History Film / ShallowHal

* BettyAndVeronica: Hal is Archie, Rosemary is Betty and Jill is Veronica. Rosemary is a fat, sweet and gentle woman, who dresses conservatively (before meeting Hal). Jill is an exotic, sensual woman, a little more rude and cold. Subverted, though, because Jill is shown later in the movie to be a nice and pleasant person who simply objected to Hal's lechery and overt come-ons, and she makes a move on Hal after seeing what she believed was CharacterDevelopment on his part in dating such a big girl (at this point, Hal is still hypnotized into seeing Rosemary as being thin). That said, the fact that Jill starts flirting with Hal while he's still dating Rosemary is a little... problematic. Anyway, Hal lets her down gently.

* BettyAndVeronica: Hal is Archie, Rosemary is Betty and Jill is Veronica.

* AppearenceIsInTheEyeOfTheBeholder: The main character can only see "inner beauty," so he sees people according to what they look like inside. He is attracted to Rosemary's inner beauty, and can't see her not-traditionally-attractive, overweight appearance. This holds true for several outwardly-ugly people in the film, including Ralph and the child burn victims in the hospital ward. It also holds true for the outwardly-hot woman his friend is dating, who appears as a not-traditionally-attractive old crone to Hal, because that's what she looks like inside. When the POV switches to another character, we see the "ugly" outward appearances through their eyes.

* AppearenceIsInTheEyeoOfTheBeholder: The main character can only see "inner beauty," so he sees people according to what they look like inside. He is attracted to Rosemary's inner beauty, and can't see her not-traditionally-attractive, overweight appearance. This holds true for several outwardly-ugly people in the film, including Ralph and the child burn victims in the hospital ward. It also holds true for the outwardly-hot woman his friend is dating, who appears as a not-traditionally-attractive old crone to Hal, because that's what she looks like inside. When the POV switches to another character, we see the "ugly" outward appearances through their eyes.

* PrettyBoy: What Hal sees Ralph as.

* GreenEyedMonster: Downplayed. At the beginning of the movie, Jill, Hal's beautiful neighbor, rejects his interest in her, honestly admitting that she is not attracted to him and considers him shallow. A few days later, Jil catches Hal dancing with unattractive women and is surprised. And then she meets Hal's new girlfriend, Rosemary, and is clearly shocked. And then, after catching Rosemary leaving Hal's apartment after their first night of sex, she starts blatantly flirting with Hal, inviting him out even though she knows he's dating seriously. In the third act, she conveniently invites him on a date and then a night of love, as his relationship with Rosemary is in trouble. And though she's kind and polite, Jill makes a comment that can be interpreted as mean, by stating that she has seen the appearance of Hal's last girlfriends:

* ComplimentBackfire: When Hal meets Rosemary's mother he says, "I can see where Rosemary gets her figure." He intends it as a compliment because he sees both of them as slim women, not realising they're both quite overweight.

* LittlestCancerPatient: [[spoiler:A whole Pediatric Burn Unit of them.]]

* AsHimself: Tony Robbins, Joshua "Li'iBoy" Shintani.

* RunningOnAllFours: The character of Walt, played by Rene Kirby who has spina bifida and really does walk on all fours in real life.

* {{Oireland}}: Rosemary's father to painful levels.

* BigEater

* BittersweetEnding: Rosemary, still hurt from Hal's recent behavior and actions, plans on going away on a Peace Corps mission even after Hal pleads for her not to go. [[spoiler:So he decides to go with her instead.]]
* BrawnHilda: After Hal loses his Inner Beauty Vision, the rotund housemaid whom he initially mistakes for Rosemary is named Helga.

* DirtyOldWoman: Helga, the housemaid.

* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Rosemary is kind and generous with attractive inner beauty.

* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Rosemary.

** Hal.

* UglyGuyHotWife: Hal believes he and Rosemary are this before the reveal. Mrs. Shanahan, though overweight, is still prettier than her husband.

* OneBookAuthor: This film remains Sean Moynihan's only screenwriting credit.

* BitterSweetEnding: Rosemary, still hurt from Hal's recent behavior and actions, plans on going away on a Peace Corps mission even after Hal pleads for her not to go. [[spoiler:So he decides to go with her instead.]]

* GreenEyedMonster: Downplayed. At the beginning of the movie, Jill, Hal's beautiful neighbor, rejects his interest in her, honestly admitting that she is not attracted to him and considers him shallow. A few days later, Jil catches Hal dancing with unattractive women (to him) and is surprised. And then she meets Hal's new girlfriend, Rosemary, and is clearly shocked. And then, after catching Rosemary leaving Hal's apartment after their first night of sex, she starts blatantly flirting with Hal, inviting him out even though she knows he's dating seriously. In the third act, she conveniently invites him on a date and then a night of love, as his relationship with Rosemary is in trouble. And though she's kind and polite, Jill makes a comment that can be interpreted as mean, by stating that she has seen the appearance of Hal's last girlfriends:

* IncorruptiblePurePureness

* {{Cameo}}

* MsFanservice: Rosemary is played by Gwyneth Paltrow, and has several scenes wearing dresses, short skirts or bikinis before Hal's hypnosis is undone.

* GreenEyedMonster: Downplayed. At the beginning of the movie, Jill, Hal's beautiful neighbor, rejects his interest in her, honestly admitting that she is not attracted to him and considers him shallow. A few days later, Jil catches Hal dancing with unattractive women (to him) and is surprised. And then she meets Hal's new girlfriend, Rosemary, and is clearly shocked. And then, after catching Rosemary leaving Hal's apartment after their first night of sex, she starts blatantly flirting with Hal, inviting him out even though she knows he's dating seriously. In the third act, she conveniently invites him on a date and then a night of love, as his relationship with Rosemary is in trouble. And though she's kind and polite, Jill makes a comment that can be interpreted as mean, by stating that she has seen the appearance of Hal's last girlfriends: "And now l know appearances mean absolutely nothing to you. lf anything, you're pathologically unshallow".