Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

I’ll be honest with you. I got this movie just to be able to experience the cathartic release of writing a scathing review of a movie whose very idea I found sophomoric and ridiculous. I found instead that it was amusing, entertaining, and had some moments of truth that take it a little beyond the “Dumb and Dumber” movies of its ilk.

My reactions to previous Farrelly efforts are mixed. I loved There’s Something About Mary, for all the wrong reasons I am sure, but hated Me Myself and Irene, and Dumb and Dumber, from the start. It was only a shameless urge to watch something that wouldn’t make me ponder its meaning for hours that made me watch this movie in the first place.

So I won’t belabor the point, but I have to say I liked Gwyneth Paltrow better in this movie than any I’ve seen in the recent past. Her character actually had some character. I understand from the gossip rags, and DVD extras, that she tried on the fat suit, and went down to the bar to “try it out.” It was then she discovered what it would be like for her character to experience life. Because of this she brings an honesty to this movie that was totally unexpected. She worked hard for this part. One thing that really impressed me, although it probably went unnoticed by most people, is that walk. She walks like a “fat person” no matter which persona she is inhabiting at the time, and that shows some real sensitivity to the part.

The other plus aspect to this movie was Jack Black, who also brings some energy to an otherwise pretty unlikable character, at least to start with. I admit to being a Jack Black fan from way back, so this was not a complete surprise to me. Jason Alexander also managed to pull some sympathy out of the hat for his wholly unlikable character, and for that, he deserves full credit.

THE THEMES:

While this movie does include some fat jokes that border on being really offensive, that isn’t the point. And while Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the premise that we are programmed into a n unrealistic view of people around us based on some superficial parameters are both true, I don’t think that is the whole point either. It is rather that we have many ways of interacting with other people in our world, depending on where we are and who we are with., and the views of our culture do inevitably distort our view of reality. That fact that we are supporting a culture that is superficial, condescending and vain should not be lost on the audience.

And while the jokes and pratfalls, and physical humor are present in every scene of this movie, there isn’t any meanness about it that I could see. Unlike the Nutty Professor series, which I found to truly be offensive, there is no cruelty in the fat jokes, and no real meanness in the physical distortions of reality. The plot is cleverly woven to reveal several levels of perception and social relationships. They point out accepted cliches and those that are politically incorrect, but are nevertheless rampant in our work environment as well as in our romantic involvement.
And because it does so without punishing the perpetrators, it does so without that moralistic self righteousness that can be grating . That this is a satire, there should be no doubt. But it is not satire that should be offensive, unless you choose to see it that way.. It also satirizes Tony Robbin’s self help nonsense, and he seems to do his part with singular good humor.

Conventions in Pop Culture

The first stereotype that is shattered is the “words of a dying man” device. Hearing someone’s last words is a powerful experience, but it is rarely the dramatic and uplifting event created by Hollywood. Some of the words may be meaningless, but the solemnity of the occasion may lead a person to think that the actual words spoken held some universal truth. If the wrong message is received, or a garbled message is given, imagine the impact when you are nine years old, and your father a preacher, who was always the epitome of good ,speaks them to you? This one scene sets the tone for the whole movie, and I have to say it was brilliantly done, and subtly done as well. The audience is given clues that daddy isn’t quite right, that the nine year old would not understand. For example when Dad on his deathbed is told his son is here, He says, " send her in."

The second convention is the double standard ..whereby fairly unattractive men feel that they are entitled to pick and judge the’ best’ of the opposite sex without regard to their own shortcomings,-something the culture, by the way, seems to support. While Hal and his friend don't have any illusions about how they appear to the world, they seem to (until the least scene) have no particular hangups about it.

The third convention of course is the old judging a book by its cover scenario. We all have different standards for that cover I guess, but the movie hits on most of them at one time or another.

The fourth convention, the impact of self help gurus on our culture, is itself a convention worthy of satire. It points out a bigger yearning born of desperation that the “quick-fix” (in this case the ‘magic word’ spoken by Tony Robbins,) is so eagerly sought, rather than an approach that would require any real work from the participant. And I hope you did not take that seriously, although if someone hands you an easy answer to the mysteries and pain of the life you live, you would not be the only one to want to try it out.

The fifth and most subtle convention of all is Hal’s promotion at work, which his coworkers and friends all agree must only be due to Hal’s romancing the boss’ daughter, the three hundred pound Rosie. However, Hal had been passed up for a promotion he deserved, and he had good ideas. In a way, this is the most disturbing of all the layers of this movie..that no one believes in success for work alone, it can only be accomplished by a gimmick.

***
The other interesting aspect of this movie to me was the makeup, done for many of the characters, as their ugly and beautiful aspects are revealed. I had mistakenly thought they were different actors, and was surprised to find that mostly they were not. It was pretty incredible really. And it WAS believable.

The only thing I had a problem with was the assumption that all physically ugly people were beautiful inside. The movie does have some beautiful people that remain beautiful to its credit. But in my experience I can tell you that ugly people can be ugly on the inside too, even though they probably don’t see their own ugliness as it is. So ugly girl does not equate exactly with inner beauty, in all cases.


The movie does have a heart. The fact that the heart itself is sort of superficial shouldn’t bother anyone, since the ultimate goal is merely light entertainment, not spiritual enlightenment.


THE PLOT

“Hot young tail is what its all about”, are the last words to 9 year old Hal, who takes his father’s dying words to heart, not realizing that the morphine drip has messed with the reverend’s mind at the end.

Flash from there to the “present” where Hal and his friend Mauricio, young and single, in Charlotte North Carolina (which actually explains a lot) are cruising for chicks, a sort of modified wild and crazy guy scenario. They don’t have very good luck, but there may be a reason. They think it is because they are looking for the perfect chick, and the perfect chick is as shallow as they are...but it is basically because they (and everyone around them) is fixated on appearances.

At his company, Hal is due for a promotion and expects it, but doesn’t get it. It is given to someone else for politically correct reasons. On the elevator one day, Hal is stuck with Tony Robbins, self help guru. As they wait in the stalled elevator, Robbins is able to help Hal with the problem in his “relationships” and deprograms him by allowing him see the “inner beauty”in women , regardless of the outside appearances.

Well, this works immediately, although Hal doesn’t know it. In a little while, he sees the girl of his dreams, who looks to him, like Gwyneth Paltrow, but in reality is Gwyneth Paltrow with 200 pounds redistributed. Rosemary, incidentally, is the bosses’ daughter, although Hal doesn’t know this right away.

Mauricio is Hal’s best friend, and tries to tell him about his recent perception problems. Add Mauricio is so upset by the potential loss of the guy who appears to be his only friend that he goes to Robbins to reprogram him the way he was. The real question here, is whether Mauricio is just afraid that he will in the end lose his best buddy to some woman, and be left all alone, since he is even more messed up than his friend Hal when it comes to relationships.


Well, you’ll have to see for yourself how all this plays out. There are some interesting twists to come, and some heart warming vindication in the end, giving all of us hope that we can learn to see things differently.


THE CAST

Gwyneth Paltrow-Rosemary ‘Rosie’ Shanahan-She was as good in this movie as I have even seen her. So after being disappointed in her for The Royal Tenenbaums, this movie vindicated her. I also liked her in Se7en, and in Hush, although her Academy Award winning performance did not impress me for some reason.

Jack Black-as Hal Larson-I loved this character in High Fidelity, and virtually anything else I have noticed him in. It may be his only starring role as a leading man, but he wasn’t bad at all. The character development that he pulls off is actually pretty impressive. He is actually 3 inches shorter than Gwyneth. He is naturally funny, and has a certain amount of charm as well, although his friendly persona is not all that charismatic, romantically.(To me) Either you like this character or you don’t. If you don’t the movie will not appeal to you.

Jason Alexander as Mauricio Wilson-this would have been a hard role to do, except that this character has done it so many times from Seinfield on, and in the end, he is a little bit redeemed.

Joe Vitrelli as Steve Shanahan (The boss)-this guy has played the low brow Italian mobster so many times that it was fun to see him in this role, with a thick Irish brogue. Very likable character.

Rene Kirby This character, who has a real-life disability, is the one that proves that Hal is only shallow in his relationships to women. So he is an important link between the real physical world and the real world of deeper perception.


Bruce McGill as Reverend Larson-this veteran actor has been in at least 70 pictures to date, and is in only one important scene in the beginning. It was an interesting performance, and well done.

Anthony Robbins-as Tony Robbins-Not much acting involved, but it was obviously fun for him.

Susan Ward as Jill-this is the one beautiful girl who doesn’t change. Interesting to say the least, as she also manages to give Hal the capping summation of his personality changes.

Zen Gesner as Ralph Owens-I searched the credits for a double and didn’t find one, so I assume both are the same. Well done.

Brooke Burns as Katrina-This girl is cute, and actually quite good in both manifestations. She has an incredible distinctive laugh.

Rob Morgan as Tiffany alternate-this is a particularly funny switch, as this guy is dressed in a sexy outfit, with a bit of a beard showing through the pancake makeup. And this one is a different actor from the pretty” Tiffany, played by Mary Wigmore.

Joshua Li’i Boy Shintani-as Li’iBoy-Can’t find a double for him either, so I have to assume the second manifestation is a fat suit. Her played it well.

Kyle Gass as Artie-Who was this character?

Laura Kightlinger as Jen-don’t know which one this is, honestly.

Nan Martin as Nurse Tanya Peeler-This lady was 73 years old at the time of this filming, so she is the “ugly” Tanya, who appears to be in personality, as mean spirited and selfish as she looks. The pretty version was played by Sascha Knopf.



FINAL RECOMMENDATION

This movie is not nearly as stupid as you might have been led to believe, There are too many variables that were not perfectly meshed to give it a higher recommendation. But what it misses in quality, it makes up for in matters of the heart, and in laughter. Watch it sometime, and I don’t think you’ll be sorry. Just don't expect anything more than entertainment.








Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older