These differences were never more vivid as when Gibson dives headfirst into an office home work assignment, sampling an array of women's per sonal products —- from nail polish to panty hose.
This legendary star of big-screen action and drama gives a funny, graceful and effortless performance.
And his biggest champion is director Meyers, who's also an award-winning screenwriter of such classic comedies as "Private Benjamin," "Baby Boom" and "Father of the Bride I & II."
"Mel pokes fun at his manly, testosterone-driven image," Meyers explains. "He's an incredibly confident and relaxed actor, open to suggestions and direction, and the hardest working actor I've ever seen. Mel is full of surprises."
But before Gibson could showcase his heretofore untapped comedic talents, he had to first capture the character's humanity.
"The idea is to get the human experience right, whether it's in comedy, drama or action," Gibson says. "It doesn't matter so long as there is truth to it. The story has to be compelling whether it's a battle picture or a living room weeper. That said, I think it is much more difficult to do romantic comedy. You can't be false or too over the top because it's immediately, obviously not funny. As Nancy often quotes, 'Dying is easy, comedy is hard.' And if you're not funny, believe me, you die up there."
Gibson also displays a talent for dance that's as entertaining as it is surprising. You can't help but smile as you watch him glide across the screen, combining his own moves with a dance style reminiscent of Gene Kelly.
What further distinguishes "What Women Want" is its deft blend of comedy and romance. Besides her renowned, engaging skills in romantic comedy, Helen Hunt brings an elegance and open ness to her character, Darcy, as she constantly struggles to balance the pressures of her new job and the potential pitfalls of an interoffice romance.
Combine that with her unmistakable intelli gence and down-to-earth strength, and it's easy to understand why women in the audience will identify and root for her and why Nick Marshall, as well as every man in the audience, will fall in love with her.
Director Meyers says: "Helen is an original. A role model for what women can be — strong, sure of herself and sensitive. It's because of Helen's innate strength and intelligence that I wanted her for the part of Darcy. I thought it would be fun and challenging to get inside her head."
Hunt adds: "The great thing about Nancy was that she is absolutely in love with the Tracy/Hepburn movies, so there was a classic feel to our movie. That meant it was smart and well- thought out. And the relationships between every character in the movie are funny and real, too."
Speaking about her co-star, Hunt says: "All you have to be is smart and willing in a romantic comedy, and Mel so completely embodies those qualities. He is incredibly sharp, has a great sense of humor and is willing to take risks. You have to be ready to look silly, to go almost too far, but you also need the brains to keep it grounded in reality so that people care while they're laughing. Mel was great at all of those things."
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