There's Something About Mary (1998)

A man gets a chance to meet up with his dream girl from high school, even though his date with her back then was a complete disaster.

Directors:

Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

Writers:

Ed Decter (story), John J. Strauss (story)

Stars:

Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 17 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cameron Diaz	...	Mary
Matt Dillon	...	Healy
Ben Stiller	...	Ted
Lee Evans	...	Tucker
Chris Elliott	...	Dom
Lin Shaye	...	Magda
Jeffrey Tambor	...	Sully
Markie Post	...	Mary's Mom
Keith David	...	Mary's Dad
W. Earl Brown	...	Warren
Sarah Silverman	...	Brenda
Khandi Alexander	...	Joanie
Marnie Alexenburg	...	Lisa
Danny Murphy	...	Boss' Brother (as Dan Murphy)
Richard Tyson	...	Detective Krevoy (as Richard M. Tyson)

Storyline

Ted was a geek in high school, who was going to go to the prom with one of the most popular girls in school, Mary. The prom date never happened, because Ted had a very unusual accident. Thirteen years later he realizes he is still in love with Mary, so he hires a private investigator to track her down. That investigator discovers he too may be in love with Mary, so he gives Ted some false information to keep him away from her. But soon Ted finds himself back into Mary's life, as we watch one funny scene after another.

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Plot Keywords:

dream girl | mini dress | original story | thin legs | panties | 

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Taglines:

Everyone's talking about Mary...

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong comic sexual content and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The uncredited psychiatrist, played by Richard Jenkins, is a resident of Cumberland, RI, which was where the opening scenes were set.

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Goofs

(at around 1h 40 mins) Ted is given Pat's address in Florida. But when Ted sneaks in before Pat and Norm, Pat acts as if the apartment is not his but Norm acts as if the apartment is his.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ted: [voice over] When I was 16 years old, I fell in love.

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Crazy Credits

A montage of scenes from the film as well as outtakes involving the cast lip-syncing to The Foundations' song "Build Me Up Buttercup" runs during the end credits.

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Alternate Versions

In the Fox broadcast of the film, along with the expected dialogue dubs (for example: "I'm fooling with you" rather than "I'm f*cking with you"; "That's bullcrap" rather than "That's bullsh*t", etc.), several scenes use alternate footage in place of the more R-Rated footage. Among them:

• Before the infamous "hair gel scene", Dom uses the phrase "release your manhood" rather than the more R-Rated "Blow your load".
• The infamous "hair gel scene" only shows a wide angle with Mary and Ted up until the point that Mary takes the "hair gel" off his ear and wipes it in her hair (while the scene where Ted masturbates is cut, Ted is shown searching the room for it). When played up in this manner, it implies that it is actually a wad of hairgel, as opposed to a male biological product.
• In scene where Dom and his wife watch "Cops" together, rather than show Dom's wife performing oral sex, they are simply cuddled up together on the couch.
• When Ted's friend calls him "a f*cking liar", alternate footage used shows him simply saying, "You're a liar."

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Connections

Referenced in Conan: There's Something Suspicious About Professor Murder (2012)

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Soundtracks

History Repeating
(featuring Miss Shirley Bassey)
Written by Alex Gifford
Performed by Propellerheads (as Propellerheads)
Courtesy of DreamWorks Records/Heads Spin/Wall of Sound
Under license from Universal Music Special Markets and Propellerheads

User Reviews

One of the funniest movies of the 90's.

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

Details

Official Sites:

Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 July 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

There's Something More About Mary

Filming Locations:

River Walk Trail, Miami, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$23,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,740,644, 19 July 1998

Gross USA:

$176,484,651

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$369,884,651

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min 130 min (extended cut) 107 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1