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What Women Want
By Nell Minow,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Slightly dated romcom has sex, cursing.
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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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What Women Want
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Based on 1 parent review
Really outstanding romcom, even if you don't like romcoms
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What's the Story?
WHAT WOMEN WANT stars Mel Gibson as Nick Marshall, a Chicago ad exec who is successful at work and with the ladies, whom he wheedles and charms but never really thinks about. Nick is promoted to Creative Director and gets a new boss, Darcy Maguire (Helen Hunt). The ad agency needs to appeal to women consumers, so Darcy hands out products for the staff to explore, and Nick does his best, experimenting with mascara, leg wax, nail polish, and exfoliator. But an accidental near-electrocution leaves him with a new power: the ability to hear women's thoughts. At first horrified, Nick realizes that there are some real advantages to being the only straight man in the world who knows how women think. He uses it to manipulate women, including Darcy and a pretty coffee shop waitress (Marisa Tomei). But it turns out that women don't think about Nick the way that he thought they did, and he's forced to think about himself in a new way. Nick has never listened to women before, but now he can't help it. He sees the damage that he has done, and he begins to correct it. And of course he begins to fall in love with Darcy and to connect to his 15-year-old daughter.
Is It Any Good?
Mel Gibson shows us just what women want in his first-ever romantic comedy. Whether he's dancing to Frank Sinatra in his apartment, watching his daughter try on prom dresses, or just reacting to snippets of thoughts he hears from girls, women, and even female dogs as he walks down the street, he's delightful. He has the physical grace of a leading man and the timing and unselfconsciousness of a comic. The script sags in places, and the sexist office scenes are terribly dated, but Gibson keeps the movie floating in the clouds.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why it's hard for men and women to figure each other out, and how they might do better.
What are some of the sexist workplace behaviors Gibson's character displays that would be intolerable under any circumstances today? What are some other aspects of the workplace scenes that seem dated?
How does the movie address serious topics such as teen sex, or how to help someone who is struggling with depression?
Movie Details
- In theaters: December 15, 2000
- On DVD or streaming: September 26, 2017
- Cast: Helen Hunt , Marisa Tomei , Mel Gibson
- Director: Nancy Meyers
- Inclusion Information: Female directors, Female actors
- Studio: Paramount Pictures
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 127 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: sexual content and language
- Last updated: January 31, 2023
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