Movies age. Some rot, some ripen, and some just exist as weird time capsules of how we used to think about gender. When people search for the What a Woman Wants trailer, they usually find themselves staring at a high-gloss, late-90s aesthetic featuring Mel Gibson in a role that, quite honestly, would be written very differently today. Nancy Meyers, the queen of the kitchen-island-porn genre, directed this 2000 juggernaut. It’s called What Women Want, though the search for "What a Woman Wants" is the most common way fans track it down.
The trailer is a masterclass in early 2000s marketing. It starts with the typical chauvinist setup: Nick Marshall is an ad executive who thinks he’s God’s gift to the world until a freak accident involving a bathtub, a hairdryer, and some drugstore waxing strips gives him a supernatural gift. He can hear what women are thinking.
The premise is absurd. It’s basically a high-concept rom-com trope that feels both dated and strangely fascinating. Why? Because the trailer promises a peek behind the curtain of the female psyche, but it delivers something more akin to a man learning that women aren't actually a different species. They just want to be heard.
The Anatomy of the What a Woman Wants Trailer: A 150-Second Time Machine
If you watch the trailer today, the first thing you notice is the pacing. It doesn’t use the "In a world..." deep-voice narration that dominated the 90s, but it leans heavily on the "record scratch" humor. We see Mel Gibson’s character, Nick, trying to test out feminine products to better understand a new marketing account. It's played for laughs. He puts on pantyhose. He uses a pore strip. He screams while waxing his legs.
It’s physical comedy at its most basic. But then, the trailer shifts.
The music changes—usually to something upbeat like Meredith Brooks’ "Bitch" or a classic swing track—and we see the transformation. Nick starts hearing voices. Not scary voices, but the internal monologues of every woman he passes on the street. He hears their insecurities, their grocery lists, and their genuine frustrations with men like him. This is where the What a Woman Wants trailer actually succeeds in hooking the audience. It presents a "superpower" that is inherently vulnerable.
Most trailers for rom-coms spoil the entire plot. This one is no different. We see the arrival of Darcy Maguire, played by Helen Hunt, who is hired for the promotion Nick thought he deserved. The rivalry is immediate. The tension is palpable. The trailer sells a classic "enemies-to-lovers" arc, but with the added twist that one person is essentially cheating by reading the other's mind.
Why the trailer worked (and why it still gets clicks)
Back in 2000, this movie was a monster hit. It raked in over $374 million worldwide. People were obsessed with the idea of a man finally "getting it."
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Honestly, the trailer works because it taps into a universal curiosity. Who hasn't wondered what their partner or boss is actually thinking? The marketing team leaned hard into the "battle of the sexes" trope that was peaking at the turn of the millennium. Think Mars and Venus books. Think Sex and the City.
The trailer also benefits from the Nancy Meyers touch. Everything looks expensive. The lighting is warm. The offices are cavernous and filled with mid-century modern furniture. Even if the plot feels a bit thin, the "vibe" is immaculate. People don't just watch the trailer for the jokes; they watch it for the aspirational lifestyle.
The Problematic Legacy of Nick Marshall
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. Mel Gibson. In 2000, he was the ultimate leading man. He was charming, rugged, and could pull off a goofy grin.
Watching the trailer now is a bit of a trip. Knowing what we know now about Gibson’s public outbursts and controversies makes the "lovable chauvinist" routine feel a bit heavier. However, within the vacuum of the film’s universe, Nick Marshall is a specific archetype: the "Old School" man who is forced to evolve.
The trailer frames his mind-reading as a tool for manipulation before it becomes a tool for empathy. He uses Darcy’s ideas to win her over and steal her job. It’s kind of dark if you think about it too long. But the trailer masks this with a soundtrack of Frank Sinatra and playful banter. It’s a reminder of how much we used to forgive in the name of a romantic happy ending.
Where to Find the Original Trailer Today
If you're hunting for the high-definition version of the What a Woman Wants trailer, you're mostly stuck with 480p rips on YouTube or the "extras" menu on a dusty DVD. Paramount Pictures hasn't done a massive 4K restoration of the marketing materials, which is a shame.
- YouTube: The official Paramount Vault or various movie clip channels.
- Internet Archive: Good for finding the international teasers.
- Streaming Services: Sometimes, platforms like Max or Paramount+ will include the trailer as a "preview" before you hit play on the feature film.
The trailer for the 2019 "re-imagining," What Men Want starring Taraji P. Henson, is often what pops up first in modern searches. It flipped the script, giving the mind-reading power to a female sports agent. It’s faster, louder, and arguably more cynical, reflecting how much the "war of the sexes" changed in twenty years.
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The Psychological Hook: Why We Can’t Stop Watching
There is a psychological concept called "Theory of Mind." It’s our ability to understand that others have beliefs, desires, and intentions different from our own. The What a Woman Wants trailer is essentially Theory of Mind: The Movie.
It plays on the fear that women are judging us and the hope that they might actually like us. For female viewers, the trailer offered a different fantasy: a man who actually listens. Even if he’s only listening because he literally has no choice, the result is the same. He pays attention.
The scenes in the trailer where Nick listens to his daughter or the "invisible" office worker played by Judy Greer are the ones that actually hold the most weight. They suggest that the "What" in "What a Woman Wants" isn't diamonds or flowers—it's acknowledgment.
Historical Context: The Rom-Com Gold Rush
To understand why this trailer looks the way it does, you have to remember what was happening in cinema at the time. The year 2000 gave us Miss Congeniality, Meet the Parents, and High Fidelity. We were in the middle of a romantic comedy gold rush.
Studios had a formula. You take a high-concept premise, add two massive stars who have "sparky" chemistry, and wrap it in a soundtrack that sells CDs. The What Women Want trailer followed this to a T.
It’s also interesting to see how the trailer handles the "advertising" aspect of the plot. The early 2000s were obsessed with the world of marketing. We saw it in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and later in Mad Men. The trailer positions the female demographic as a "code" that needs to be cracked, which feels incredibly dated in an era of hyper-specific data analytics and social media. Back then, "women" were seen as one giant, monolithic block.
How the Trailer Set Expectations for the Film
Most people who saw the trailer expected a slapstick comedy. What they got was a two-hour-and-seven-minute film that actually tried to be a serious drama at points.
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The trailer highlights the scene where Nick tries on the Nike outfit. It’s funny. It’s light. But the movie spends a significant amount of time on the ethics of Nick’s gift. He sees a woman in his office who is suicidal. He sees his daughter’s heartbreak. The trailer barely touches on these elements, opting instead for the "Mel Gibson dances with a hat" vibe.
This is a classic marketing bait-and-switch. You lure them in with the laughs and hit them with the "growth" once they’ve paid for their popcorn.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs and Content Creators
If you're looking at the What a Woman Wants trailer from a creator's perspective, or if you're just a fan of film history, there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, look at the "Hook." The trailer establishes the "Inciting Incident" (the electrocution) within the first 30 seconds. In modern TikTok or YouTube terms, that's way too slow, but for 2000, it was lightning fast.
Second, notice the "Contrast." The trailer constantly flips between Nick’s external arrogance and the internal voices he’s hearing. This creates a rhythmic tension that keeps you watching.
Finally, consider the "Resolution." The trailer ends on a romantic note, promising that despite the chaos, love wins. It’s a safe, effective formula that still works for a reason.
Next Steps for the Curious:
- Compare and Contrast: Watch the 2000 trailer and the 2019 What Men Want trailer side-by-side. Look at the color grading, the sound design, and how the "power" is visualized. It’s a fascinating study in cultural shifts.
- The Nancy Meyers Deep Dive: If you like the aesthetic of the trailer, check out the trailers for The Holiday or It’s Complicated. You’ll see the evolution of the "Meyers Style" which prioritizes comfort and high-end interiors as a character in itself.
- Check the Soundtrack: The music used in the marketing for this film is a perfect "time capsule" of Y2K pop-jazz. It’s worth a listen on Spotify if you’re feeling nostalgic.
Movies change, but the desire to know what someone else is thinking? That’s never going out of style. The What a Woman Wants trailer is just one specific, slightly weird, very 2000s way of exploring that itch. Whether it holds up is up to you, but you can't deny the impact it had on the genre.
Don't just watch it for the nostalgia; watch it to see how Hollywood used to "sell" gender to the masses. It’s a lot more revealing than the movie itself.