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Year:    2000
Studio:  Paramount Pictures/Icon Entertainment
Movie:   3/5
DVD:     2/5

The concept is simple: unthinking ladies man Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson) gains the power to hear women's thoughts. At first alarming, he uses his power for his own selfish ends, but ends up appreciating women as real people by the end of the movie. Nick is an advertising executive specializing in T&A ads.The president of the company, Dan Wanamaker (Alan Alda) brings in a woman, Darcy McGuire (Helen Hunt), to be the head advertising VP because Dan realizes that the company needs to cater towards women's advertising.

It's a nice story. Dan is a man's man and everybody but Darcy and his daughter Alexandra (Ashely Johnson) treats him nicely. It's only when he can hear their thoughts that he realizes that everybody either hates or is disgusted by him. Still, he spends half of the movie trying to undermins Darcy so that he can have her job, a job that he thinks should have rightfully gone to him.

Of course Nick starts falling in love with Darcy and she with him.The natural turning point when Nick has to reveal that he's betrayed Darcy comes right at the end of the movie. I wasn't entirely convinced that Darcy should have forgiven him, but it does make a better ending.
The DVD has a commentary track wtih director Nancy Meyers. Nancy is a bit quiet and doesn't say too many things that are really insightful. There are two promotional featurettes that aren't very informative and have too much market-speak for my tastes.

What I liked: light-hearted romantic comedy, Mel Gibson playing a comedic role.

What I didn't like: awkward ending, movie tried to cover too much -- seemed a bit rushed.

Copyright (c) 2004 Kevin C. Wong
Page Created: August 18, 2004
Page Last Updated: August 18, 2004