Shallow Hal

Rating:
Summary: For a movie, it wasn't shallow at all
Review: Shallow Hal was really fantastic. Seriously, I thought it would be another dumb-movie-that-everyone-says-is-funny-but-really-isnt, and it was another great-movie-that-everyone-says-is-funny-and-actually-is. It is a movie about a guy named Hal, who is as shallow as you can go. A guy that only goes for looks, and if there is one flaw, he dumps them...or actually...he gets dumped, but anyway, just when his life is starting to go downhill, he is able to see the beauty inside people, not the beauty on the outside. Then, Hal falls in love with someone who is a wonderful caring person, someone who happens to be one of those people if he really saw the outside, he wouldnt even think of dating. Then everything gets mixed around because of his friend, and he has to get her back. He becomes as deep as can be. Shallow Hal was an awesome movie, and it shows that it is not what is on the outside, but on the inside that counts. No matter how much make-up a girl is wearing, how good a person she is matters more. A great romantic comedy, hilarious and heartwarming...something I never thought I would see under the title of Shallow Hal.

Rating:
Summary: not as shallow as you've been led to believe.
Review: This is a heartfelt and funny story about preception and reality. The DVD features are top-notch, and the Farrelly brothers usual penchant for gross-out humor couples with a deeper soul and heart in this release. If you like the Farrellys' prevoius work, or that of Jack Black (who really makes the movie for me), you should own this movie.

Rating:
Summary: some misconceptions
Review: I've perused some of the less favorable reviews of this film and I believe there are some misconceptions about its humor and message. One misconception is that the movie makes fun of fat people. It doesn't. There isn't one scene where we ever find ourselves laughing AT Gwyneth Paltrow. What we laugh at are the reactions of Jack Black to what she does. For example, when she downs the milk shake she shares with Black, it's not the gulping of the shake that makes us laugh but Black's incredulity when he turns around and sees an empty cup. And when we see the two in the canoe, it's not the canoe we chuckle at, but the sight of the befuddled Black paddling air. So the laughs don't come at Paltrow's expense; they come at Black's.

Yes, the movie relies on typical fat-type jokes - ie, overeating and crumpled funiture. But there is a subtle point in these hackneyed images that distinguishes them from your usual fat fare. Paltrow only seems to overeat by the standards society imposes on women. Like Black says, many women when they go out just order "water and a crumppette"; they deny themselves to satisfy society's expectations. But if they were to eat what THEY wanted, how many do you think wouldn't love to order that pizza burger with the fries and milk shake? Or take more than a "little" slice of cake? We all would! That is, we would if we weren't so concerned about what other people would think. Paltrow eats the way she does NOT because she's fat, but because she feels FREE to eat what she wants. Eating less makes no difference so she has no reason not to do what she wants - which is what the rest of us would also do if we were less uptight.

And as for the crumpled chairs and the poor little car's suspension, there's a subtle point here, too. It's not that Paltrow is too heavy; it's that these people are not only ignored in the media but they are also forgotten in the design of the most basic artifacts of everyday life (chairs, cars, etc.). In other words, society treats fat people as if they don't exist. Now, is that a comment on fat people? Or on society? Where's the insult here?

Another common misconception is that by using a model-like beauty like Paltrow in the lead role, the message of the film is still that "fat is ugly, thin is beautiful". I disagree. I can see why this might be the first impression because Paltrow IS used to represent Black's ideal of beauty, indeed, OUR ideal of beauty. But the reason this is done is because the film has to use a common language of beauty to communicate its ideas to the audience. The only common language everyone speaks is the one we see everyday in the media - ie, the thin, waif-like model ideal. So when we see Paltrow, the message ISN'T "thin is beautiful", the message is "thin REPRESENTS beauty". Because that's the only kind of beauty we RECOGNIZE. In other words, thinness is NOT beauty but a signpost pointing to beauty. And the direction the movie points is inwards: true beauty is NOT thinness at all - in fact, it has nothing to do with what a person looks like on the outside - true beauty is what a person is on the inside.

If you still doubt this then just ask yourself this: at the end of the film did you or did you not think the fat Paltrow was beautiful? I did. Not because of the way she looked, fat or thin, but because of who she was.

A good movie. Funny and touching AND it made it's point worth making w/o preaching.

Rating:
Summary: Rising Star Jack Black Is Hilarious!!!
Review: This movie is so ... funny I damn near wet my pants.......... seriously. Go rent it now buy some depends and some garbage bags.

Rating:
Summary: The Farrellys grow up
Review: "Shallow Hal" is a touching film with a noble message; that beauty lies within. The approach is novel if not a bit contrived, but it works in this genre. The normally coarse Farrelly humor has been toned down considerably and the film is full of quiet chuckles with only a few guffaws sprinkled in. Noticeably absent (thank heavens) is the profanity and body fluid humor.

The Farrelly brothers (Directors/Producers Bobby and Peter) have made names for themselves by producing juvenile gross out flicks (Dumb and Dumber, Me, Myself and Irene, Say It Isn't So) targeted at teenage audiences. Most of these were as successful as they were low brow. Of course they also had a smash hit with "There's Something About Mary" which offered both their irreverent humor and a captivating story. Also lurking on their resume is the little known, "Outside Providence" which is a sensitive romance that one would never associate with this tandem. Given this background, "Shallow Hal" is something of an evolutionary film for the Farrellys. They took a chance making a "grownup" film, though they paid for it at the box office. For this I must give them a great deal of credit.

This is a much more subtle and refined Farrelly vehicle that synthesizes many of the best elements of prior films, making it their best effort to date. Hal's transformation from an immature and superficial jerk, to a caring and substantial person might be analogous to this film as a turning point on the Farrelly's resume. One can only hope that this experiment is the beginning of a maturing process for two very talented directors, rather than validating to them that you can't make as much money making good films as you can trash.

The acting is excellent. Jack Black is a pleasant surprise as the main character. He has the range to play both sides of the character effectively, alternately giving us great superficiality and great depth. He is also extremely funny with a great variety of facial expressions and physical comedy that make him that much more endearing. Gwyneth Paltrow just seems to get more beautiful with each film. Her acting here is once again top rate, giving us a touching performance with equal parts of insecurity and sensitivity that one would expect from the character. Her chemistry with Black is also terrific. Jason Alexander adds his odd humor to the mix and gives the film some of its funnier moments.

I have been critical of the Peter and Bobby Farrelly in the past, but to this film I say, "Bravo". I rated it a 8/10. With any luck this will represents a direction and not a temporary detour from the puerile comedy that made them famous.

Rating:
Summary: Histarical!
Review: The Farrelly Brothers have done it again!! All there movie are so funny. Shallow Hal, though not as funny as Dumb & Dumber, was extremely funny. Jack Black does a great job as Hal and Gwyneth Paltrow does an awesome job as 300 pound Rosemary. This movie is filled with genuine laughs.

Shallow Hal starts off when Hal is a little kid and his mom and him are in the hospital because Hal's father is dying. Hal is the only one that witnesses his fathers death. Then the movie goes to the older Hal dancing at a club, trying to get women bt he's just to shallow. A little bit later he gets stuck in an elevator with this therapist guy who puts a spell on Hal that makes him less shallow by letting him only see the inner beauty of someone. right when he leaves he gets in a cab with this pretty woman who actually talks to him. He asks her if shes here for a model show and she starts laughing and is like "Yeah Right". He gets her number and hes happy.

The next day he sees this beautiful woman who is pretty skinny walking into a store and he follows her. He finds her looking at oversized clothes and he cracks the joke "Are you going to make a parachute with them" and she gets angry and upset and she walks away. He then apologizes and he takes her out to lunch.

The movie continues on Hals and Rosemary's trials and tribulations. I dont want to give away anymore becuase film is histarical!! I couldn't stop laughing! Thanks

Rating:
Summary: Movie doesn't overcome "fat" jokes enough to make point
Review: There are obviously two sides to this movie and depending on which side you look at will go a long ways in determining whether you will like it. You can either see this movie as a movie that makes fun of overweight people, or you can look at it as a movie that argues and makes a point that people should change their opinions and look inside of a person rather than judging by a person's weight or appearance. I felt like I was very divided in what this movie was trying to accomplish. I felt like the movie was trying to tell people that physical appearance does not matter and that love can overcome many obstacles if you look deep into a person's heart. The problem that this movie encompasses is that it doesn't overcome the many "fat" jokes that are used (for instance, someone sitting down and breaking a chair,the earth shaking, the bench tilting to one side, etc). I saw this movie in the show and felt as though people were not getting the message that Hal's character was changing and he was becoming aware of his biases. Instead, people just laughed at all the fat jokes. There are far too many "pokes" at people with weight problems and this is too bad, because there are (believe it or not) some touching moments in Hal's transformation, such as the moments in the hospital with the child who has severe burns. It is like the producers are trying to give a message but, at the same time, they contradict themselves by going about it the wrong way. Overall, I felt this would have been a much better movie if the producers would have toned down on the jokes, and made this more of a movie about what the heart sees.

Rating:
Summary: They finally got it right.
Review: I am impressed. I didn't expect to be, and after the first few minutes of the film thought I wouldn't be, but I was.

One of my chief complaints about Disney's Beauty and the Beast, which has a similar premise, was that, even though Beauty obviously didn't care about the Beast's appearance once he was less irritable and defensive, the makers of the film felt obligated to "reward" Beauty--or maybe Beast--by turning him into a handsome prince. I felt that the makers of the film had missed the point miserably and failed the viewers--many of whom were little people learning important lessons--terribly. To Beauty the Beast WAS a handsome prince. How he appeared to the rest of us was irrelevant. He didn't need to become somebody else for her to appreciate him, and our opinions shouldn't have matter. Good news: Shallow Hal's makers got the point.

That point is, as the old paradigm goes, "Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder," and the world would be a much better place if we could all see the inner beauty of those around us. Self help and self esteem guru Anthony Robbins makes a personal appearance in the film, and his totally rational and relaxed style of dealing with the neurotic Hal made me want to sign right up for one of his courses (in fact, I put one of his books on my wish list)! By changing Hal's perspective on other people, Robbins caused him to approach them in positive, validating ways that brought a sense of appreciation into their lives and a sense of happiness and fulfilment into his own. So thoroughly is he changed by the experience, that even when the post hypnotic suggestion is reversed, he finds it difficult to return to the shallow person he was.

I was waiting for it, but far from forgetting the paradigm, the film makers didn't simply morph Rosemary into a beautiful woman at the end to "reward" the hero for his new found depth. It was okay for her to be beautiful because he loved her. I think the most significant lines in the film are uttered by Robbins in response to Hal's friend Mauricio when he accuses the psychologist of "brainwashing" Hal. Robbins responds, you don't think you're brainwashed too? And he points out the subtle ways in which the media, the corporate world and peer pressure brainwash all of us into valuing only the superficial, often making ourselves miserable in the bargain. Thank you Shallow Hal.

I thought this was a wonderful film.

Rating:
Summary: Average at best&Dinky Cliches
Review: this film had some alright moments but overall it was just kinda there after a while.it lost it's steam half way through the film&never really recovered.some really lame Cliches.it could have been better.

Rating:
Summary: A World Full Of Stereotypes And Shallow People
Review: Unfourtanly this sometimes cold and cruel world has alot of shallow poeple and media telling us what is goodlooking and what isnt!Alot of people judge right away by a persons appearence instead of looking on the inside.It just goes to show you that some poeple are really ugly on the inside even though there appearence may be alot different.Poeple are very shallow about everything from clothes to appearences and that what this movie shows,how reality is and how mean poeple can really get!
Plot
A very shallow guy named Hal is someone who wants a girl but only looks for apearences.After getting stuck on a elevator with some famous guy whos smart and has a lot of knowledge and common sense wierd things happen.The famous guy does something to Hal that makes him see the inside beauty(the inner apearence not the outer)!After seeing what seems to him a supermodel type of girl and gets a date with her,he gains alot of confidence to ask others out.His other extremly SHALLOW other friend looks at the girls a little different and doesnt understand why his Used to be shallow friend would date people that he would never before.After seeing a girl that in Hals eyes is skinny and everything he hoped for sort of thing but atually is the complete opposite,they start going out.Alot of wierd things happen and misunderstandings appear because she sees one person and he sees the inner.When everything is going perfect for Hal his SHALLOW friend cant stand him acting they way he is and goes back to the famous guy to see how to change him back.After changing him back the way he used look at poeple he sees the way his girlfriend looks on the outside!Though the outside apearences have comeback his Shallowness has not,and he doesnt care about apearences and learns to love someone on the inside, that anyone can be beautiful even if they dont have supermodel figures.
This movie does have some mean jokes on overwieght poeple though like how Hals girlfriend bends a chair out of steel and then breaks a booth at a restruant those jokes arent funny.There are also jokes on how people make fun of poeple by the way they look,but unfourtanly that how some people are.Overall this movie does have a spectacular message,and to stop media from sterotyping whats beautiful!