Shallow Hal Sociology

Interested in a movie that will entertain, while also bring attention to an important social issue; therefore, Shallow Hal (2001) is the perfect movie. Directed by Peter and Bobby Farrely, the movie revolves around the life of Hal, who is portrayed by Jack Black. The plot begins with a traumatic event during Hal’s childhood that subconsciously dictates his decisions throughout the movie. That event was the death of his father, who in his deathbed encouraged his son to live superficially and never settle in any aspect of his life especially when it came to picking out the right women. Despite his unproportioned figure, Hal emulated a lifestyle that left him unfulfilled as he discriminated and stereotyped women based on their outward appearance.

In the movie, Hal is presented as a guy with great charisma, overwhelming confidence, and shallow views on life. His fixation on outer beauty compels him to set unrealistic standards that affect the way he perceives women, and yet he completely disregards the fact that he himself is not a very attractive man. In turn Hal is often rejected and doesn’t seem to learn that his superficial tendencies are what is standing in the way of him being in a fruitful relationship. Therefore, this character is a representation of the way most men and women in society today tend to act, and they often omit a demographic that may not meet their improbable standards. But in contrast the viewers are also introduced to a morbidly obese, self-conscious Rosemary who is played by Gwyneth Paltrow, who throughout the movie is very loveable and unloving towards herself. Hal brings awareness to the issue of body shaming, while Rosemary is displaying how the effects of these prejudicial views affect the people that are being shamed. Ultimately the intriguing characters played by these brilliant actors throughout the movie really helped build a strong foundation, but the dialogue is what really helped solidify the movies stance on body

The interactions between Rosemary’s father “Steve Shanahan” and Hal displays the heartbreaking reality that Mr. Shanahan did not believe that his daughter was eligible or worthy enough to find a man that truly cared for her. Instead of telling Hal not to hurt his daughter he said this instead, “you can cut out the act now...But l think we both know that we won't soon be seeing her twirlin' the baton, marching along with the Dallas cheerleaders. ” Meaning that his daughter was too big, too obese to be able to embrace her body like the cheerleaders and no one would ever want to see her do so. This moment between these two characters really displays the brutal truth of body shaming, but Mr. Shanahan did not say those words with malicious intent. Instead he knew that the society under good intentions would not openly welcome his daughter the way Hal has. The relationship between Hal and Rosemary is presented as a stable and healthy relationship; however, the conflict that surrounds the couple is not only the fact that Hal does not truly know that Rosemary is obese but the way outside forces such as friends and objects cause a strain on the relationship. These forces makes Rosemary doubt herself and her self-worth and it lowers confidence that she barely has. It is shown through the way she responds to