There's Something About Mary

Today's movie is what's known as a 'Sleeper Hit'. A movie that, unexpectedly, achieves high levels of recognition. Films like Caddyshack, The Big Lebowski, and even The Shawshank Redemption, one of the world's most renowned films. Today's film takes it's place among these classics, and that film is There's Something About Mary.

Directed by the Farrelly brothers (Dumb & Dumber, Me, Myself & Irene) and released in 1998, There's Something About Mary stars Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillion, Chris Elliott & Chris Evans. On a budget of just over $20 million, it grossed nearly $370 million worldwide, making it the highest grossing comedy, and 4th highest grossing film of the year. Not to mention it turned Stiller and Diaz into overnight stars, with the latter receiving over 10 award nominations. The film follows the escapades of 4 guys who all fall in love with a woman named Mary, and the profound impact this has on their lives. It's one of the funniest, sharpest, quirkiest, and somehow most touching gross-out movies ever conceived.

The movie begins with our main character, Ted Stroehmann (Stiller), a shy and awkward Rhode Island school kid. With the prom soon approaching, Ted finds himself taking his dream girl, Mary Jensen (Diaz). Unfortunately, after a slight 'malfunction' with his zipper, Ted is rushed off to hospital, and Mary disappears from his life.

13 years later, Ted finds he still can't get Mary out of his head, so his best friend Dom (Elliot) suggests a Claims Investigator from his firm called Pat Healy (Dillon), who could track her down. Accepting the challenge, Healy discovers Mary working in Miami as an Orthopaedic Surgeon. Keeping a close eye on her, Healy, like Ted, falls for Mary. In order to win her affections he resorts to numerous deceitful tactics, such as claiming to be an Architect, and claiming to have visited Nepal. Unfortunately one of Mary's close friends, Tucker, also a liar, exposes Healy, as he himself has also fallen for Mary.

                                                                               Ouch!

Mary and Ted meet up for the first time in over a decade, and begin to bond. Unfortunately, both Healy and Tucker want him out of the picture, as does somebody else, yet another sucker for Mary.

This concept of many guys falling for the same girl could have been done do badly, with nothing but toilet humour and tasteless, unrelenting sex jokes, but this movie handles the subject matter incredibly well. Nothing is over-done, no jokes are stretched out like in a bad Family Guy episode. The set ups and pay offs are just hysterical. The situations, while a little unbelievable, are unforgettable, and the interactions of the characters, especially when in Mary's presence, is just golden.

This is, put simply, a comedy formula that works. Everything about it works. There are no real weak links. It still holds up, remaining one of cinemas finest, and most endearing comic achievements.