[Gibson] has the time of his life portraying a man who can read the minds of the women around him. He's charming, sincere and, above all, funny as advertising executive Nick Marshall.
What Women Want (2000)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:117
Fresh:61
Rotten:56
Average Rating:5.6/10
Consensus: Even though Gibson is a good sport in his role, What Women Want is a rather conventional, fluffy comedy-romance that doesn't make good use of its premise.
Theatrical Release:Dec 15, 2000 Wide
Box Office: $181,483,882
Synopsis: Director, writer, and producer Nancy Meyers's (THE PARENT TRAP) sophomore directorial effort is a lively screwball fantasy featuring Mel Gibson in his first romantic comedy. Gibson plays Nick... Director, writer, and producer Nancy Meyers's (THE PARENT TRAP) sophomore directorial effort is a lively screwball fantasy featuring Mel Gibson in his first romantic comedy. Gibson plays Nick Marshall, a high-flying chauvinistic Chicago advertising executive who, like his musical idol, Frank Sinatra, calls women "baby" and believes he has the world on a string. Nick experiences a rude awakening when the creative director position he coveted goes to Darcy Maguire (Helen Hunt), a savvy outsider--and a woman--who intends to aggressively pursue the lucrative women's market. While trying to brainstorm ideas for "feminine" products, Nick experiences a freak accident that gives him the ability to hear women's thoughts. Determined to win back his stolen job, Nick uses his terrifying yet useful new talent to scrutinize Darcy and finds his smart, beautiful rival may not be the "bitch on wheels" he imagined. Meanwhile, he also must maneuver carefully within complex relationships with his estranged teenage daughter, Alex (Ashley Johnson), and a pretty coffee shop waitress, Lola (Marisa Tomei). Once Nick begins to listen to the new voices he hears, his previous worldview is challenged, and he finds that he finally might understand what women want. [More]
Starring: Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt, Marisa Tomei, Alan Alda
Starring: Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt, Marisa Tomei, Alan Alda, Ashley Johnson, Mark Feuerstein, Lauren Holly, Delta Burke, Valerie Perrine, Judy Greer, Sarah Paulson, Ana Gasteyer, Lisa Edelstein, Loretta Devine, Diana-Maria Riva, Eric Balfour, Andrea Taylor
Director: Nancy Meyers
Director: Nancy Meyers
Screenwriter: Josh Goldsmith, Cathy Yuspa
Producer: Nancy Meyers, Bruce Davey, Matt Williams, Susan Cartsonis, Gina Matthews
Composer: Alan Silvestri
Studio: Paramount Pictures
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Reviews for What Women Want
What women really want, if we can read the simple mind of What Women Want, is sincerity and honesty, even if you have to fake it.
Not many of today's actors could carry this off. The ever-charming Gibson makes it look way too easy.
Mel Gibson's charming, double-take-filled performance rises way above the material.
A seductive conceit, a stellar comedic turn, a chance to plow the terrain of sexual politics with humor and intelligence … What Women Want is a winner.
It introduces us to a kinder, gentler Mel who's not only in touch with his feminine side, but who also widens his fan base considerably in the bargain.
Nancy Meyers ... sustains a funny and clever momentum out of what could have been sheer farce.
The script is stereotypical, the direction uninventive, the performances mostly conventional and the musical backdrop unimaginative.
Set your standards on neutral, and enjoy it for exactly what it is -- mindless entertainment that will make you laugh but won't linger in your mind much farther than the theater's parking lot.
We're never able to escape the feeling that we're watching a manufactured object that starts turning insipid just when it was starting to seem scatty.
If you've seen the trailer, you've seen the best jokes in this amusing but too predictable comedy.
Although What Women Want is being marketed toward women, it does nothing but condescend to them.
It's not boring and is often very funny, as in a solo dance that Nick does in his apartment, to Frank Sinatra singing 'I Won't Dance.'
If you want to go with you're significant other and you're a female. Don't. It'll only ruin the relationship. If you're a guy, you'll hate this.
Meyer's direction is ham-fisted ... and the script's sexual politics are so sniggeringly anachronistic that Rock Hudson and Doris Day would be shocked.
Latest News for What Women Want
October 20, 2009:
Selena Gomez Knows What Boys Want ![]()
In an odd and potentially rather disturbing twist on the Mel Gibson/Helen Hunt hit "What Women Want," New Line has signed Selena Gomez to star in "What Boys Want," a comedy... More...
June 15, 2008:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
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December 07, 2006:
Box Office Guru Preview: Mel, Cameron, & Leo Battle For #1 Spot
A wave of new releases hits the multilplexes on Friday as the North American box office looks to bounce back after a slugglish weekend and get the final month of the year... More...
December 13, 2005:
Jude to Take an All-Star "Holiday"
Variety brings word that Jude Law will co-star opposite Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, and Jack Black in the suddenly-cool-sounding "Holiday," which will be directed by... More...
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