USA: AMERICAN FILM PREMIERE OF COMEDY "SHALLOW HAL" STARRING GWYNETH PALTROW AND JACK BLACK

Record ID: 392265

  • Title: USA: AMERICAN FILM PREMIERE OF COMEDY "SHALLOW HAL" STARRING GWYNETH PALTROW AND JACK BLACK
  • Date: 1st November 2001
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 28, 2001) (REUTERS) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) TONY ROBBINS SAYING, "It was fun because now I get to play something that's real. And as you said, this film, it's humorous and it's funny, but it's about real life, it's about things people deal with every single day of their life." (3.51)
  • Embargoed: 16th November 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES AND FILM LOCATIONS
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVACV7LK3PSA7SGFD44F9KKFYTD8
  • Story Text: In "Shallow Hal," Gwyneth Paltrow puts on a hundred pounds, but still gets the guy thanks to the Farrelly brothers' ("Something About Mary" and "Dumb and Dumber") twist on the old motto: "It's not what's on the outside, but the inside that matters."
    After grossing out audiences with their off-beat and off-colour sense of humour in films such as "Dumb and Dumber,"
    "There's Something About Mary" and "Me, Myself and Irene,"
    Peter and Bobby Farrelly take a small side trip into heart-warming emotional territory with their new comedy "Shallow Hal."
    The film stars newcomer Jack Black, best known for his role in "High Fidelity," as Hal Larsen, the ultimate shallow guy who finds beauty only in supermodels and centrefolds. He won't even consider dating someone with a less-than-perfect body, smile and sense of style. Together with his best friend Mauricio, played by "Seinfeld's" Jason Alexander, Hal spends his nights cruising singles clubs looking to hook up with the hottest women he sets his eyes on.
    Of course, neither of them are very successful and Hal begins to realize that his life is going down the wrong road when it comes to relationships. All that changes when he's trapped in an elevator with Tony Robbins, the world-famous self-help guru and motivational speaker who helped guide Bill Clifton through the Monaco Lewinsky scandal. Robbins helps change Hal's opinion of women and the way he sees them.
    Soon, Hal finds that beautiful women are falling for him left and right. However, they're not beautiful to the rest of the world at all. Outwardly, they are homely, unsightly and overweight, but to Hal, all he sees are gorgeous supermodels.
    The one he falls for is Rosemary, a 300 pound Peace Corps volunteer played by Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow.
    For the sake of the role, Paltrow alternated between her own shapely figure and a huge, stifling foam latex suit which made her look like the 300-pound Rosemary the way she looks to the rest of the world besides Hal. Paltrow even took the suit for a test drive, wearing it into the lobby and bar of a New York hotel before shooting commenced. She calls the experience eye-opening, educational and more than a little depressing, since no one would make eye contact with her, must less talk to her under all the makeup.
    Paltrow admits that "Shallow Hal" is a departure for the Farrelly brothers, whose previous films contain gags ranging from sex with animals to scatological experiments with hair gel. In addition to being funny and having some of that sort of comedy, she says "Shallow Hal" also has a big heart, real characters you care about, and a message about beauty being in the eye of the beholder.
    Jack Black previously was only known to audiences in supporting but memorable sidekick roles in films such as "High Fidelity" with John Cusack and "Saving Silverman" with Jason Biggs.
    "Shallow Hal" represents his first leading man role, which is considered the brass ring for any actor in Hollywood.
    Ironically, Black never sought out a leading man role, it was the Farrelly Brothers who came to him.
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