Reel Comedy: Shallow Hal

Hal Larson is a superficial womanizer who only dates women based on their physical appearance. When a self-help guru hypnotizes him, Hal begins to see women for their inner beauty, falling for Rosemary Shanahan, a kind and intelligent woman who happens to be severely overweight. Hal must then reconcile his newfound appreciation for inner beauty with the superficial judgments he's always made, while also dealing with his similarly shallow best friend, Mauricio.

Shallow Hal received generally negative reviews from critics, who often found its premise and execution to be uninspired and at times offensive. While some viewers found humor in the Farrelly Brothers' signature gross-out gags and the film's attempt at a message about inner beauty, many criticized its reliance on fat-shaming jokes and its predictable romantic comedy formula.

• Despite a potentially endearing message about inner beauty, the film relies too heavily on crude humor and tired stereotypes.
• Gwyneth Paltrow's performance as both the 'real' Rosemary and her inner-beauty-perceived self is a highlight, but not enough to save the film.
• The Farrelly Brothers' signature style of comedy is present, but it feels less fresh and more reliant on offensive jokes.

Google audience: Audiences were somewhat divided, with many appreciating the film's attempt at a heartwarming message about looking past physical appearances. However, a significant portion of viewers found the humor to be juvenile and the reliance on jokes about weight to be off-putting and mean-spirited.

Gwyneth Paltrow famously wore a 25-pound fatsuit and used prosthetics to play the role of Rosemary Shanahan when Hal perceives her as overweight.