Stars:
Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black, Jason Alexander, Joe Veterelli, Susan Ward, and
Anthony Robbins
Writers:
Sean Moynihan, Peter Farrelly, and Bobby Farrelly
Directors:
Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly
Feature
length: 113 minutes
Extras:
Feature Length Audio Commentary, Deleted Scenes With Optional Commentary,
Featurettes, Trailers, Music Video, Music Spot
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 5.1 and French and Spanish Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions
Packaging:
Amaray Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 28
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 2001/DVD Release: 2002
Theatrical
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox
Home
Video Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: PG-13
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
In
some ways “Shallow Hal” is just as much a fantasy as it is comedy, but at
least underneath the jokes there is a good message about judging a book by
it’s cover. Jack Black is Hal, a superficial skirt chaser who with his hung up
pall, Mauricio (Jason Alexander) prowl around the nightclubs of their Montana
city searching for the ultimate woman and little else. Then Hal has a chance
meeting with none other than Tony Robbins (playing himself) who somehow changes
Jack’s visual perception so that he can see only the inner beauty of others
and not the outer. As a result Jack meets a heavy woman who he thinks is the
most beautiful thing in the world (Gwyneth Paltrow) and subsequently falls in
love with her. Things become more complicated for Hal when his friend discovers
how to change Hal’s perceptions back to the way they were before. As a result
Hal sees the outer images of everyone once again, but in spite of this change
his inner feeling have not changed, but can he prove that he still loves the
woman of his dreams regardless of how she appears in spite of everything?
Before
I continue on with this review I want to note that I am going to be a bit candid
about what worked and did not work in the film for mw so I hope no one is
offended. “Shallow Hal” is a better effort than the Farrelly Brothers last
film “Say It Isn’t So,” but it still does not approach the comic heights
if “There’s Something About Mary” and “Kingpin.” The film does have a
good heart about it, but something about the way the story works out just never
seems to gel completely. For instance, Anthony Robbins can truly motivate people
to change their perceptions, but his behavioral techniques are based on a
person’s own willingness to change. Hal does not realize anything changed
after his encounter with Robbins so how could his perceptions change without
having to want it to be so to begin with? Jason Alexander seems like he’s
playing the same character he was in “Seinfeld” all be it with a slightly
different hang-up. Finally the humor is still very much at the expense of those
who the film is trying to champion, which dilutes the film’s overall moral at
the end.
Ironically
the shallow observations of the characters are what does ring true in the film.
Hal’s neighbor is not interested in him as a love interest until she sees Hall
has moved on and found someone else. I call this “the stock factor,” which
means that people are more curious about people who attract others to them more
so than people who are alone most of the time. So the value of a person rises
just like a stock does according to the number of willing investors. The other
aspect that rings true is the “He ain’t getting any, you ain’t getting any
principle.” To be blunt when two guys are in a social situation and one finds
potential love while the other doesn’t, it is not uncommon for the guy who has
no one to try and sabotage his friend’s relationship consciously,
unconsciously, or both. This is because misery and loneliness loves company.
Call me “Shallow Mark,” but there are ugly truths in life that exist
regardless of whether or not we want to acknowledge them. It is not a perfect
world and it was never meant to be.
The
transfer on “Shallow Hal” is very good with a clear anamorphic widescreen
(1.85:1) aspect ratio and a good English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack
coupled with French and Spanish Language Surround Soundtracks and English
Captions and Closed Captions encoded on to the dual layered DVD as options. The
Farrelly Brothers contribute to a somewhat screen specific, but more anecdotal
feature length optional audio commentary track as well as 11 deleted scenes
presented in a widescreen (1.85:1) aspect ratio with English Stereo Sound. The
HBO and Comedy Central promotional documentaries are included as well along with
a few short featurettes on the film’s makeup and the infamous pool plunge that
seemed funnier in the trailers than as it actually plays out in the film. Shelby
Lynne’s music video for “Wall In Your Heart” and a music soundtrack spot
round off the extra features along with a full framed trailers for “Shallow
Hal,” a “Farrelly Brothers On Fox DVD” spot, and a number of theatrical
preview trailers including the teaser for “Minority Report.”
The
main menu is animated while the other menus are standard interactive still
frames that are easy to navigate. “Shallow Hal” will debut on DVD-Video on
Tuesday July 2, 2002 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Rent it
first.
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.