More than two decades after its theatrical premiere, Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow’s most controversial film can now be watched for free via streaming. The film was released in 2001 and Flat neck will be released on September 1st on the free streaming platform Tubi.
The film was directed by the Farrelly brothers. Flat neck is a film that was controversial from the start and attracted some criticism for its plot, which many found offensive. After 23 years, some would say that the same film could not be greenlit by a Hollywood studio due to its controversial nature. Despite the controversy, which resulted in mixed reviews, Flat neck was a box office hit that grossed over $141 million worldwide on a budget of $40 million. Flat neck was an even bigger hit on home video, topping the rental charts upon its release on VHS and DVD. Black and Paltrow were both nominated for Teen Choice Awards, as was the film itself.
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Despite some successes, Flat neck was criticized for the way the film portrayed obesity. In recent years, the backlash against the film has intensified, exacerbated by retrospective reviews highlighting how “problematic” Flat neck really is. Ivy Snitzer, who played Paltrow’s body double, talked about how working on the film had a negative impact on her self-esteem, telling The Guardian: “I hated my body as much as I should. I ate a lot of salad. I had eating disorders that I was very proud of.”
Shallow Hal portrayed obesity negatively
In the comedy, Black played the titular Hal, a womanizer known for being “superficial” to women based on their appearance. Without realizing it, from that point on, Hal is hypnotized into only seeing a person’s “inner beauty.” Soon after, he falls in love with a 300-pound woman and is hypnotized into seeing her as very thin. As Black’s lover, Paltrow played both versions of the character, using prosthetics to appear larger, although Snitzer was used as a double for certain shots.
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“The first day I tried on the fat suit, I was at the Tribeca Grand and I was walking through the lobby,” Paltrow also said of working on the film in a 2001 interview with W Magazine, sharing that the role gave her a much better understanding of the challenges faced by people with weight issues. “It was so sad. It was so disturbing. Nobody wanted to look me in the eye because I was obese. I felt humiliated.”
The script for Flat neck was written by the film’s co-directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly, along with Sean Moynihan. Jason Alexander also made a memorable appearance as a friend of Black’s Hal, with additional stars including Rene Kirby, Susan Ward, and Black’s Tenacious D partner Kyle Gass.
Flat neck is streaming for free on Tubi.
Source: Tubi
