What Women Want (2000)

After an accident, a chauvenistic executive gains the ability to hear what women are really thinking.

Director:

Nancy Meyers

Writers:

Josh Goldsmith (story), Cathy Yuspa (story),

Stars:

Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt, Marisa Tomei

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 5 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mel Gibson	...	Nick Marshall
Helen Hunt	...	Darcy Maguire
Marisa Tomei	...	Lola
Alan Alda	...	Dan Wanamaker
Ashley Johnson	...	Alex Marshall
Mark Feuerstein	...	Morgan Farwell
Lauren Holly	...	Gigi
Delta Burke	...	Eve
Valerie Perrine	...	Margo
Judy Greer	...	Erin the File Girl
Sarah Paulson	...	Annie
Ana Gasteyer	...	Sue Cranston
Lisa Edelstein	...	Dina
Loretta Devine	...	Flo the Doorwoman
Diana Maria Riva	...	Stella

Storyline

Nick, a somewhat chauvinistic advertising exec hot shot, has his life turned haywire when a fluke accident enables him to hear what women think. At first all he wants to do is rid himself of this curse, until a wacky psychologist shows him that this could be used to his advantage! His first target is Darcy McGuire, the very woman that got the promotion he wanted. But just as his plan is beginning to work, love gets in the way...

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Plot Keywords:

advertising | playboy | psychiatrist | sabotage | electrocuted in bathtub | 

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Taglines:

He has the power to hear everything women are thinking. Finally... a man is listening.

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

15 December 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ce que veulent les femmes

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£3,375,075 (UK) (2 February 2001)

Gross:

ESP 1,712,022,838 (Spain) (29 June 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Icon Entertainment International, Wind Dancer Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the bathroom scene, when Nick falls into the bathtub and nearly electrocutes himself, there's Swedish ad-poster on the wall. The text ("Härligt efter rakning") means "Wonderful after shaving".

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Goofs

When Nick is trying to reverse the curse. He steps out to his apartment balcony and in the shot you can see he's in the shadow of the Hancock Building, but in the morning when he leaves his building, in the background you can see a sign for the street 'Fullerton Pkwy' which is over two miles away from the Hancock Building.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Woman: [voiceover] You know the expression, "a man's man". A man's man is the leader of the pack, the kind of man other men look up to, admire, and emulate. A man's man is the kind of man who - just doesn't get what women are about.
Gigi: Nick, my ex-husband, is the ultimate man's man. I probably never should have married him. I don't think he understood a thing about me.

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Connections

Spoofed in Chappelle's Show: Episode #1.8 (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Something's Gotta Give"
Written by Johnny Mercer
Performed by Sammy Davis Jr.
Courtesy of MCA Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Is mind Reading the Only Way for Men to Understand?

The film What Women Want is about a man, Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson), who has been characterized as a 'man's man,' a male who is the type of guy that other men look up to. Darcy Maguire (Helen Hunt) also stars and sends Marshall into a male power trip when she is offered a job position that he was trying so hard to get. Marshall is known for his ability to seduce women and fornicate with them. Most of the women in his life think that he is a self centered jerk, because of the way he objectifies them. Even his fifteen year old daughter feels as if they are not related because of his poor communication skills with women. But an unexpected twist took place one day while blow drying mousse in his hair. While he was going about his business, Marshall tripped, and fell into his bathtub full of water, being electrocuted severely. Oddly enough, what would kill a normal human being did not harm Nick in any way, rather than it mysteriously gave him the power to hear what women are thinking. So, equipped with his new skill, he goes about his day, not knowing he has this amazing ability. Throughout his random encounters with women, particularly at work, he comes to realize that all the women are not very fond of him.

In all movies, there is always a message of some sort that the director is trying to express. In this particular film, I believe there is more than one message. One of the dilemmas the movie expressed was women do not know what they want. Throughout the movie, women were constantly complaining about men, or their hair, or their outfit. The truth is that women do not know what they do want; only what they don't want. Another message it displayed is a world renown problem: the concept that men do not have a clue about women. They communicate differently as men, and want different things as well. Is reading women's minds the only way for men to understand? I sure hope not.

The technique of this movie is nothing to throw a fit over. The average cinematography isn't dazzling, but it is good enough to keep the viewer interested. The sound track was well thought out, with many famous songs helping out in several scenes and strongly assisting in setting the mood. A few things stand out in the movie that question reality. For example, Gibson falls into a full bathtub, gets electrocuted by thousands of volts, and only wakes up with a headache. At a different point in the movie he gets shocked again, but not by a household utensil. The second time it's by lightning, and again, just a headache. No singed eyebrows or fried shoelaces were to be found.

What Women Want is an entertaining movie at the least. Mel Gibson, as always, does an excellent job portraying his character, as well as Helen Hunt. The cast did a well-rounded job, and no one was out of place. I enjoyed the movie thoroughly and enjoyed the humor. The film was filled with talented acting, laughs, and lighthearted suspense. It would be a good recommendation for anyone who is bored and desires a humorous, fun movie. The idea of a man being able to read women's minds is clever and amusing. Should this ever happen, would it be classified as a gift, or a nightmare?