise when he falls for the inner beauty of a 300-pound woman, played by a fat suit-surrounded Gwyneth Paltrow. The man is torn between honoring his father's last request and making himself happy with the woman he thinks is his one true love.
As Something About Mary launched Ben Stiller into the stratosphere, there are many who hope that Jack Black will use this opportunity to establish himself as a leading man. Since he doesn't have conventional good looks, he probably won't get a second chance if this fails, and even if it is a hit, Paltrow will likely get most of the credit for her choice to play a character against type (which is nothing new for a woman who has only recently moved away from indie film roles). The Farrellys have shown they can be very funny in Mary, and they have shown in Dumb and Dumber and Me, Myself & Irene that they can go way too far and kill a hilarious idea. Shallow Hal is a funny concept with a very talented cast and a lot of potential. Here's hoping it works out better than Irene did. (David Mumpower/BOP)
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