MovieChat Forums > Shallow Hal (2001) Discussion > I don't understand why Hal had to be una...

I don't understand why Hal had to be unattractive...

posted 12 years ago by RTgirl
13 replies | jump to latest

If this movie is trying to give us a message about real life, well, I don't think it really succeeded on that.

Don't get me wrong, I really love this movie, in fact it's one of my favorites. The acting, the plot, directing etc, everything was great...except I think the letdown was that they wanted Hal to be an unattractive, short and kind of chubby guy. (no offence Jack Black).

MOST OF THE TIME, when a guy is shallow, you'd find that they are attractive. Because they want women up to their 'standards', ie appearance. Whereas the not-so-attractive guys will alot of the time take what they can get, even though they would prefer the really attractive women. It's very rare you'd find an unattractive man with a very attractive woman.

Its easy for women to reject shallow, unattractive guys, because alot of women don't care for those type of guys anyway. But it's not easy for women to reject shallow, attractive model-like guys, because they're lured in by their looks. As Jill said "there should be an attraction at the beginning".

I know it would totally mess up the whole storyline if there was an attractive guy playing Hal, and Mauricio for that matter, but it would just be more realistic at least to me if they cast an attractive guy being shallow, because its mainly THEM that need to see the true beauty. They should really make a movie like that. Or maybe there already is one? I really want to see it if there is!!!

[–] virgiltx 12 years ago

his behavior is inconsistent with the plain guys more modest standards because Hal was given a directive by his dying father.

Also, narrative-wise, Hal needs to be having trouble finding a girl of his standards who will accept a guy in his league. That's why he's so overwhelmed with the svelte and gorgeous Rosemary. There are those scene s when he's so happy and appreciative. A trophy guy wouldn't be so appreciative.

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The story is king.

[–] Eve_of_Destruction 11 years ago

I think that was the point to make the movie even funnier. That this buffoon thinks he is so cute and can get gorgeous women. If he and Mauricio were good looking it wouldn't be as funny.

Would a Cupcake kill you?

[–] lukekingjohnson 11 years ago

"Its rare you'd find an unattractive man with a very attractive woman" What planet are you living on?

[–] HowYaLikeDemApplesWill 11 years ago

It's called hypocrisy....which you could also expect from someone who was so-called 'shallow'.

Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] reaseltbim 10 years ago

if anything making Hal and Mauricio shallow makes this movie a complete tragedy,

here are two kinda ugly kinda chubby guys going to bars and getting rejected almost every night
they are too optimistic and too upbeat to realize that all of those women dont want them, but they keep going at it, Hal doesnt even realize they are out of his league, he is so blinded he thinks the neighbor is dating him because they went on one date.

so making hal being not that good looking makes this story even sadder
he could have gotten married and everything years ago if he only wasn't shallow

who knows, he could have met someone special as early as his senior year, his dads words were like a curse that made him become a very lonely man..

tragic tale indeed

[–] hubcap18 10 years ago

Did you see then end of the movie, where Hal and Mauricio are going to change their attitudes towards women, Hal even marrying an overweight one?

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The sun is shining... but the ice is slippery.

[–] reaseltbim 10 years ago

yeah but they wasted like 20 years of life

[–] hubcap18 10 years ago

I see your point, but there's a lot of truth to the phrase "better late than never."

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The sun is shining... but the ice is slippery.

[–] daughterofolaf 10 years ago

They wasted 20 years of life? Hal was pretty young--no way was he more than 30. The notion that he could have/should have been married "years" ago--let alone TWENTY years ago--is super silly. If anything he would be at just about the right age to think about settling down.

Dick, I am VERY disappointed.

[–] reaseltbim 10 years ago

not married....

Even just having a meaningful relationship with a good woman. Who is to say he couldn't have found someone good in high school or even College.
High School sweethearts actually do exist you know... people might get married later on but a lot of people find that special someone early on as well. It is not THAT unheard of.

In the Case of Hal, who knows, im not saying he could have gotten married at age 18 or anything but imagine all the women he could have been with that would have made him happy, instead of just chasing after impossible women his whole life

[–] virgiltx 10 years ago

As I recall, the advice from his father was just to get a basically good looking, well-stacked wife, not a ten or a beauty queen.
But maybe even that is a pretty tough standard, so maybe it was near impossible for Hal.

____________________
The story is king.

[–] reaseltbim 10 years ago

Hal was not the best looking guy (being honest) if a 6 guy always goes for the 10 girl...

[–] 10 years ago

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