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There’s Something About Mary

Rating

Director

Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

Screenplay

Ed Decter, John J. Strauss, Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrell

Length

1h 59m

Starring

Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller, Lee Evans, Chris Elliott, Lin Shaye, Jeffrey Tambor, Markie Post, Keith David, W. Earl Brown, Sarah Silverman, Khandi Alexander

MPAA Rating

R

Basic Plot

A prom date turns into a life-long regret session.

Review

Who would have guessed that the brothers who created the stupid gross-out comedy film “Dumb and Dumber” would be able to change tracks and make an enjoyable, yet still gross, motion picture?

“There’s Something About Mary” begins several years in the past. A young, hapless teen named Ted (Ben Stiller) with braces and acne faces off against some jocks that are picking on a mentally retarded kid named Tucker (Lee Evans). It’s not all bad, because a highly popular and beautiful student named Mary (Cameron Diaz), Tucker’s sister, was watching from the crowd.

On his way home, she catches up with him and after a short discussion, they agree to go to the prom together. The night of the prom arrives and in typical idiot style, Ted arrives wearing a tacky blue tuxedo. However, all does not go well. First Ted tries to pull the ball from Tucker’s ear. Tucker doesn’t like things like that and hits Ted hard and starts screaming and carrying on.

Everything calms down and Mary goes to finish getting ready. Ted goes to the bathroom and while doing his business he spies two doves sitting on a branch outside. Then he hears a scream. Across the way is Mary’s bedroom window where Mary and her mother are hard at work getting ready and think he’s spying on them. Ted is so excited trying to get them not to think he’s peeping that he accidentally catches himself in his zipper.

For awhile, we are uncertain if we’re going to see this accident, but the Farrelly’s don’t disappoint. We see this disturbing sight for all of its grossness. After several mishaps, Ted is rushed to the hospital and gets out in time to find out that Mary’s gone and he thinks he’ll never meet her again.

Fast forward to the present where Ted tells all of his problems to his shrink. He is finally convinced that he should seek her out and after consulting his friend Dom (Chris Elliott), he decides to hire a detective. He gets Pat Healy (Matt Dillon) who finds Mary, but won’t tell Ted because he wants a crack at her.

“Mary” revolves around the battle over whom gets marry and the gross things that happen because of it. This is definitely a gross-out comedy, but has enough heart that it doesn’t get bogged down by unwanted stupidity. Diaz is terrific and proves that she really does have the acting talent to go with her beauty. Dillon is funny while Stiller is cute and charming. They both work well together and opposite Diaz. Elliott is also good as well as the Farrelly’s regular Lin Shaye as a tan-addicted matron with a terrorizing pooch.

“There’s Something About Mary” will delight audiences everywhere and possibly of all ages, but it is not a film that works well upon second viewing. The film works best when you aren’t expecting the comedy, but knowing it’s there takes out some of the uproarious suspense.

Review Written

April 21, 1999