There's Something About Mary

I desperately wish that the Farelly brothers would go back to doing gross-out comedies like they did with Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, Me, Myself, and Irene, and this. This is by far the best of all their movies. There are three kinds of comedy. Comedies that make you smile (Sixteen Candles), comedies that make you laugh (Airplane), and comedies that cause you to nearly asphyxiate yourself from laughing so hard. This is one of those rare third category movies. With the friends I watched it with, the laughs sounded like nuclear bombs going off in my room. It's that funny.

Thirteen years ago, Ted (Ben Stiller) landed a prom date with the most popular and beautiful girl in school, Mary (Cameron Diaz). Unfortunately, the date wasn't meant to be, for Ted has his manhood damaged right in front of Mary, and ends up in the hospital instead of the prom.

Thirteen years later, Ted decides to track Mary down, and have a second chance with his dream girl. He hires sleazy private eye, Pat (Matt Dillon)to find her for him. Pat finds her, and she's grown up beautiful. Pat decides he wants to date her. He stalks her, finds out everything she wants in a man, and poses as just that. Meanwhile, Ted has been led to believe that Mary has become fat white trash in a wheelchair. Pat and Mary start dating.

Well, by the end of the movie, every man who is involved in the story has tried to make a move on Mary. We all know how it ends, but it's one funny ride. One thing about this movie that's commendable is how the mentally retarded character is treated. He is treated in a way that isn't rude, or offensive. Mary sticks up for him, and he's really innocent. The funniest gag in the movie involves a NEW brand of HAIR GEL (compliments of Ted, and tested by Mary). I won't tell you what's really being mistaken for hair gel, but when you find out, you'll laugh so hard, you gag. This movie knows what a comedy of this type should be like. Each gag goes somewhere, and is really big. They're usually extended scenes with punchlines. Me, Myself, and Irene goes for the cheapest laughs you can find, but There's Something About Mary takes it's time, carefully planning each gag, in order to make it gut-bustingly hilarious. That's just what this movie is. 10/10.

It is rated R for Strong Comic Sexual Content, and Language. Sex: 8/10 Violence: 3/10 Swearing: 9/10 Drugs: 2/10

The shock comedy aside (zipper and hair gel scenes), purposeful unpolitically correct moments (humor at expense of handicapped, animal cruelty), the most surprising thing about this film is it has heart and is rather sweet. It's not the completely nasty, cruel comedy you might have been expecting. There's a nice love story in here too. It's corny and cliche'd and doesn't feel overly cloying because there are enough shockingly funny moments to offset it. The acting is good, the pacing brisk, and the jokes, well... you've heard all about the best ones by now.

In the past I have not been a great fan of the Farrelly brothers films, however this film is an exception. The dog scenes were probably the funniest personally, but there were heaps of other scenes that are well worth a mention. Cameron Diaz was fantastic as Mary, the girl everyone is after and Ben Stiller was excellent. Matt Dillon was way too over the top- I know his role somewhat warranted it- but did he have to be so excessive? He seemed so irritating. There is no doubt that the humour in this film is of the lowest possible calibre, but it really works- think Dumb & Dumber, but only quite good. Despite all the comic situations in the film, there is still something undeniably sweet in the centre of the story, I think thats what made it work. Its certainly not top class entertainment, but its highly recommended for when you are in a stupid mood and need a good laugh.

Insanely off the wall comedy from the Farrelly Brothers that delivers from start to finish. Wonderful early sequence with Keith David as Diaz's father busting heavily braced Stiller's chops. Stiller's zipper scene goes down as one of the funniest and most painful things I have ever witnessed on film. Diaz is divine the woman of Stiller's dreams...Dillon is hired to find Diaz...He falls in love with her and gives Stiller a bum story... Lee Evans, a pizza boy, is in love with her too... then Brett Favre comes into the picture. Every scene has something memorable from Dillon's attempts at reviving a dog to Stiller's "pre date entertainment." A classic that doesn't take itself too seriously.

This is gross out comedy classic; Its aged relatively well as 20 years have passed now. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes crude and disgusting, maybe the very best movie from the Farrelly Brothers. Outstanding Matt Dillon in one of his best roles. The hair gel scene is infamous now as is the bathroom scene. Very funny and Cameron Diaz was so gorgeous in this. Classic stuff