THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY (1998) (***1/2)

Every raunchy comedy following 1998 owes something to THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY. The Farrelly Brothers' comedy brought blue humor to the mainstream. They set the stage with DUMB & DUMBER and KINGPIN, but this was the major hit that showed Hollywood that people would pay money for potty humor. For better or for worse, it changed big screen comedies for the decade since its release. But its lasting appeal isn't the jokes, but the sweetness underneath.

Ted (Ben Stiller, TROPIC THUNDER) is a sweet nerdy guy who only wishes he could go out with the prettiest girl in school, Mary (Cameron Diaz, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH). But when Ted comes to the rescue of Mary's mentally handicapped brother Warren (W. Earl Brown, TV's DEADWOOD), she takes a liking to the awkward boy and asks him to prom. Well, things don't go the way they were planned and Ted ends up in an ambulance instead of the dance floor.

Years later, Ted is still dreaming of Mary, who has moved to Miami. So his friend Dom (Chris Elliott, TV's GET A LIFE) provides him the name of a private eye named Healy (Matt Dillon, CRASH). When Healy goes to investigate Mary, he falls for her and reports back the worst-case scenario to Ted to scare him off. Knowing all the things that she wants, Healy worms his way into her life, which makes her friend Tucker (Lee Evans, MOUSEHUNT) very suspicious. Meanwhile, Ted doesn't care what Healy has told him and heads to Miami to meet her anyways.

The Farrellys set up Mary as a typical man's "perfect" girl. She's beautiful, successful, loves sports and isn't dying to get married. No wonder every guy that meets her falls in love with her. Or do they? The film weaves in interesting ideas about how man will say and do anything to get the girl that makes them feel good about themselves. Most men see Mary as the fantasy, but Ted is different. But with so much competition, how can he succeed?

Surprisingly, Ted and Mary don't even meet each other again until much later in the film. The story sets Ted up as the nice guy alternative early on and we're rooting for him and Mary when the scheming Healy makes his play. There are many plot diversions to keep Ted away, but while they have nothing to do with the main plot, the Farrellys know the key to random asides — make them really funny. Ted's run in with the serial killer is very funny indeed. The ending is a textbook example of how well plotted comedy can deliver twists and turns that are hilarious.

Stiller established himself as a comedy actor who wasn't afraid to make a fool of himself. The classic hair gel gag also shows that Diaz is a great sport as well. The cast is exceptional over all, especially Dillion who makes Healy just the right dose of over-the-top to make him credible and funny. Even provocative comedian de jour Sarah Silverman pops up as one of Mary's friends. And lets not forget the humorous tunes of the film's roaming troubadour Jonathan Richman.

While the raunchy, but sweet, comedy has been refined by producer/director Judd Apatow since this film, the Farrellys laid the grown work. Many sex comedies before this one where crude, cynical, sexist and simply about the act. This one has the female character not only in the title, but also in the heart of the story. It's that something more that makes it special.