Shallow Hal (2001)
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A man who only values outward appearances is hypnotized into seeing only the inner beauty of those around him.
The story
Hal Larson is a man who prioritizes physical appearance above all else, leading to a life of superficiality and rejection from women who value substance. While trapped in an elevator, he is hypnotized by a life coach into seeing only a person's inner beauty. Unaware of the hypnosis, Hal's perception of the world shifts dramatically. He soon encounters Rosemary, a woman whose inner beauty is profound but whose outward appearance is often overlooked by others. Because of his altered state, Hal is instantly smitten by her, leading to a burgeoning romance that challenges his previous worldview and forces him to confront his own superficiality.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being hypnotized to see only inner beauty, Hal Larson falls for Rosemary, whose inner beauty makes her appear as a slender blonde to him. Their relationship begins, but Hal's friend Mauricio discovers the truth and uses a trigger phrase to break the hypnosis. Hal then sees the true physical appearances of those around him, including a woman he previously thought was beautiful. After a period of confusion and a brief reconciliation with Rosemary, Hal encounters a young girl with severe burn scars. This experience solidifies his new perspective on inner beauty. He eventually reconciles with Mauricio, who reveals he has a physical deformity, and ultimately reunites with Rosemary, choosing to join her on a Peace Corps mission to prove his sincere love.
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 113
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Peter Farrelly; Bobby Farrelly
- Writers
- Peter Farrelly · writer; Bobby Farrelly · writer; Sean Moynihan · writer
- Cast and characters
- Gwyneth Paltrow · Rosemary "Rosie" Shanahan; Jack Black · Harold "Hal" Larson; Jason Alexander · Mauricio Wilson; Joe Viterelli · Steve Shanahan; Susan Ward · Jill
- Genres
- fantasy comedy; romantic comedy
- Themes
- inner beauty; body image
- Tone and mood
- romantic; comedy
- Premise and plot tags
- hypnosis; romance
- Reception
- The film was a box-office success but received mixed critical reviews regarding its premise and humor.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 49% · review count: 135; Metacritic · score: 48% · review count: 33
- Awards and nominations
- Choice Movie: Comedy · Teen Choice Awards · 2002 · nominated; Choice Movie: Comedy Actor · Teen Choice Awards · 2002 · nominated; Choice Movie: Comedy Actress · Teen Choice Awards · 2002 · nominated
- Production trivia
- Gwyneth Paltrow wore a 25-pound fat suit and prosthetic makeup.; The script was inspired by Tony Robbins.; The film was a top performing Pay-Per-View title of 2002.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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