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The Farrelly brothers are probably the only filmmakers in Hollywood who can produce an engaging and original take on the formulaic nature of the standard romantic comedy whilst breaking every rule in the book regarding political correctness. Bobby and Peter have created a tasteless and yet heartfelt dreamy yarn whilst remaining faithful to their almost unique brand of gross-out humour, and in the process the Rhode Islanders have made stars of their leads and justified their reputation as the kings of screwball hilarity following the immensely popular Dumb and Dumber (1994).
Cameron Diaz is the beautiful Mary Jensen who is completely ignorant of her apparent awesomeness, and from prom night to the glorious sunshine of Miami men are chasing her as she oozes the elusive "perfect girl syndrome". For Diaz's genuine performance as the heroine, the Californian illustrates exquisite comedic timing and takes the excessive wants of the Farrellys in her stride. Critics tend to favour more dramatic characterisations but for the quality of this performance it is unsurprising that the former Elite model walked away with the Best Actress award from the New York Film Critics Circle, let alone her Golden Globe nod for her authentic turn in an unusual genre. This is Ben Stiller's show though and Ted Stroehmann is universally seen as his mainstream breakthrough role. Now legendary scenes including his "frank and beans" stuck in the zipper of his god-awful tuxedo and a miscalculated ejaculation are two infamous highlights within the medley of humour involving Ted's character, and the Saturday Night Live alumnus demonstrates the Farrellys' comedic philosophy perfectly throughout - physical, visual, straightforward laughter on the screen - whilst persuading the audience to root for him until the very end. Opposition for Mary's affections though are not exactly taken from the Jane Austen romanticised view of suitable masculinity, but nonetheless, each of the supporting players are absolutely first-rate. Matt Dillon is the lying and deceitful private investigator turned fake architect turned obsessive prowler, Lee Evans is perfectly cast as a pizza delivery boy leading a double life as Mary's best friend Tucker, Chris Elliott is excellent as the rash-suffering Dom Woganowski, and the only weak link is professional gridiron quarterback, Brett Favre as Mary's seemingly faultless, if amazingly boring, latest boyfriend. Harlan Williams was fitting for the traffic cop in Dumb and Dumber but he is even better here, setting up the hitchhiking investigation scene (the funniest lines of dialogue in the whole film) with glorious aplomb. Special mention is also warranted by Lin Shaye's Magda and the dog slobbering/kissing scene. Beware, this really does have to be seen to illustrate the nerve of both actors and directors in their quest to entertain, albeit in a very sick manner. This is a Farrelly brothers' film though and as disgusting as the toilet and slapstick humour premise appears at times, There's Something About Mary always amuses to result in a comedic tour de force.
The extras
This two disc set is extensive. Firstly two versions - theatrical and extended - of the film are available, with the extra fifteen minutes included in the latter adding yet more hilarity. Two commentaries, one from the Farrellys and one from the writers are excellent and the brothers even add another half an hour of additional views. Other highlights of this great set are the SIX featurettes with the 45 minute "Getting Behind Mary" acting as the highlight. This documentary takes an interesting look at how Bobby and Peter directed the stars in seven selected scenes, and the funny outtakes along with a look at how Magda's breasts are formed continue the realistic insight from the rest of the selection. A music video from the Dandy Warhols and the beloved "Build Me Up Buttercup" karaoke are also included, and the interview segments with Brett Favre, Harland Williams and W. Earl Brown are good additions. Let me just make clear that when Williams is the interviewer the content is passable, but his "Interview Roulette" feature is a complete waste of time. Of course the stars are also not forgotten as Diaz, Dillon and Stiller are well questioned in the featurettes - "Comedy Central: Reel Comedy" in particular. The Farrellys are rumoured to frequently flash the cast and crew but even this should not deter any DVD/comedy lover from owning this package. Even though Fox could not have included much more content, quality over quantity is still preferred and some of the material simply fails to entertain. Consequently the Farrellys cannot quite score top marks here.
The summary
Try not to search for artistic nuances or an in-depth narrative structure because you will not come close to finding them. This is a romantic comedy by the masters of toilet humour so get comfortable for a showcase of puerile, immature and hilarious behaviour.
