Shallow Hal !!better!! Jun 2026

Some reviewers found it to be an "unexpectedly sweet" and "heartwarming" fable about seeing past physical appearance. Roger Ebert praised it as "often very funny" and "surprisingly moving," noting that Gwyneth Paltrow was "truly touching" in her role.

The film stars as Hal Larson, a man obsessed with physical perfection until a chance encounter with self-help guru Tony Robbins results in him being hypnotized to see people's "inner beauty" as their physical appearance. Under this spell, Hal falls for Rosemary , played by Gwyneth Paltrow , whom he sees as a slender, blonde knockout while the rest of the world sees a 300-pound woman. Critical and Cultural Reception

: The use of prosthetic suits to make thin actors look obese has largely been phased out of modern romantic comedies. Gwyneth Paltrow has publicly expressed regret over the role, noting that walking in public in the fat suit made her realize how cruelly and invisibly plus-sized individuals are treated by society. Shallow Hal

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: Some reviewers suggest the film's deeper point is bringing Hal "down to reality," noting that as a man who is not conventionally "perfect" himself, the hypnosis simply allows him to find a partner "in his own league". Double Coding Some reviewers found it to be an "unexpectedly

Soon after, Hal meets Rosemary Shanahan (Gwyneth Paltrow). Because Rosemary is a kind, generous, and funny volunteer, Hal perceives her as a slender, stunning blonde. In reality, Rosemary is a morbidly obese woman. The narrative tension drives the comedy and drama as Hal falls deeply in love with Rosemary, entirely unaware of what she actually looks like to the rest of the world, until his best friend Mauricio (Jason Alexander) breaks the hypnosis. The Core Themes: Inner Beauty vs. Hypocrisy

Upon its release on November 9, 2001, Shallow Hal received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a rating of 49% based on 134 reviews, with the critical consensus reading: "While surprisingly sweeter and warm-hearted than previous Farrelly outings, Shallow Hal is also less funny and more bland". On Metacritic, the film has a score of 48 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Under this spell, Hal falls for Rosemary ,

Hal meets Rosemary (Gwyneth Paltrow), an obese woman whose kindness makes her appear to him as a slender "knockout."