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There's Something About Mary

Leave it to a pair of brothers, the Farrellys, to take comedies to the next level. There’s Something About Mary is a wild and out, crazy romp that has raised the bar for comedies like The Matrix did for action flicks—with misplaced bodily fluids, insane antics leading to physical torment and sexual jargon that masks the tasteless and vulgar in a blinding, chivalrous, white and shiny armor that can be embraced. The duo capitalizes on former successes of Dumb and Dumber and Kingpin to dish out the same type of humor, except they slap on an R rating so they can be more crude and raunchy.

Ben Stiller creates the steady archetype that slides right into every movie: the antsy and awkward underdog where a stormy rain cloud always seems to pour bad luck down. Here, he is mild mannered, nerdy Ted, in high school with an '80s bowl haircut and a mouthful of metal. He gazes with puppy love at the gorgeous Mary (Cameron Diaz), who completes every guy’s high school fantasy by asking Ted to prom. After a terrifying incident before they set sail, their ties are severed. Thirteen years later, Ted hires a sleazy private eye (Matt Dillon) to track Mary down and rekindle their lost infatuation with one another. Wackiness ensues as a slew of suitors right alongside Ted try to win Mary’s heart.

There’s Something About Mary is the epitome of gross out comedies that are side splitting. The flick provides a host of gags that are rude and offensive, but serve as a constant stream of laughter done to perfection. Each gag does it big with its auxiliary of quirky characters that come in all shapes and sizes riddled with all sorts of idiosyncrasies that are eye widening.

Ben Stiller found his niche here being the victim of a never-ending series of Murphy’s Law ploys. Cameron Diaz is very endearing as a knockout with grace and kindness that is so rare in the chased. The Farrellys work their magic in what can be considered their prime and certainly best work as they nobly salute mentally challenged people and do not exploit them for laughs.

There’s Something About Mary is the pinnacle of the Farrellys’ career and I wish they could return to this flavored work that was so rich and full of laughs, instead of being mindless with their gross out gags. The cast is phenomenal with diversity, throwing curveballs left and right that keep you on the edge of your seat and eventually on the floor laughing.

Written by: John Berkowitz

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