Shallow Hal
Shallow Hal

Shallow Hal

2001Movie114 minEnglish

After taking his dying father's advice, Hal dates only the embodiments of female physical perfection. But that all changes after Hal has an unexpected run-in with self-help guru Tony Robbins. Intrigued by Hal's shallowness, Robbins hypnotizes him into seeing the beauty that exists even in the least physically appealing women. Hal soon falls for Rosemary, but he doesn't realize that his gorgeous girlfriend is actually a 300-pound-not-so-hottie.

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Insights

IMDb5.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes51%
Metacritic45/100
Google Users65%
Director: Bobby Farrelly, Peter FarrellyGenres: Comedy, Romance

Plot Summary

Hal Larson, a shallow womanizer, is hypnotized by self-help guru Tony Robbins into seeing only the inner beauty of women. He subsequently falls for Rosemary Shanahan, a beautiful woman on the outside but who is actually overweight. Hal's best friend, Mauricio Wilson, tries to snap him out of his trance, leading to a series of comedic situations as Hal grapples with his newfound love and his friends' attempts to revert him to his old ways.

Critical Reception

Shallow Hal received largely negative reviews from critics, who found its premise and humor to be sophomoric and offensive. Audiences were somewhat more receptive, although its portrayal of obesity was a point of contention for many.

What Reviewers Say

  • The film attempts humor through a controversial premise but often falls flat.
  • Gwyneth Paltrow's performance is praised for its commitment despite the material.
  • Many critics found the humor to be dated and insensitive.

Google audience: Google users were divided, with many appreciating the film's romantic comedy elements and the lead actors' performances. However, a significant portion of reviewers found the humor to be immature and the portrayal of the overweight character to be outdated and potentially offensive.

Fun Fact

During the hypnosis scene, Tony Robbins, who plays himself, was reportedly paid over $1 million for just a few days of work.

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TMDB Reviews

4 reviews
The Movie Mob

The Movie Mob

**Shallow Hal might have a pretty divisive premise in today's culture, but the message and character growth champion worth and dignity while making you laugh.** This movie would never be allowed to release in today's world, but it was a ...
Kamurai

Kamurai

Really good watch, could watch again, and can recommend. Now, I'm honestly not the biggest fans of this cast: Jack Black, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jason Alexander, but that's not to discredit their acting abilities, and I don't just limit th...
Wuchak

Wuchak

***Fun romcom with a worthy message*** A shallow man (Jack Black) from Charlotte, North Carolina, falls in love with a 300 lb. woman (Gwyneth Paltrow) after Tony Robbins enables him to see inner merit. Jason Alexander is on hand as his b...
John Chard

John Chard

Shallow Hal wants a gal. Hal Larsen (Jack Black) only ever dates beautiful trophy women on account of advice he received on his death bed from his father. However, a chance meeting with a self-help guru helps him to see inner beauty firs...