THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY - DVD review

As I've said before, comedy is a funny thing. What is uproarious to one person may bore or even insult another. Guaranteed, the Farrelly brothers' "There's Something About Mary" offers something to offend nearly everyone. For the most part it's sophomoric; it's politically incorrect; it's exaggerated and overdone; and it's trivial. Yet taken in the right spirit it's as hilarious as anything ever filmed. It's been called outrageous, and, indeed, it probably is. I remember reading a letter to the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle from an outraged couple who walked out of a theater halfway through the film; the newspaper's reviewer had recommended it and they were mightily ticked off, swearing they would never trust the paper again.

If you are one of the few people in the civilized world who hasn't seen or heard about this film, you have been forewarned. Since for me the movie gets funnier the more times I see it, DVD is the perfect medium for owning it.

The picture stars Ben Stiller as Ted, a man infatuated from high school with the girl of his dreams, Mary. And who wouldn't be smitten by Cameron Diaz as Mary. Her character is gorgeous, perky, vivacious, charming, unaffected, and smart. But pity poor Ted. Their first date is a disaster, culminating in a wholly distasteful and totally riotous scene that involves his zipper and Mary's bathroom, a scene that will either have you doubled over and falling out of your chair or reaching for the eject button on your disc player. This was the first of a dozen times in the film I almost hit the floor.

So Ted becomes obsessed with Mary. For the next thirteen years he remains single, pining for her every minute. But she has long since packed up and moved away. He finally decides to do something about his situation by hiring a sleazy private eye named Patrick Healy to track her down. Healy is played to delicious effect by Matt Dillon as a scruffy lowlife who will do anything for a buck. Dillon is perfect in tacky clothes and seedy mustache; never underestimate this actor. When Healy finds Mary in Florida, she has become an orthopedic surgeon, she's still single, and she's more beautiful than ever. Naturally, he falls for her, too.

The rest of the movie is a battle over who is going win Mary's hand. Chris Elliott plays Dom, Ted's best friend, who helps Ted in his quest. Lee Evans plays Tucker, one of Mary's patients, a snobby architect with a broken back. W. Earl Brown plays Warren, Mary's mentally retarded brother. (Nothing is off limits in this film.) Lin Shaye plays Magda, Mary's next-door neighbor, a woman who has been in the sun so long she looks like a well-worn wallet. And finally there's the dog, who gets perhaps the funniest scenes in the movie. W.C. Fields had good reason to hate small dogs and children; they'll upstage you every time. Oh, yes, and you recall Nat "King" Cole and Stubby Kaye as the two balladeers who kept turning up every few minutes in "Cat Ballou"? A couple of similar strolling minstrels keep showing up here, too, complementing the screwball atmosphere of the show.

The story is episodic, to be sure, skipping from one gag scene to another, and there's even less characterization to worry about. But the gags are hilarious and the characters charming, and those are the important things.

Video:
Fox present their film in an approximately 1.72:1 widescreen ratio and in colors that range from soft but good to near perfect. Early on, the picture quality seems a little faded, the hues slightly bleeding into one another. As the film progresses, however, the focus noticeably firms up and colors brighten, although small jittery lines are found now and again. Overall, it's nothing to worry about.

Audio:
The sound options include both Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround. Choose the former, if you have the capability, as it provides clean, clear signals to all five channels. Not that all the channels are used that much, but when they are--say, for ambient car noises and background music--their influence can be felt.

Extras:
Now, for more good news. This is one of Fox's better editions, in that it contains something more than just the movie, subtitles, scene selections, and a trailer. The most important bonus item is a running commentary by directors and cowriters Peter and Bobby Farrelly, who, as I discovered while reviewing "Kingpin," are two very amusing fellows in their own right. Be sure to run through the show again listening to their notes. Also on the disc are a music video of the film's closing song, "Build Me Up, Buttercup"; plus a karaoke version of the same tune featuring a sing-along with words. Finally, the disc contains some very brief pieces of cast and crew information and a collection of outtakes that are not quite as shocking as the keep-case cover would lead you to believe. Nevertheless, fun stuff.

Parting Thoughts:
I doubt that anyone who sees this film will ever again think of hair gel in quite the same way. Nor will you be able to keep back tears of laughter after the third or fourth time you've watched it. Just try to keep an open mind and not be too offended by jokes involving mental and physical disability, race relations, homosexuality, serial killing, sex, masturbation, profanity, and incinerated canines. The Farrelly brothers' track record has been spotty: "Dumb and Dumber" and "Kingpin" had their ups and downs. "There's Something About Mary" is mostly ups. Everyone loves Mary.