There's Something About Mary - R

Farrelly bros' gross-out laughs aren't for kids.

Rating: R for strong comic sexual content and language. Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Directed By: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly Cast: Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller Running Time: 119 minutes Release Date: 07/15/1998 Genre: Comedy

Common Sense Note

Parents should know that this gross-out movie features rampant unscrupulous, shocking, and inappropriate behavior to elicit laughs. It's funny stuff for the right crowd of adult comedy aficionados and a well-made movie for the often-maligned genre. Kids will want to see it because of the star power of Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller and its notorious shock value as a Farrelly brothers film. But consider this while you listen to them beg: the film features lots of jokes about male sexual insecurity, including getting caught masturbating (falsely and then really, when Mary finds ejaculate on Ted's ear and mistakes it for hair gel), injuring their genitals, gay male sex, and rape. It also makes light of sociopathic behavior, as one character stalks Mary and all the other men in her life continually deceive her.

Families can talk about the appeal of this movie and the whole gross-out genre. Do you think these extremely flawed characters are funny? What do you think about angelic and idealized Mary in comparison? Is this film equally funny to men and women? Why or why not? Were there parts of the film you found more offensive than funny? Would you seek out other movies like this or stick to lighter comedy fare?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Heather Boerner

After Dumb and Dumber and before American Pie, there was a pop cultural moment where the funniest thing any woman could do was put semen in her hair. That moment was brought to you by THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, and that's about as sophisticated as this iconic gross-out comedy gets.

Ted (Ben Stiller) is having a Charlie Brown life. His therapist ducks out on his sessions, his friends have everything he wants, and he still can't get over the girl he almost went to prom with (Cameron Diaz). He's having fantasies about her and trying to forget the tragic zipper accident that sent him to the hospital for weeks and forced him to miss out on what he's sure would have been his perfect relationship. So he takes Dom's (Chris Elliot's) advice and hires a private investigator Healy (Matt Dillon) to find her so he can finally have closure and, maybe, a second chance at love. But can Healy find her, and if he can, can he resist her football-and-beer-loving charm?

Sure, the plot may sound like your typical romantic comedy -- but not with the Farrelly brothers at the helm. These are the same guys who brought you Dumb and Dumber, with its toilet humor and political incorrectness. Instead, this is a frat guy's idea of a romantic comedy, full of jokes at the expense of disabled people and women. Sure, the guys who fall for Mary are the ultimate joke; undeveloped man-boy idiots drooling over her charms -- how many leggy blondes are doctors who love beer and football?

If you can't stand this kind of humor, stay clear. And it's certainly not the thing for anyone with dating horror stories -- Chris Elliot's character won't be funny at all. But the film definitely has enough to satisfy adult gross-out humor fans.

For people who like this film, check out the American Pie franchise and Dumb and Dumber. For a fluffier Cameron Diaz movie, try The Holiday.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content A part of the film's over-the-top comedy comes from crude sexuality behavior including: a shot of an old woman's saggy boobs, constant insinuation that Ted is gay and extensive talk about masturbation. Ted gets his genitals caught in a zipper and is rushed to the hospital. Dom's wife gives him oral sex as he watches TV. Ted is caught in a gay sex raid. Ted masturbates and famously gets his cum stuck on his ear, which Mary puts in her hair. Healy and Norman go to a strip club. Healy has nudie calendars on his wall.
Violence Lots of comic violence, including Warren beating up Ted. Ted gets his penis stuck in his zipper, Healy drugs Magda's dog and then sets it on fire (luckily the dog very much looks like a stuffed replica). Policemen beat Ted's head against a table. Warren catches Ted's lip with a fish hook.
Language Lots of degrading language about women, including "cocktease," "whale," etc. There's also lots of salty language, such as "f--k," "ass," "bitch," "numbnuts," "sh-t," "dick," "bulls--t," "bastard," "prick," and "dips--t."
Message
	Social Behavior Unscrupulous behavior is rampant and played strictly for laughs. Everyone stalks Mary, violating her privacy, spying on her and lying to her. Healy lies to Ted about what Mary looks like and Ted lies to Mary about why he's in Florida. Norman pretends to be a disabled architect to attract Mary, and sends Mary anonymous notes lying about her boyfriends to make her break up with them. Healy stalks her, listens to her phone calls and conversations in her home, and caps his teeth to attract Mary. Woogie lies to Ted about who he is and violates a restraining order. He also tries to steal her shoes.
	Commercialism
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Mary and her friends drink beer. Magda drinks martinis. Healy smokes cigars and feeds Magda's dog tranquilizers. Norman gives Magda and her dog speed.