20th Century Fox, Rated R
Directed by Peter Farrelly & Bobby Farrelly
Written by Ed Decter & John J. Strauss and Peter Farrelly & Bobby Farrelly

Let's face it, many of the comedies coming out of Hollywood are obsessed with bathroom humor. The Farrelly brothers, who are responsible for Dumb & Dumber and the highly underrated Kingpin take it to new heights but do it well. Except for one or two jokes that were stretched too long, their latest, There's Something About Mary is a very well-crafted laugh-out-loud comedy. In some scenes, the dialogue is impossible to hear because of the laughter of the audience. The film concerns Ted (Ben Stiller), a high school loser in 1985 with a high school crush on Mary (Cameron Diaz) Jenson, who actually ends up asking HIM to the prom. These early scenes are frighteningly well done with Stiller and Diaz capturing that awkward stage in life precisely. Seeing as it is a comedy, the date is a disaster before they even get to the prom, and a humiliated Ted never hears from Mary again. 13 years later, he still carries a flame for her and his friend (Chris Elliott) suggests hiring a detective to find her and let him know where she is and what she's up to today. Mary, an impossibly sweet girl who's a jock to boot, seems to attract every man she meets, including the detective, Pat Healy (Matt Dillon). Soon Pat and Ted are competing for her affections. Everyone in the movie is great. I hope this finally establishes Ben Stiller as a real comedy movie star. Dillon is alot funnier than anyone could've ever expected and Diaz is better than anything she's done since The Mask. The movie really points out how just about everyone becomes more and more of a scoundrel simply because they're in love with Mary. If you've seen Kingpin you know what to expect from this. Be prepared for 2 or 3 shots that will make you laugh out of pure shock. Overall, a great comedy for the dog days of summer. *** 1/2

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