* * * * * (out of 5)
I became a member of the online community in July 1997 and one of my favorite things to do then as now was to write movie reviews. In the summer of 1998, I went nuts extolling the virtues of the most original comedy of its time, There's Something About Mary . Back then I worried that maybe I was just flush with new excitement and the feeling would not last. Well, after at least 7 or 8 years I watched it again tonight. All the way through I've seen this movie maybe 4 times now, but tonight I laughed like it was all new again.
Along with Dumb and Dumber, the Farrelly Brothers' first movie, it has set the benchmark for all the funny comedies we see today. Will Ferrell, Sasha Baron Cohen (Borat), Adam Sandler and Judd Apatow have all taken the formula of the Farrelly Bros. and made huge fortunes with it. But Mary is some kind of movie.
A comedy about not one but four stalkers going after this girl in Miami. Ben Stiller was just wetting his feet in his first foray into utter embarrassment humor. This movie also made him a movie star and a household name. Matt Dillon revived his career acting in a comedy, playing against type as the sleazy dweeb, who doesn't mind killing a dog to get the girl. And Cameron Diaz once again shows that you don't have to be the best looking girl at the dance just the one with the sweetest energy to lure all the boys.
It is so appropriate to watch this movie tonight, first because it coincides with the release of Ben Stiller's new movie, Tropic Thunder and because it was Brett Favre's one and only movie appearance and what a shocking ending to find out he was the notorious "Brett Fa-Vava-Re". Plus, Brett made his playing debut tonight as the quarterback of the New York Jets.
I rarely channel surf or even watch a movie a second time on TV, but I lucked out with this one tonight. Thanks HBO.
The Freditor
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