3/5 Good. Worth Watching

Rating: 6/10 (21 December 2004)

USA 1998 Directors: Peter Farrelly & Bobby Farrelly Cast: Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Chris Elliott, Lin Shaye, Lee Evans, W. Earl Brown
In these awfully politically correct times, its sometimes refreshing to sit through an exercise in bad taste, an area Something About Mary excels in. Fortunately, it is also funny with a sporadic spattering of true 'laugh out loud' moments.
The story is all about Ben (Stiller), consumed with regret about the fact that he well and truly messed up his only chance with high school sweetheart Mary (Diaz) during an ill-fated prom night thirteen years earlier, decides to do something about it - locate Mary through the deviously sly private investigator Patt Healy (Dillion). Unfortunately for Ben, Patt has ulterior motives...
Ben Stiller is his usual self in a role not too dissimilar from any of his other roles. Cameron Diaz is also good, and creates adequate screen chemistry with her many devotees (!). But ultimately, the 'star' (probably a misnomer) of this film is Matt Dillon, a fact largely due to the script as opposed to the acting performance he gives, which is more than sufficient for a film of this type. To be honest however, we aren't given characters we truly care about, but rather fodder to the endless string of gags, which often works against the film.
The laughs come thick and fast, however at times it feels as if the Farrely brothers go somewhat overboard in an attempt to induce fits of laughter with many scenes having a very contrived feel to them. Likely their previous work, the humor is not of the subtle and witty type, and the feather the Farrelly brothers attempt to tickle the audience with is of industrial strength. Though despite the crassness, it is overall quite a sweet film, which will leave most audiences warm and fuzzy as opposed to repelled.
After such tripe as Kingpin and Dumb and Dumber, The Farrelly brothers have delivered a comedy not only lewd and vulgar but also funny. This isn't fine art, but it never aspires to be. Worth watching just as long as you aren't expecting anything remotely intellectual. Not the best comedy out there, but harmless fun nevertheless.