Something Perversely Funny about "Mary" by Homer Yen (c) 1998
When it comes to matters of the opposite sex, there are two things that I've always believed in. First, you'll always go further when you pretend to be no one else but your true self. Secondly, guys who are smitten basically become idiots. "There's Something about Mary," in its own perversely funny and raunchy way, illustrates these ideas.
Ever since high school, small-town boy and eternal doofus Ted Stroehmann (Ben Stiller) has had a crush on Mary (Cameron Diaz). Mary is a vibrant, cheery and affable girl. But she has a soft spot for those who like her brother, a mentally handicapped and apish fellow who body slams anyone that touches his ear. The beginning sequence when they are both getting ready to go to the prom is nothing short of unabashed stupidity that will make you laugh or at least curl your face in shock. But it's just an appetizer to get you ready for the really weird stuff that will follow.
Thirteen years pass since Ted last saw Mary, but he has always carried a torch for his radiant high-school love. Taking some advice from his boss, he hires Pat Healy (Matt Dillon who looks like he was voted "Least Likely to Trust"), an investigator of sorts, to track down Mary and to report back on her whereabouts. Healy is immediately smitten with Mary. He discourages Ted about pursuing the matter, saying that she's now overweight and has gone to Japan as a mail-order bride. Healy wants the babe-alicious Mary to himself and moves down to Miami, uses his array of listening devices to learn more about her, and tells her what she wants to hear in order to capture her heart. Ted, however, follows his heart and travels down to Miami to find her nonetheless. The rest of the movie is a cute love story that focuses on Ted who tries to summon up enough courage to reintroduce himself into her life. Healy, however, looks for ways to neutralize his competition. And we are introduced to several other crazy characters who all have their eye on Mary.
Diaz is appealingly charming and Stiller possess good comic timing, but it is the relentless offering of gross-out humor and inane silliness that propels this movie. From the first face-curling moment, your defense mechanisms quickly jumps into place and you want to decree that you are above this ludicrous low-brow humor. "How does a film maker come up with this kind of material," you wonder. A lot of the jokes couldn't work if the camera work and the timing weren't perfect. But everything falls funnily into place. As the pranks and the jokes and the twisted humor begin to penetrate your defenses, you can't help but say: "That was gross - hahahaha." It was vulgar; it was tasteless; and it was sick. But I laughed...a lot.
Grade: B
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