"Sweet & 'Shallow'"
by Scott Mantz

"Shallow Hal"
Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black
Directed by Peter Farrelly
and Bobby Farrelly

Got milkshakes? It's true love (or is it?) for Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black in "Shallow Hal"

The other night, I took a date to see "Shallow Hal"--the new movie by the Farrelly brothers, the team behind "There's Something About Mary" and "Me, Myself & Irene"--and I had a very unusual experience. Not only was the movie much better than I expected it to be, but I actually wound up living out it's message within moments after the house lights went up.

OK, let's backtrack. My best friend spent the last six months trying to fix me up with a woman named...oh, let's just call her "Lana." I resisted, mostly because I already met her at a party once before, and despite her good looks, I just wasn't attracted to her. Not too long ago, he invited us both to his birthday gathering, and although the situation was ripe for conversation, I still didn't go for her. Sure, she looked hot, but she just didn't seem like a very warm person. Over the next few days, my buddy persuaded me to call her, so I finally gave in and figured "what the heck."

She seemed somewhat tough and argumentative over the phone, but I figured it was just "nervous first phone call" jitters. We finally met for our first date, and we still didn't hit it off. Then, after a couple glasses of wine (that always helps), I didn't really care, and I became more interested in her attractive physical features.

The evening ended well enough, and after kissing her goodnight, we arranged a second date. I suggested going to the movies to see "Shallow Hal," thinking that the moral of the story--to appreciate someone for their inner beauty--was perfect for a date flick.

As for the movie itself...well, it may not be as funny as some of the other films by the Farrelly brothers, but that's a good thing. In place of cheap laughs lies a sweet-natured, touching movie with a crucial message, and despite a somewhat long running time, it's inner beauty manages to shine through. Also, thanks to Gwyneth Paltrow's surprising penchant for slapstick comedy and Jack Black's subdued, relatively endearing performance, the film should whet the appetite of any moviegoer hungry for a heartwarming cinematic diversion.

Jack Black plays Hal, a superficial loser who's only standard for dating women is how beautiful they are. It comes as no surprise that Hal can't get a date for beans (believe me, he's no looker), but fate intervenes when he gets stuck in an elevator with self-help guru Tony Robbins (in a perfect display of self-parody). He hypnotizes Hal into seeing women for who they really are, and in no time, he meets Rosemary, a seemingly gorgeous, perfectly-built knockout who looks just like Gwyneth Paltrow (actually, she is Gwyneth Paltrow). Little does he know that she really weighs 300 pounds, and before long, they fall in love. When Hal's dorky best friend (Jason Alexander) tries to snap him out of it, Hal must decide if he is going to resort to his old superficial ways or follow through with his true feelings for Rosemary.

"Shallow Hal" may seem like a one-joke movie, and for the most part, it is. The best scenes are the ones in the coming attractions--with Paltrow weighing down a canoe, Paltrow jumping into a swimming pool and having the splash throw a kid into a tree--but the film still has plenty of heart. And it makes perfect sense too. After the surprise success of their 1997 gross-out comedy "There's Something About Mary," the Farrellys were in danger of competing with themselves. With "Shallow Hal," they branch off into a more sensitive direction, and as long as you don't go into it with Farrelly-esque expectations, you'll enjoy it a whole lot more.

The film could easily have lost about 20 minutes on the editing treadmill, so it falls to Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow to carry the weight of the movie. She throws herself into the physical role of the 300-pound Rosemary like a real trooper, and she pulls it off with a believable, good-natured, sensitive, and even sexy performance. Though Jack Black sees her as a supermodel, she still conveys an air of insecurity and genuine heartbreak when the relationship hits a snag. It's a good thing too, because although Black shows some range as a sensitive male lead, he's just not the strong, charismatic scene stealer that he was in last year's "High Fidelity." (Then again, if you thought he was annoying and obnoxious in "High Fidelity," then his performance here is just right.)

In short, while fans of the Farrelly's sick and twisted sense of humor may not have much to laugh about, there's something about "Shallow Hal's" irresistible charm that makes it worthwhile. Despite some plot inconsistencies (for example, not everyone Hal sees is different from their real appearance), the film ends up as a tender, sweet moviegoing experience.

Ok, back to my date. After the movie, we went out for dinner, and the argumentative demeanor that I met with the previous week was back in full force. I felt like I couldn't say anything without being called upon to justify my opinion, and then out of the blue, Lana said to me, "I know why you took me to see that movie." Puzzled, I responded, "Uh...Ok, why did I take you to see that movie?" Her answer, "Because of all the hot girls in it."

Huh? Now, where did that come from? It never occurred to her that I thought the film had a great message, so she instead slapped a label on me as the so-called "typical guy" on the lookout for hot-looking girls. That's when it hit me. She didn't see me for who I really was, but I saw through her gorgeous body to see who she really was. And you know what? I didn't like what I saw.

So it just goes to show you. Trust your gut. Follow your instincts. Never judge a book by its cover. Obviously, I won't be calling her again, but I will be calling upon "Shallow Hal" when it comes out on DVD.

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