--- title: "Shallow Hal: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/shallow-hal/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/shallow-hal" critics_score: 52 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Shallow Hal (2001): what the critics said Critics' score 52 from 11 reviews: 4 positive, 2 mixed, 5 negative. The reviews split almost down the middle, and even the admirers agree the film is a departure for the Farrelly brothers. Where the praise gathers, it gathers on two things: the decision to play the inner-beauty premise straight rather than for cheap laughs, and the performances of Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow, who are singled out by critics on both sides of the divide. The New York Times and RogerEbert.com find the sincerity moving; several others settle for sweet, or at least good-natured. The spread is wide. Detractors object that the film asks the audience to laugh at fat jokes while scolding them for doing so, and that the tone lurches between the two. The Los Angeles Times calls it schizophrenic; The Independent goes further, arguing it upholds the prejudices it claims to debunk. Even the milder notices complain that it is not funny enough, with the central gag wearing thin early. The British reviews run noticeably cooler than the American. ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 9 November 2001. The Farrellys craft a tender fable that mocks and celebrates its subject at once, transforming fat jokes into a winning love story through absolute conviction. Scott praises the film's unabashed sincerity and the way it shames viewers of their own shallowness. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/09/movies/film-review-inner-beauty-counts-and-she-s-a-perfect-10.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 9 November 2001. The Farrelly brothers deliver a surprisingly moving comedy that balances gross-out gags with genuine empathy for its characters. Ebert singles out the performances of Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow, along with the film's heartfelt message about inner beauty. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/shallow-hal-2001) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 2002. An improvement on the Farrellys' previous misfire, with a sweeter and more good-natured tone that celebrates inner beauty and girth, though it lacks big laughs and has a predictable ending. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/shallow-hal-review/) ## Slant Magazine Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 29 October 2001. The Farrelly brothers' film is sweet and sad, indicting sources of female shame with humanity while challenging viewers' gaze through Hal's altered perception of beauty. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/shallow-hal/) ## Time Out — WH Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The Farrellys add a sentimental twist to their usual schtick in a film that is not as funny as their best but fascinates through its foregrounded moral dialectic on fatness and hypocrisy. Black's self-satisfied lead performance and the sheer audacity of the gags stand out. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/shallow-hal) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Rating C. 9 November 2001. The film awkwardly splits between puerile fat jokes and half-hearted sentiment, failing to balance its high concept with consistent humor or conviction. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/shallow-hal-1798192806) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 9 November 2001. The Farrelly brothers' attempt at sentimental uplift results in a broad, unsubtle film that is rarely amusing and rife with obesity jokes. Turan criticizes the lack of subtlety and the schizophrenic tone that undermines its message about inner beauty. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-nov-09-ca-1934-story.html) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 13 November 2001. The Farrelly brothers deliver a disappointingly sentimental comedy about inner beauty that feels like a step backwards from their earlier gross-out work. It benefits from solid turns by Paltrow and Black but ultimately pushes obvious, sappy values. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/shallow-hal/407500.article) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Rating **. 1 February 2002. The critic finds the Farrelly brothers' effort dull and a step down from their usual bad-taste style, calling it a sentimental misfire on its premise about inner beauty. He singles out the mishandled handling of sensitive topics like disfigurement and obesity for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/feb/01/culture.peterbradshaw1) ## The Independent — Nicholas Barber Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 3 February 2002. The Farrelly brothers attempt a more politically correct comedy about inner beauty but end up upholding the prejudices they claim to debunk, resulting in a tame and apologetic film reliant on fat jokes that fails to deliver laughs beyond the trailer. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/shallow-hal-training-day-nightshift-9142896.html) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2002. The critic finds the central joke about seeing inner beauty wears thin after half an hour, leaving little else to sustain the film. Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow are praised in their roles, but the Farrelly brothers' effort lacks the momentum of their earlier comedies. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/shallow-hal-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/shallow-hal.md