What Women Want
June 2001 Reviewed by: Wes Marshall Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson) is a hotshot ad exec. Smoking, drinking, never thinking about what women want, Nick likes Sinatra and one-night stands. This, of course, means that women think he is a misogynist, charming perhaps, but a misogynist nonetheless. Nick, on the other hand, thinks he is God’s gift to women (this is politely referred to in the professional literature as cognitive dissonance). He is in line to become the new Creative Director at the Sloane-Curtis ad agency after having made his mark on the profession by using scantily clad, nubile babes at the center of every campaign. He’s considered a shoe-in to get the job, at least until his boss, Dan Wanamaker (Alan Alda), decides instead to hire Darcy McGuire (Helen Hunt) from a rival firm. It seems the board of directors wants the firm to move into a more woman-friendly mode. I won’t give away how it happens, but Nick develops the ability to hear women’s thoughts. His first instinct is to use it to his advantage, but this is Hollywood, and our playboy gets his comeuppance as he learns to treasure the female psyche.

During the hilarious opening, we get a superb character setup of Nick. Director Nancy Meyers (The Parent Trap) has a great instinct for developing a storyline, helped, I’m sure, by the years she spent as a screenwriter (Private Benjamin, Protocol, Baby Boom, Father of the Bride). The whole first hour of What Women Want is so breathe-in-a-bag hysterical that you’re almost thankful that the tenor of the movie changes from comedy to sensitivity and romance in the second half. It’s a shame that Hunt and Gibson, both good actors, never ignite a true romantic spark. There is one subplot with a suicidal girl, however, that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Otherwise, the flow is nearly perfect. Special kudos to Jon Hutman and his production design crew. We should all live so nicely.

Those of you who are not Mel Gibson fans might want to watch two particular scenes, "I Won’t Dance" (Chapter 4) and "Pink Box" (Chapter 5). He not only shows an immense comedic talent, but he could also be the next Fred Astaire! I have to confess that Mel Gibson never interested me one way or another until I saw directing icon Franco Zeffirelli interviewed in 1990. The smug reporter, trying to get some dirt, asked the director why on earth he had cast a Hollywood-type like Gibson in Hamlet. Zeffirelli, apparently ready for the question, showed a clip from Lethal Weapon where Gibson, despondent over the course of his life, points a pistol to his head and struggles to hold on, to stay alive. It is an acting tour de force where, within two dialogue-free minutes, he conveys grief, fear and incalculable courage. From that moment on, I have never doubted Gibson’s acting ability.

Paramount has done well by What Women Want. The pictures are crystal clear, and are especially notable in Nick’s apartment. The sound design is natural, with lots of ambience when they want to punctuate a scene. For extras, we get two trailers, two "making of" features, and a commentary track by director Nancy Meyers and production designer Jon Hutman. Nancy Meyers comes across as a total pro, thoughtful, in charge and something of a film geek (in a good way). Her touchstones for great comedy, Lubitsch, Hawks, Cukor, McCarey, are the same that form my own personal Mt. Rushmore, which may be a big part of why I enjoyed this movie so much. What Women Want is definitely a worthwhile purchase for fans of romantic comedies.

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