Bobby and Peter Farrelly have been widely hailed, and occasionally

criticized, for their wacky, lowbrow humor that leaves audiences rolling in

the aisles. We have enjoyed their goofy, unforgettable scenes in “Dumb and

Dumber,” “There's Something About Mary,” and “Me, Myself, and Irene.”

Their upcoming film, “Shallow Hal,” packs plenty of laughs, but marks a

departure for the duo in that it has a serious message as well.

Rising talent Jack Black plays Hal, an unremarkable man who will only date

beautiful women with perfect bodies. His standards change, however, after he

is hypnotized by self-help guru Tony Robbins. No longer the shallow cad, Hal

is now only concerned with inner beauty.

Hal finds a worthy recipient of his affections in Rosemary (Gwyneth Paltrow),

an intelligent woman of character---and 300 pounds. In Hal's eyes, though,

Rosemary is lithe and gorgeous. Agog at this development is Hal's superficial

but likable pal, Mauricio, played by popular funnyman Jason Alexander. In the

end, the illusion of Rosemary's beauty is revealed and Hal learns an

important lesson in life.

All the Farrelly brothers' movies have revolved around realistic characters

whom the audience can root for. Their tactics and quirky sense of humor have

worked so far to great effect, and “Shallow Hal” looks ready to join their

string of successes, while adding a new dimension to their work. Their

tactics and quirky sense of humor have worked so far to great effect, and

“Shallow Hal” looks ready to join their string of successes, while adding a

new dimension to their work.

A porcelain, blond beauty with proven acting skills and an air of class,

Gwyneth Paltrow has taken Hollywood by storm. Born in Tinseltown to parents

in the entertainment industry, Paltrow's foray into film came as no surprise.

Paltrow's first training in acting came at the age of 11 while her father was

directing summer stock productions. One of her first roles was in a play

opposite her award-winning actress mother, Blythe Danner. She became bitten

by the acting bug and later quit college to pursue a film career which has

met with great critical and commercial success.

Her movie debut came in 1991 with “shout,” starring John Travolta. She won

her first real acclaim, though, in “Flesh and Bone,” which set her on the

path to fame. In 1995, she landed a fortuitous role in “Seven” opposite

Brad Pitt. A much publicized two-year romance with Pitt followed, culminating

in an engagement and subsequent breakup.

One of Hollywood's more prolific actresses, Paltrow has starred in 15 films

since 1998. Her greatest acclaim so far has come from the period pieces

“Emma” and “Shakespeare in Love,” the latter which earned her a Best

Actress Oscar. Now with “Shallow Hal,” Paltrow has the opportunity to show

her comic side while broadening her already considerable talents and fan

base.

1. lowbrow a. 教养浅薄的

2. cad n. 下流人

3. lithe a. 窈窕的

4. tactic n. 战术，策略

5. porcelain n. 瓷器

6. fortuitous a. 意外的，偶然的

7. subsequent a. 后来的

8. prolific a. 多产的