What Women Want (2000, Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt) Classic Film Review 1140

Director Nancy Myers’s 2000 romcom stars Mel Gibson as Nick Marshall, a womanising Chicago advertising executive who gains the ability to hear the thoughts of the fairer sex after a freak accident, when a woman, Darcy McGuire (Helen Hunt), has landed the promotion he wanted.

Nick has an estranged 15-year-old daughter Alex (Ashley Johnson), who is spending two weeks with him while his ex-wife Gigi (Lauren Holly) goes on her honeymoon with her new husband. Nick is initially appalled by his new power, but a wacky psychologist shows him that it could be used to his advantage. So Nick eavesdrops on women’s thoughts and uses their ideas as his own, but also begins to develop real friendships with his co-workers. And then he targets Darcy.

What Women Want is a hilarious, hit romantic comedy, with Gibson and Hunt on their best form and sharing great star chemistry. It’s old-style entertainment but it proves a good showcase for Gibson, though, engaging as it is, it does go on a bit too long at 126 minutes.

Cathy Yuspa and Josh Goldsmith write the bright and breezy screenplay. Marisa Tomei, Alan Alda, Bette Midler, Mark Feuerstein, Delta Burke, Valerie Perrine, Judy Greer and Sarah Paulson co-star.

Gibson was nominated for the Golden Globe award for Best Actor. The movie was a box office smash, with a US gross of $182million and $374million worldwide, against a budget of $70 million.

(C) Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Film Review 1140 derekwinnert.com