A funny and gross rom-com where Diaz, Stiller and Dillon well and truly shine

Rating: 8/10 (10 August 2013)

I first heard of this film when I was in my first year at secondary school, even though I was too young to watch it at that time, upon seeing a promotional poster for this film and it was also the first time I'd ever heard of Cameron Diaz, who is one of my all-time favourite actresses. I finally saw this film when I was 15 when my mum bought the video shortly before Diaz's 30th birthday and I bought the DVD myself a couple of months after.
While this film has a lot of funny moments, there are a couple of scenes I didn't like such as the "frank and beans" in the zipper scene in the 1985 flashback and another scene that had excessive swearing. I did, however, like the infamous 'hair gel' scene that was parodied in the music video to 'Say You'll Be Mine' video by Steps (one of my favourite pop groups) where Claire Richards was Cameron Diaz/Mary and Lee Latchford Evans was Ben Stiller/Ted. The majority of the flashback was watchable with the exception of the "frank and beans" scene I've already mentioned and the scenes involving the mishaps of Puffy the Border terrier being drugged up by Pat were hilarious if sad and hysterical but the first instance of this ended on a cute note when Pat had him "wrapped up like a baby" much to Magda's delight. Although Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller and Matt Dillon are the standouts, I also liked the support from Lee Evans as Tucker, Lin Shaye as Magda and W Earl Brown as Mary's brother Warren.
Overall this is a funny film that has its fair share of memorable moments, romance and gross-out humour. 8/10.