Honestly, comedy has changed so much since the late nineties that watching a Farrelly brothers movie now feels like a fever dream. But when you look back at There’s Something About Mary, you realize it wasn't just a fluke success. It was a cultural earthquake. Released in 1998, this movie defied every rule of the "sweet" romantic comedy. It was loud. It was gross. It was, at times, incredibly mean-spirited. Yet, it somehow maintained a massive heart, mostly thanks to Cameron Diaz’s infectious performance and Ben Stiller’s ability to be the world's most lovable punching bag.
It’s rare.
Usually, "gross-out" humor ages like milk left in a hot car. You watch it ten years later and wonder what everyone was thinking. But there is a specific DNA in There’s Something About Mary that keeps it relevant. It captures that universal, agonizing feeling of being a "loser" in love. We’ve all been Ted Stroehmann at some point—maybe not to the extent of catching ourselves in a zipper, but we've all felt that desperation.
The Hair Gel Incident and the Power of Shock
If you mention this movie to anyone over the age of thirty, they immediately think of the "hair gel." You know the one. It’s the scene that defines the film's legacy. At the time, Bobby and Peter Farrelly were pushing the boundaries of what a mainstream audience would tolerate. They took a risk that could have easily ended their careers if the joke had landed with a thud instead of a roar of laughter.
What’s fascinating is that the joke works because of Mary’s total innocence. Cameron Diaz plays the character with such genuine, un-ironic kindness that the audience feels a mix of horror and hilarity. If she had been "in on it," the scene would have lost its edge. It’s the juxtaposition of Ted’s internal panic and Mary’s oblivious styling of her hair that creates that perfect comedic tension.
Critics like Roger Ebert noted at the time that the film succeeded because it was "unabashedly, even proudly, low-brow." But being low-brow takes a lot of intelligence. You have to understand the rhythm of a joke. You have to know exactly how long to hold a shot of a dog that’s been accidentally revived with jumper cables. The Farrellys were masters of the "cringe" long before The Office made it a staple of television.
Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon, and the Art of the Creep
We need to talk about Pat Healy. Matt Dillon’s performance is a masterclass in being a "lovable" dirtbag. In the world of There’s Something About Mary, almost every man Mary encounters is some level of obsessed or deceptive. Pat Healy takes it to the extreme by literally wiretapping her house and faking an entire personality just to get her to like him.
It’s a dark premise.
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When you strip away the jokes, the movie is basically about a woman being stalked by five different guys. There’s Ted, Pat, Tucker (played by Lee Evans), and even her neighbor’s boyfriend. But the movie survives this because it frames the obsession as a reflection of Mary’s "something"—that intangible quality that makes people lose their minds.
- Ted (Ben Stiller): The "nice guy" who is actually kind of a mess.
- Pat (Matt Dillon): The hired gun who falls for the target.
- Tucker/Norm: The guy who fakes a disability just to get close to her.
The movie is a satire of male entitlement. Every guy thinks he’s the hero of his own rom-com, but in reality, they’re all behaving like lunatics. Ted is the only one who eventually realizes that Mary deserves better than a guy who lies to her. That moment of self-awareness in the final act is why the movie actually has a soul.
Why the Puffy the Dog Scene Still Works
There’s a specific kind of slapstick that died out in the early 2000s, and There’s Something About Mary was its peak. The scene involving Puffy, the Border Terrier, is legendary. It’s violent, it’s absurd, and it’s completely unnecessary to the plot—which is exactly why it’s great.
Physical comedy is hard. It requires timing that can't be faked in the edit. When Ben Stiller is fighting that dog, he’s committing 100%. He isn't wink-winking at the camera. He’s playing it like a life-or-death struggle. This level of commitment is what separates a classic comedy from a generic "funny" movie.
Interestingly, the American Humane Association wasn't exactly thrilled with the scene, but the production used animatronics and clever editing to ensure no actual dogs were harmed. It’s a testament to the special effects team that the "fake" dog looked just real enough to be funny, but fake enough that we didn't feel like we were watching actual animal cruelty.
The "Mary" Effect: Cameron Diaz as a Superstar
Before this film, Cameron Diaz was a rising star from The Mask. After There’s Something About Mary, she was the biggest actress on the planet. There is an effortless quality to her performance here. She has to be the girl-next-door while also being a goddess, and she pulls it off without ever feeling like a caricature.
A lot of actresses turned down the role because they thought the script was too vulgar. They weren't wrong. It is vulgar. But Diaz saw the sweetness in Mary Jensen. She understood that for the movie to work, Mary had to be the moral center. She is the only character who isn't lying or manipulating someone else. She’s just living her life, being kind to people, and looking for a genuine connection.
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Breaking Down the Soundtrack and the Greek Chorus
One of the weirdest and best decisions the Farrelly brothers made was including Jonathan Richman and Tommy Larkins as the wandering troubadours. Having a literal Greek chorus pop up in random trees or on street corners to sing about the plot is genius. It breaks the fourth wall in a way that feels organic to the movie's chaotic energy.
The song "There’s Something About Mary" is actually a pretty great pop tune. It sets the tone perfectly: a little bit nostalgic, a little bit goofy. It reminds the audience that even though we’re watching a guy get his private parts stuck in a zipper, we’re still in a fairy tale. Just a very, very messy one.
The Lasting Influence on Modern Comedy
You can see the fingerprints of this movie on everything that came after it. American Pie, The Hangover, Bridesmaids—they all owe a debt to the Farrellys. They proved that you could have a "Rated R" comedy that still appealed to a massive, diverse audience.
But there’s a nuance in There’s Something About Mary that many of its imitators missed. It never forgets to make you care about the characters. If we didn't want Ted to win, the movie would just be a series of gross jokes. Because we actually want him to find happiness, the "gross" stuff feels like hurdles he has to overcome rather than just shock value for the sake of shock.
Fact-Checking the Production
A lot of people think the zipper scene was improvised. It wasn't. It was actually based on a real-life event that happened to the Farrelly brothers' parents. They had a friend who... well, let's just say he had a very bad night at a prom. That’s the secret to the movie's success: much of the "insane" stuff is rooted in real-life awkwardness that the writers just dialed up to eleven.
Also, the "Frank and Beans" line? Pure accidental brilliance in the delivery. Ben Stiller’s father, the legendary Jerry Stiller, and his mother Anne Meara were comedic royalty, and you can see that DNA in Ben’s ability to handle high-stress comedic situations with a straight face.
How to Revisit the Film Today
If you're going to rewatch There’s Something About Mary in 2026, you have to look at it through the lens of its era. Some of the jokes regarding disability or mental health are definitely "of their time" and might feel jarring today. However, the film's core message—that honesty is the only way to find real love—still rings true.
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To get the most out of a rewatch:
- Watch the theatrical cut first. The extended versions often add scenes that mess with the comedic pacing.
- Pay attention to the background actors. The Farrellys loved casting their friends and local "characters" from Rhode Island and Florida, which gives the movie a lived-in, quirky vibe.
- Look for the cameos. There are sports stars and musicians hidden throughout the film that you might have missed the first time.
The movie ends with a giant sing-along of "Build Me Up Buttercup," which is perhaps the most "feel-good" ending to a movie that includes a scene of a guy getting hit in the head with a baseball. It shouldn't work. But it does. That’s the magic of this specific moment in cinema history.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Lovers
If you're a fan of comedy or a budding screenwriter, there are real lessons to be learned from how this film was constructed.
First, don't be afraid of the "uncomfortable." The biggest laughs in the movie come from moments that make the audience want to look away. Second, character is king. Even in a farce, the audience needs someone to root for. Ted Stroehmann is a flawed protagonist, but his intentions are (mostly) pure, which keeps us on his side.
Finally, embrace the absurd. Whether it's a hitchhiker with a "7-Minute Abs" plan or a dog in a full-body cast, the movie leans into its own weirdness. It doesn't try to be "cool." It just tries to be funny. In a world of overly polished, corporate-tested comedies, that's something worth celebrating.
Go back and watch the prom scene one more time. It’s a perfect three-act play condensed into five minutes. The buildup, the climax (literally), and the tragic aftermath. It’s filmmaking at its most visceral. Just maybe don't watch it while you're eating.
To truly appreciate the legacy of the film, look into the Farrelly brothers' other work like Dumb and Dumber or Kingpin. You'll see a pattern of "sweet subversion" that they perfected with Mary. They managed to take the lowest forms of humor and turn them into a billion-dollar box office legacy. That is a feat very few filmmakers have ever repeated.