# There's Something About Mary (1998)

### reviewed by
Craig Roush

    THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY

Release Date: July 10, 1998 Starring: Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Lee Evans, Chris Elliott, Lin Shaye, W. Earl Brown, Brett Favre Directed by: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly Distributed by: 20th Century Fox Film Corp. MPAA Rating: R (strong comic sexual content, language) URL: http://www.execpc.com/~kinnopio/reviews/1998/theres.htm

About the time that the pre-release hype for SAVING PRIVATE RYAN was reaching a full head of steam, the new Farrelly Brothers movie, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY was making its own waves in the ratings pool. Skeptics and antagonists pointed out that MARY had some content that was arguably unsuitable for mass distribution. The Farrelly Brothers responded by saying that test audiences had responded well to the movie and were not worried about "crossing the line." After the film has seen wide release, now, it's easy to see that there's some truth to both sides of the debate. MARY is a textbook exercise in crude humor, but at the same time it's saved by its own quirky cuteness.

Ben Stiller is Ted Stroehmann, an unlikely 1960s prom date for Mary Jensen (Cameron Diaz). Ted makes it to Mary's house on prom night, but due to a terrible misfortune in the bathroom, Ted doesn't make it through the rest of the night. Instead, he's taken to the hospital, and he doesn't see Mary again when she moves from Rhode Island to Florida with her parents later that summer. Now, in the present day, Ted still cannot forget his love for Mary, and so, by his friend Dom (Chris Elliot)'s reference, he contacts a private investigator named Pat Healy (Matt Dillon) to find Mary again. Healy does, but instead of going back to Ted, Healy falls in love with Mary and begins to romance her. This all goes well until two things happen: Tucker, one of Mary's friends and also a secret lover, interferes with Healy's plans; and, Ted finds out for himself where Mary is and goes to meet her anyway.

The plot is not nearly as convoluted as it may seem, and is quite easily followed when it plays out onscreen. The actors have all got the business down adaquately enough, although none of them is as outrageous as they should be for this sort of off-kilter Gen-X comedy. Stiller is the most impressive here, and after his limp performance in 1996's FLIRTING WITH DISASTER, it's nice to see him play a better character with more feeling. Cameron Diaz adds the appropriate amounts of attractiveness, sexual tension, and allure in the right places, makingthe cast seem realistic in their actions to fall head over heals for Mary. Although the plot gets occasionally sidetracked in unlikely spots, it goes from start to finish with little interruption and doesn't get boring. And, for a Packers fan, the Brett Favre cameo near the end has quite possibly some of the best lines of dialogue spoken onscreen this year.

For those who've followed SOMETHING ABOUT MARY's progress on the weekend gross charts, it's clear where the downfall to MARY's humor is. The physical and mostly brainless comedy isn't done well or in particularly good taste, and as such it's got quite a limited audience. SOMETHING ABOUT MARY has stayed on the charts for an outstanding length of time - better than most movies in current release - but it's never risen above number three out of the top ten. These results, along with the final product itself, underscore the fact that any genius in MARY is limited to the genre. Fans will see it again and again, but it will be a tough sell to those interested in more serious dramas or sci-fi/fantasy. It's a workable movie, but not necessarily for everyone.

FINAL AWARD FOR "SOMETHING ABOUT MARY": 2.5 stars - an enjoyable movie.

    --
    Craig Roush
    kinnopio@execpc.com
    --
    Kinnopio's Movie Reviews
    http://www.execpc.com/~kinnopio

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