There's Something About Mary is one of those movies that you laugh at and kind of feel embarrassed doing so. So many of the comedic situtations in the film involve some sort of rude or unappropriate subjects - unappropriate for most films, that is. This is the creation from the Farrelly Bros. who brought us the hilarious, although distasteful, Dumb & Dumber, and Kingping. Mary, in similar tradition, is a story about love gone wrong, with the odd side track for comedy's sake.
Mary, for a comedy, is rather difficult to explain without ruining the movie and the jokes. In typical Farrelly style, there are little laughs throughout with brief appearances by strange characters, but there are five or six big payoff laughs which must be seen to really understand. These scenes show the true gift of comedy that the Brothers have. While many writers and directors would just go for the joke and move along, the Farrelly's continue to push the joke further and further, so when you think you've just had the pay-off, the joke continues, and you're treated to two or three more equally (or larger) laughs (similar to multiple orgasms... okay, not quite).
The basic premise of the film has Ben Stiller as Ted, who for ten years has been lamenting his lost high school love of Mary (her family moved to Florida after a somewhat disasterous prom night). So one day Ted hires a private investigator (outrageously portrayed by Matt Dillon) to track Mary down. Well, while staking her out, the PI also falls in love with Mary, who has similar suiters obsessed with her (there's just something about Mary). It is at times a romantic comedy, a road trip comedy, and a buddy movie, but it's none of these entirely. It's a wholly original and downright hilarious film, one of the best comedies I've seen in a long time. While not for everybody, if you're a fan of really silly (and disgusting) comedy, then this is your type of flick.