Director, writer, and producer nancy meyers's the parent trap sophomore directorial effort is a lively screwball fantasy featuring mel gibson in his first romantic comedy. Gibson plays nick marshall, a high flying chauvinistic chicago advertising executive who, like his musical idol, frank sinatra, calls women baby and believes he has the world on a string. Nick experiences a rude awakening when the creative director position he coveted goes to darcy maguire helen hunt, a savvy outsider and a woman who intends to aggressively pursue the lucrative women's market. While trying to brainstorm ideas for feminine products, nick experiences a freak accident that gives him the ability to hear women's thoughts. Determined to win back his stolen job, nick uses his terrifying yet useful new talent to scrutinize darcy and finds his smart, beautiful rival may not be the bitch on wheels he imagined. Meanwhile, he also must maneuver carefully within complex relationships with his estranged teenage daughter, alex ashley johnson, and a pretty coffee shop waitress, lola marisa tomei. Once nick begins to listen to the new voices he hears, his previous worldview is challenged, and he finds that he finally might understand what women want.