it was with great trepidation that i approached + mary+ , the farrelly brothers+ latest film .
i knew the film would be funny -- the trailer alone had me laugh harder than the actual comedy i went to see .
but i also knew the film would be an equal - opportunity offender , attacking the sensibilities of the politically correct with reckless abandon .
i figured the film would be raunchy , maybe another lucky escapee from nc-17 hell .
i may laugh , but would i feel better in the morning ?
i needn+t have worried .
+ mary+ is the sweetest , warmest , all - out laugh - and - grossfest
this side of _ animal house _ .
surprisingly , the farrelly brothers have walked that very tight line of making a touching romantic comedy on the side , and filling the details with five or six outrageous howlers .
they make laughter , the toughest job for a filmmaker to do , look easy .
the plot is typical .
thirteen years ago , geeky ted ( ben stiller ) lucked out in having dazzling mary ( cameron diaz ) go with him to the senior prom .
as luck would have it , on that very day , he was hospitalized .
why , i shall not tell , but i assure you , it isn+t pretty .
he hires a private investigator to find her : pat healy ( matt dillon ) .
he becomes one of the great comic villains . upon finding her , he too is lovestruck , and so pursues her , lying about his occupation and getting his teeth capped .
it is only a matter of time before ted finds out that he had been double - crossed , and goes to get her for himself .
would the geek get the girl ?
puh - lease .
the ending is pure hollywood ; no surprises there .
but the absolute joy in this film is how this simple premise allows for humor in zippers , hair gel , the mentally disabled , the physically handicapped , interracial marriages , homosexuals , skin conditions , serial killers , tanning , and drugged - up dogs .
the dog on speed sequence alone is worth the price of admission , and belongs in the film comedy hall of fame .
and yet , for all the targets that are hit , the film maintains its sweet tone .
mary , playing the straight role , is as sweet and caring as she is beautiful .
she is totally devoted to caring for her mentally handicapped brother , warren
( w . earl brown -- miles away from the cameraman in _ scream _ ) .
mary+s sunniness carries the film here
-- it compliments the below - belt gags that come at you .
cameron diaz makes her totally charming , and the audience respects her , even though women in general do not usually undress before an open window .
ben stiller also fares very well , totally changing his image from his _ reality bites _ and _ flirting with disaster _ straight men to being a , ( how to say it ? ) , a complete loser .
braces , greasy long hair , not too bright , and very very funny .
dillon is exceptionally creepy , especially with his capped teeth . and rounding out the cast is ted+s friend dom ( chris elliot ) , tanning addict magda ( lin shaye ) , modern troubador / greek chorus ron lichman , and mary+s sweet mom , markie post ( where has she been ? ! ) .
not everything works .
chris
elliot+s role , skin blemishes and all , becomes merely tasteless and boring .
there+s lousy dialogue about eight - minute vs .
seven minute exercise tapes .
and there are long stretches without much going on .
but the wait is worth it .
when those extraordinary sequences hit , the entire theater erupted with howls , tears .
belly - aches , that in some sequences carried over to the following scene .
the farrelly brothers have finally done it .
yes , there are some raunchy bits , but when it is all over , it+s not nearly as bad as it could have been .
while tasteless , it didn+t cross any lines , at least not with me .
while raunchy , it wasn+t nearly as bad as _ porky+s _ or _ boogie nights
_ .
and it is sweet enough to be considered a date flick .
after the funny but sour _ kingpin _ left a negative aftertaste in my palate , comes the funniest sex farce
since _ a fish called wanda
_ .
approach this with an open mind , and you will reap the benefits hugely .
Output: P