Classic 90s Movie: “There’s Something About Mary”
May is Classic 90s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Ashley Cook.
Movie Title: There’s Something About Mary
Year: 1998
Writers: Ed Decter, John J. Strauss, Peter Farrelly, and Bobby Farrelly
Lead Actors: Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon
Directors: Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly
IMDB Plot Summary: A man gets a second chance with his dream girl from high school, but he must contend with her many other suitors… including the PI he hired to track her down.
Why I Think This Is A Classic 90s Movies: What I love about There’s Something About Mary is that it proves you can make a great comedy that still has a lot of heart. The Farrelly brothers used every comedic tool at their disposal: there’s physical comedy (Ben Stiller vs. Puffy the Dog comes to mind), witty dialogue, and even some absurdist elements with the random musical duo who follow the characters around and sing the narration. And, of course, the raunch comedy. The Farrellys really let loose with the raunchiness in this film. The first ten minutes of the movie shows a guy getting his “frank and beans” caught in his zipper. There’s a scene where Chris Elliot’s character lets loose a stream of euphemisms for pleasuring oneself (“You choke the chicken before any big date, don’t you? Tell me you spank the monkey before any big date. Oh my God, he doesn’t flog the dolphin before a big date.) Plus, the Hair Gel Scene. That scene probably seemed insane at the time, but has become an iconic scene in comedy. But throughout all of that, they still made you care about the characters. You really root for Ted, despite all of his stalker-ish behavior, and you can tell why he (and everyone else) is so crazy about Mary. She’s not just gorgeous, she’s warm, caring, and confident. Her scenes with Ted are packed full of chemistry. You can tell that these characters really care about each other and that they do in fact make a perfect match.
Another thing that sets this film apart is its amazing cast. Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz were relatively unknown at the time the movie came out, but after, they were household names. Matt Dillon plays his skeevy private investigator to perfection. And the supporting cast is phenomenal. Keep an eye out for Jeffrey Tambor and Sarah Silverman in small parts.
My Favorite Moment In The Movie: Ted and Puffy’s fight kills me every. Single. Time. Fun fact: Ben Stiller will not work with dogs, so this scene had to be done with special effects.
My Favorite Dialogue In the Movie: The dialogue between Ted and the Hitchhiker is random and absurd and awkward and glorious and I love it. (Also a great physical comedic performance from Harland Williams.)
Hitchhiker: You heard of this thing, the 8-Minute Abs?
Ted: Yeah, sure, 8-Minute Abs. Yeah, the exercise video.
Hitchhiker: Yeah, this is going to blow that right out of the water. Listen to this: 7… Minute… Abs.
Ted: Right. Yes. OK, all right. I see where you’re going.
Hitchhiker: Think about it. You walk into a video store, you see 8-Minute Abs sittin’ there, there’s 7-Minute Abs right beside it. Which one are you gonna pick, man?
Ted: I would go for the 7.
Hitchhiker: Bingo, man, bingo. 7-Minute Abs. And we guarantee just as good a workout as the 8-minute folk.
Ted: You guarantee it? That’s — how do you do that?
Hitchhiker: If you’re not happy with the first 7 minutes, we’re gonna send you the extra minute free. You see? That’s it. That’s our motto. That’s where we’re comin’ from. That’s from “A” to “B”.
Ted: That’s right. That’s — that’s good. That’s good. Unless, of course, somebody comes up with 6-Minute Abs. Then you’re in trouble, huh?
Hitchhiker convulses.
Hitchhiker: No! No, no, not 6! I said 7. Nobody’s comin’ up with 6. Who works out in 6 minutes? You won’t even get your heart goin, not even a mouse on a wheel.
Ted: That — good point.
Hitchhiker: 7’s the key number here. Think about it. 7-Elevens. 7 dwarves. 7, man, that’s the number. 7 chipmunks twirlin’ on a branch, eatin’ lots of sunflowers on my uncle’s ranch. You know that old children’s tale from the sea. It’s like you’re dreamin’ about Gorgonzola cheese when it’s clearly Brie time, baby. Step into my office.
Ted: Why?
Hitchhiker: ’Cause you’re fuckin’ fired!
Also, for whatever reason, this exchange reduces me to giggles:
Ted: So you’re moving down to Miami?
Pat Healy: I accepted a job offer.
Ted: With who?
Pat Healy: With… uh… Rice-a-Roni.
Ted: Isn’t that the San Francisco treat?
Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie: This movie is a master class in set-ups and pay-offs. Some of it is really subtle, which makes you appreciate it all the more when you catch it. Watch it a few times. You won’t be sorry.
Thanks, Ashley! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!
We already have a set of 80s Movies. This month we cover 90s movies. So thanks to all of you for your participation in this project, creating a resource for writers, movies they should watch to help learn the craft of screenwriting!
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