Click to read the article
Shallow Hal (2001)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:119
Fresh:60
Rotten:59
Average Rating:5.5/10
Consensus: While surprisingly sweeter and warm-hearted than previous Farrelly outings, Shallow Hal is also less funny and more bland.
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly continue their string of hilarious oddball comedies with SHALLOW HAL. Hal (Jack Black of HIGH FIDELITY) is a "regular guy" who has no luck with women because he... Directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly continue their string of hilarious oddball comedies with SHALLOW HAL. Hal (Jack Black of HIGH FIDELITY) is a "regular guy" who has no luck with women because he only wants to be with women who look like supermodels. Then self-help guru Tony Robbins hypnotizes Hal so that he can see a woman's inner beauty. When Hal meets Rosemary (Gwyneth Paltrow), a Peace Corps volunteer who is smart and funny, he thinks his dreams have come true. Others, like Hal's slimy friend Mauricio (Jason Alexander), see Rosie for what she is, a 300-pound woman, but Hal can only see the beauty on the inside, so to him she looks like Gwyneth Paltrow. Black shines in his first starring role. His engagingly manic energy keeps the film in high gear. Paltrow skillfully plays Rosemary as an obese woman in a thin woman's body. The Farrelly brothers' comedies work so well because they mix off-the-wall humor with characters the audience identifies with and cares about. SHALLOW HAL is outrageous and funny, occasionally exceeding the bounds of good taste, but it's also a touching love story. Fans of Black's band, Tenacious D, will be happy to see bandmate Kyle Gass in a small role. [More]
Starring: Jack Black, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jason Alexander, Zen Gesner
Starring: Jack Black, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jason Alexander, Zen Gesner, Susan Ward, Laura Kightlinger, Sascha Knopf, Joe Viterelli, Kyle Gass
Director: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly
Director: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly
Screenwriter: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly, Sean Moynihan
Producer: Bradley Thomas, Charles B. Wessler, Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly
Composer: Ivy
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Reviews for Shallow Hal
Hilarious in parts, sickeningly sentimental in others, Shallow Hal has the Farrellys trying to expand their range, with only mildly successful results.
The Farrellys take an artistic step backward with this soft, disappointingly sentimental comedy about the true nature of beauty; they seem to have forgotten their roots in the outrageous and gross-out.
There's just about enough charm and laughs here to keep Farrelly fans happy. Even the fat ones.
In delivering their message, the Farrelly Brothers seem to have compromised their nothing-is-sacred comedy spirit, but at least their hearts are in the right place.
Latest News for Shallow Hal
November 28, 2005:
Special Olympians Find No Problem with Knoxville's "Ringer"
While the concept might sound more than a little tacky (a con man poses as a mentally handicapped man to defraud the Special Olympics), the officials for the actual games find... More...
August 20, 2001:
'They didn't want an overtly slick Ferrari dude,' Black says. 'That's why they came to me, because I'm just such a snugly, lovable, chubby little bo-bo.' ![]()
More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Shallow Hal at Rotten Tomatoes
- Shallow Hal at IGN
- Shallow Hal at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

