Written by Ed Dector, John J Strauss, and directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly There’s Something About Mary is a feel good romantic comedy that was released back in September 1998. This is a review of the film only.
Plot
Ted (Ben Stiller) is a Geeky high school boy who, through performing ... Read review
Filled with endless laughs and unbelievable sight gags, this delightfully outlandish ... more
romantic comedy is a hysterical smash hit.Still suffering from a high school crush on Mary (Cameron Diaz), the nerdy angst-driven Ted (Ben Stiller) tracks her down thi...
Filled with endless laughs and unbelievable sight gags, this delightfully outlandish ... more
romantic comedy is a hysterical smash hit.Still suffering from a high school crush on Mary (Cameron Diaz), the nerdy angst-driven Ted (Ben Stiller) tracks her down thi...
Now there's something more about Mary - more fun, more laughs and more extras in this ... more
all-new 2-Disc Special Edition. So grab some hair gel, tranquillize the dog and get ready for the most outrageous Mary yet!Still suffering from a high school crush on Mary (Cameron Diaz, Charlie's Angels), the nerdy, angst-ridden Ted (Ben Stiller, Starsky and Hutch) tracks her down thirteen years later with the help of a sleazy private investigator (Matt Dillon) who also falls for her. Unfortunately, both men discover that virtually every man who sets his eyes on the dazzling Mary finds himself head over heels in love and determined to win her hand. Filled with endless laughs and unbelievable sight gags, this delightfully outlandish romantic comedy is a hysterical smash hit.
Filled with endless laughs and unbelievable sight gags, this delightfully outlandish ... more
romantic comedy is a hysterical smash hit.Still suffering from a high school crush on Mary (Cameron Diaz), the nerdy angst-driven Ted (Ben Stiller) tracks her down thirteen years later with the help of a sleazy private investigator (Matt Dillon) who also falls for her. Unfortunately, both men discover that virtually every man who sets eyes on the dazzling Mary finds himself head over heels in love and determined to win her hand. The wacky Farrelly Brothers (Dumb & Dumber, Kingpin) have pushed the envelope again, creating another outrageous movie experience guaranteed to make you laugh and keep you coming back for more.
No-holds-barred comedy tour de force in which 30-something Stiller locates and courts his ... more
high school dreamgirl (Diaz), unwittingly enlisting the help of some of her more hilariously psychotic suitors. In-your-face sight gags and unapologetic raunchiness disguise a riotously funny love story that is actually very sweet. Be amazed at the impeccable casting and stellar performances of the supporting players.
Production Year: 2004 - Comedy - Director: John Hay - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jimi Mistry, Kate Miles, Dougray Scott
Comedy - Director: Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Carol Cleveland, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Advantages: Some very funny moments and memorable scenes, Cameron Diaz , a feel good movie Disadvantages: Far fetched story line, some ridiculous scenes
Written by Ed Dector, John J Strauss, and directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly There’s Something About Mary is a feel good romantic comedy that was released back in September 1998. This is a review of the film only.
==Plot==
Ted (Ben Stiller) is a Geeky high school boy who, through performing a selfless act, manages to bag Mary (Cameron Diaz), his high school crush, as his date for the senior prom. The ... ...and Ted’s date is over before it had properly begun. Shortly after Mary disappears for good as she moves to Florida with her family.
Fast forward some 15 years and the hapless Ted still mourns for his long lost love. Ted’s friend Dom (Chris Elliot) persuades Ted to hire the services of private detective Pat Healy (Matt Dillon) to track Mary down. Obviously Pat finds Mary and decides that he too wants to have a go at wooing ... more
Written by Ed Dector, John J Strauss, and directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly There’s Something About Mary is a feel good romantic comedy that was released back in September 1998. This is a review of the film only.
Plot
Ted (Ben Stiller) is a Geeky high school boy who, through performing a selfless act, manages to bag Mary (Cameron Diaz), his high school crush, as his date for the senior prom. The big night arrives, events take a turn for the worse and Ted’s date is over before it had properly begun. Shortly after Mary disappears for good as she moves to Florida with her family.
Fast forward some 15 years and the hapless Ted still mourns for his long lost love. Ted’s friend Dom (Chris Elliot) persuades Ted to hire the services of private detective Pat Healy (Matt Dillon) to track Mary down. Obviously Pat finds Mary and decides that he too wants to have a go at wooing her so a few lies and Ted is thrown off the scent, for the time being.
Ted discovers Pat’s plan and decides to take matters in to his own hands by taking a trip to Florida. On arrival things get even more complicated as Mary attracts the interest of Tucker (Lee Evans) and the ‘fight for the girl’ heats up with some amusing events.
Has Ted wasted 15 years of his life in pining for something he will never have? Do any of our heroes manage to capture the heart of Mary? Does Mary ever manage to wash out all her hair gel?
Other characters
As expected the main characters of Ted, Mary, Pat and Tucker steal the lime light but they are backed up by a cast of very good supporting actors including:
i) Warren (W Earl Brown) – Mary’s ‘special’ brother ii) Magda (Lin Shaye) – Mary’s landlady iii) Mary’s mom (Markie Post) iv) Mary’s dad (Keith David); and v) Brenda (Sarah Silverman) amongst many others.
None of the supporting actors give an outstanding performance neither are the characters they portray memorable but all do a good job and add something to the movie.
My opinion
In my opinion a true comedy is where I spend most of my time laughing during the movie, and I don’t mean quietly chuckling I mean laughing to the extent my ribs ache and tears are streaming down my cheeks, unfortunately this film did not have this effect on me, but then I guess there are only a few films that have affected me this way.
I would not call There’s Something About Mary a comedy at all. Don’t get me wrong there are some very funny scenes (the ones that stick out in my mind is the ‘zipper incident’ and the‘hair gel’ incident) but these are few and far between and even once the movie is finished these can be counted on one hand. Personally I would describe this film as a ‘feel good’ movie. It is something that you put on over a Sunday afternoon, kick back and get caught up in what’s going on. It is a very endearing movie and there are a lot of ‘nice and cuddly’ moments.
There are times when the directors try just too hard to get a laugh, I mean there is only so many times that you can use a retarded person to entertain the audience. Once is fine, twice is pushing it but three times is just too much and the scenes fall flat.
The story line is ridiculous and, if you think about it in this day and age, quite creepy. School crushes are fine, providing they finish around the time you walk out of the school gates for the final time, but to carry this on for years? There are times when I think about the ‘un-touchable’ girls at school and wonder what they are up to but that is as far as it goes. I don’t actually go out and stalk them. Firstly I guess it is because I am not that bothered but I suppose we now have the wonders of Facebook (if I can actually be bothered to sign up and join) which is something Stiller didn’t have.
As well as the stalking storyline there are other ridiculous scenes that, in my opinion, should not have made the final cut. I refer to the dog scene, it’s just pathetic, and the awful singer and his guitar that pops up every now and again. In my opinion these add nothing to the film and did kind of ruin it for me.
In most films Stiller is an OTT and in your face character. I find his over emphasis and over acting totally unbelievable and as such, I have never warmed to him and don’t really rate him. I consider he is a one trick pony, or did until I saw his performance in There’s Something About Mary. During this Stiller shows that there is a bit more substance to him and that he is quite a talented actor. His performance is no outstanding or Oscar winning but he does a good job and I found that he did keep me interested in watching the movie to completion.
In my opinion Diaz is simply fantastic in this and steals the lime light with the best performance of all the cast, but then I guess I would say that. Whilst she is stunning, she doesn’t know it (or at least that’s how she comes across in this movie), and this makes her even more desirable. Her girl next door looks, bubbly personality, general ‘niceness’ and overall charisma make her perfect in the role as Mary. I couldn’t think of any other actress that would play this role better. The casting director got it spot on.
Dillon, Evans and Brown do a good job as the respective sleaze, intellect and retard but again, they do not give outstanding performances. I was quite impressed with Evans since I have never rated him as an entertainer, but he was good in this and was part of a couple of very funny scenes but these soon lost their impact and fell flat as the directors tried the same thing too many times.
Whilst the acting may not be amazing the on screen relationship and interactions between the characters is fantastic and, in my opinion, it is this that makes this movie entertaining. It is quite a star-studded cast and I would have though that the actors would be in competition to be ‘the best’ and the movie would suffer as a result. This is definitely not the case here as the cast really do work as a team.
The pace of this movie is ideal for a film of this genre. It is not so fast that you have to sit there are concentrate to ensure that you keep on top of everything that’s going on but not so slow that you end up clock watching whilst waiting for the next interesting thing to happen. It is a pace whereby you can momentarily switch off for a while but not lose the plot totally.
This is not an action film and as such there are no real death defying stunts, fast car chases, or high adrenaline moments and the like. This lack of action does not ruin the film in any way, besides to put action scenes in a romantic comedy just wouldn’t work.
This movie does not use sound to compliment the cinematography, but it’s no big deal. Besides, I wouldn’t really expect mood music in a romantic comedy since it just wouldn’t work. This movie does have an annoying singer that breaks out in to song every now and again, and whilst it was entertaining to listen to the first time it soon got tiresome and by the end of the film I was quite annoyed by it.
I think this is an ideal film for teenagers but it definitely is not a family film. Whilst there is very little foul language there are strong sexual references (although there is no real nudity – there is a very quick glimpse of some awfully ‘spaniel ear’ boobs that is quite disturbing). Despite this I think the 15 certificate is a bit too high and think that a 12A would be more suitable, although I guess the rating shows the attitude to censorship during the time this movie was released.
Conclusion
If you are after a laugh out loud comedy and expecting to have sore ribs and red eyes at the end of the movie then this is not for you. If you are having a lads night in and want something fast paced, action packed and crammed full of special effects then this is not for you. If you want a feel good film and something that you can chuck on, kick back and relax with then this movie may be for you, just don’t expect too much.
If you are a Diaz fan then you have just got to watch this movie since it definitely shows her at her best.
Other
Run time – 119 minutes Certificate – 15 2 Golden Globe Nominations but no win. 16 other award wins and 11 other nominations
(Originally posted on Dooyoo under the name of Yackers1)
Advantages: Laughter, jokes, great performances Disadvantages: Over long, perhaps?
Finally…after waiting since 1998 when it was first released… I have just watched this Ben Stiller film. I finally talked Mrs Borg into viewing it, after many times when she has responded with a grimace and a, ‘Well, is there anything else we can watch?’ Finally…
But was it worth the wait?
Yes. It is good – but is it a classic?
Let’s look at the evidence. As sure as an egg is an egg, and as sure as a writer like myself will never get a premium ... ...look at him makes you want to laugh, and so is Lee Evans. So, the two of them in the same film… you have got to be laughing here haven’t you. Yes, and you do.
But is the plot worth it all? Well, take hold of my hand, Ciao chums and let’s wonder along the twisting road of story summary… Hold on tight there, I don’t want any of you getting lost here, you hear?
Ted Stroehmann is a dork. Played brilliantly by Ben Stiller, he is the school nerd. However, ...
Borg 11.02.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of There's Something About Mary (DVD)
Advantages: great story and very comical Disadvantages: the soundtrack
...I love that song, and there's something about Mary, which I did find quite a boring song, but it stuck out because it was the same title as the film. I really did not rate much to the soundtrack, and thought that better songs could have been put in, but maybe that's because most of them was well before my time, or just unknown songs. I am sure some people may have liked it, but it really was not for me. Although I did not like the soundtrack, it ... ...My opinion
----------------
Ok well I did really enjoy watching this film, it was a very comical love story. I would not recommend kids watching it or anyone who does not like swearing as it does contain a lot of bad language, to me it just made it funnier, it seemed to be used just at the right time. I think all the actors in this film were very well picked to play each of their roles superbly. Some of the characters did seem a bit much and maybe ...
kineticspade 30.04.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of There's Something About Mary (DVD)
Advantages: Lee Evans, Ben Stiller! Disadvantages: The humour may offend some people, it's hardly politically correct.
"Warning: The guys who did Kingpin and Dumb and Dumber bring you a love story." This is what the tagline claims, loudly. More recently known for 'Stuck On You', 'Shallow Hal', and 'Me, Myself and Irene', Peter and Bobby Farelly are the writers/directors for this romantic comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller. --- PLOT.
We start off in high school, Ted (Ben Stiller) and his friends, complete with horrendous wigs and braces, are quite obviously ... ...up to a guy picking on her retarded brother Warren, Mary - the object of every kid in schools affections - asks him to go to the prom with her. On prom night, after an unfortunate incident in the bathroom, Ted ends up in hospital. It's the last time he saw Mary (Cameron Diaz.) Cut to thirteen years later, Ted is talking to a therapist about his continuing obsession with Mary. (Very funny scene here as the therapist has gone out to lunch and Ted is ...
damncoldnightdotnet 03.05.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of There's Something About Mary (DVD)
Advantages: so many funny lines and stunts, just so funny Disadvantages: none
Oh boy - where shall I start? I really was unsure about going to see this film. The title was a bit naff, the cast uninspiring, apart that is from the monumentally gorgeous Cameron Diaz, but I'm so glad I did. The preview clips I'd seen in the cinema before led you to believe the film was a great hoot. But I've been misled before. Sometimes the clips they show are the best bits. I remember seeing the trailer for "Men in Black". I instantly put it ... ...never lived up to the heights of the trailer. It was good, but far less funny than the clips would suggest. However, believe me, SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, there are the clip best bits and so many, many more! It really is, at times, falling about, writhing on the floor laughing your nuts off funny!
From the scene where Ted (Ben Stiller) gets something stuck in his fly zip on his Prom Night, to the night he goes on a date with Mary (Cameron Diaz), but ...
flashpointz 25.08.2000 (19.09.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of There's Something About Mary (DVD)
Advantages: Very funny Disadvantages: Bad taste for some people
Ever since his geeky high school years, Ted (Ben Stiller) has been desperately in love with Mary (Cameron Diaz), after going through a traumatic and equally embarrassing incident on the night he was supposed to be taking Mary to the prom involving a baseball, a half naked Mary and the zipper on his flies. Ted never got to take Mary to the prom and after that he never saw her again.
13 years later it’s 1998 and Ted is still hung up on the one that ... ...it and everyone around him tells him he needs to let it go. Unfortunately Ted can’t let go, he hires an oddball private investigator by the name of Healy (Matt Dillon) to track down Mary in Miami. When Healy discovers just how beautiful Mary is he lies to Ted telling her that she’s fat, in a wheelchair and a mail order bride to put him off giving Healy a chance to swoop in there and win Mary’s affections. However when Ted finds out about the lie ...
Great_reviewer07 16.07.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of There's Something About Mary (DVD)
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Advantages: great value for money Disadvantages: none
What a great boxset. These two film with have you in stiches.
TheressomethingaboutMary and Stuck an you are some of the funniest films i have seen.
TheressomethingaboutMary is brought to you by the guys who did "Dumb and Dumber", and stars some of thee best talent in comic genius.
Cameron Diaz ... Mary Jensen
Matt Dillon ... Pat Healy
Ben Stiller ... Ted Stroehmann
Lee Evans ... Tucker/Norman Phipps
Chris Elliott ... Dom Woganowski
TheresSomethingaboutMary is about Ted, hopeless in love, because of one special girl he met in highschool, Mary.
In highscool Ted get the chance and oppertunity of his dreams by going to the prom with Mary. Upon ...
Advantages: Excellent Film, Puffy the dog Disadvantages: Too many extras on DVD
.
There's somethingaboutMary but who will win her in the end?
Disc 1
Original Theatrical Version of the film
New Extended Version with Never Before Seen Restored Footage of the film -there is quite a number of extra bits to the scene but nothing would have made the original any better.
Directors' Commentary by the Farrelly Brothers
Writers' Audio Commentary by Ed Dectar and John J Strauss
Animated Menus
Scene Access
Disc 2
There are over 6 hours of extras on these 2 discs. So I shall bore you by going into too much detail.
Behind the Scenes Diary: Getting Behind Mary - this is footage of the making of the film, actual footage of the takes are included.
Exposing Themselves Cast Interviews with Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Chris Elliott
AMC Back story there's somethingaboutMary
Best Fight ...
Advantages: you get 3 movies, cheap Disadvantages: none
Dodgeball is about a man(Vince Vaughn) who owns a small gym called Average Joes. A bunch of misfits go there but it is going to be taken over by the rival gym owner (Ben Stiller). Average Joes needs $50000 in 30 days so they enter a dodgeball tournament.
A geek in high school, Ted was going to go to the prom with Mary who was very popular. The prom date didn't happen because Ted had an accident. Years later, he is still in love with Mary. So he hires a private investigator to find her. That investigator discovers he too may be in love with Mary, so he gives Ted fake information to keep him away from her. But Ted still finds his way into her life.
Stuck on you is a funny movie about 2 conjoined twins. They decide to move to hollywood so one of them can pursue his acting career and it all kicks off from there. ...
A beautiful woman called Mary is courted by numerous admirers... An old friend, Ted, hires a detective to find her after thirteen years. The detective finds her and falls in love with her. Even Mary's best friend, Tucker, lies to her to win her affections.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment; Deluxe Video Service - Fox, 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT, 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Release date
04/10/1999
No of Discs
1
Catalogue No
00178 DVD
Screenwriter
Peter Farrelly, Edward Decter, Bobby Farrelly, John J. Strauss, Michael Steinberg
Czech, Danish, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish
Hearing Impaired Language
English
Technical information
Special Features
Interactive Menus, Scene Access, Original Theatrical Trailer, Music Video, Karaoke, Director's Commentary, Featurette
Aspect Ratio
1.85 Wide Screen, 16:9 Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Professional reviews
Review
"...This time the Farrellys....have it figured out....[Dillon is] magnificently venal....[Diaz has a] blithe,easy charm..." -- Rating: A- (Entertainment Weekly, pp.72-3, 05/02/1999)
"...The Farrelly brothers have made a film that's a hoot in every sense....The film works ridiculously well because it never stoops to being mean-spirited....The Farrellys display a crazy audacity that's worth admiring..." (New York Times, p.E1, 15/07/1998)
"...THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY is sensational, sicko fun -- you won't believe your eyes....The biggest and boldest laughs around..." (Rolling Stone, p.75-6, 06/08/1998)
"...Notable for its intelligence, invention and, unlikely as it may sound, compassion..." (Sight and Sound, p.57-8, 01/10/1998)
DVD Description
No-holds-barred comedy tour de force in which 30-something Stiller locates and courts his high school dreamgirl (Diaz), unwittingly enlisting the help of some of her more hilariously psychotic suitors. In-your-face sight gags and unapologetic raunchiness disguise a riotously funny love story that is actually very sweet. Be amazed at the impeccable casting and stellar performances of the supporting players.
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