Why ‘There’s Something About Mary’ is the Must-Watch Streaming Hit of the Year!

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The raunchy romantic comedy “There’s Something About Mary,” featuring stars like Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz, is rapidly gaining popularity on streaming platforms, currently ranking sixth on Hulu. This hilarious production was directed by the Farrelly Brothers (Peter and Bobby), and when it first debuted in July 1998, it became an unprecedented blockbuster hit. The film grossed approximately $370 million worldwide against a modest production budget of $23 million. Interestingly, while critics have given it a positive rating of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, the audience’s response is slightly lower at 61%.

After the hit success of Dumb and Dumber in 1994, as well as Kingpin in 1996 to some extent, the Farrelly Brothers moved on to create There’s Something About Mary. This film featured Ben Stiller portraying Ted, Cameron Diaz playing Mary, and Matt Dillon depicting Healy. Years later, following a disastrous school date with his long-time crush Mary (an incident you must see to understand), Ted is given another chance when his friend Dom (Chris Elliott) suggests he track her down. In an attempt to find her, Ted hires Healy, a private investigator, who discovers that Mary resides in Miami with her disabled brother and practices as an orthopedic surgeon.

The movie is filled with genuine, laugh-out-loud scenes and quickly became a timeless classic. Its popularity at the box office was quite surprising, as positive word-of-mouth had people rushing to the theater to discover its charm. To this day, There’s Something About Mary remains entertaining, making it an excellent choice for a Valentine’s Day movie night. Pairing it with another romantic comedy from the 1990s or 2000s, such as 50 First Dates, would create a strong double-feature.

‘There’s Something About Mary’ Was a Breakout Film for the Cast and Filmmakers

Prior to the release of “There’s Something About Mary”, both Stiller and Diaz had established careers in acting. Stiller gained recognition for his roles in “Reality Bites” which he also directed, and “Flirting With Disaster”. The latter was a successful film. On the other hand, Diaz worked alongside Jim Carrey in “The Mask” in 1994 (a notable year for Carrey), followed by co-starring in independent and art house dramas such as “Feeling Minnesota” and “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”.

After the hit romantic comedy, Stiller went on to appear in or oversee a number of box office sensations such as Meet the Parents (2000), Zoolander (2001), Night at the Museum (2006), Tropic Thunder (2008), and the Madagascar series, where he provided the voiceover. Furthermore, he made impactful cameos in films like Happy Gilmore (1996), Anchorman (2004), Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004), among others.

In the following years, Diaz shared the screen with many successful films such as “Being John Malkovich” (1999), “Charlie’s Angels” (2000) and its sequel, the “Shrek” series where she provided her voice, “Vanilla Sky” (2001), “Bad Teacher” (2011), and several more. Diaz declared her retirement after portraying Annie in a big-screen adaptation in 2014. However, she has made a comeback to acting with Jamie Foxx in the Netflix release of “Back in Action”. Additionally, she will reprise her role as Princess Fiona in “Shrek 5”, set for release at the end of 2026.

After the success of “There’s Something About Mary,” the Farrelly Brothers continued their streak with films like “Me, Myself, and Irene” (2000) starring Jim Carrey and Renée Zellweger, and “Shallow Hal” (2001), featuring Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow. Two of their more notable hits were these. They later revisited the movie that kick-started their careers with “Dumb and Dumber To” in 2014. However, their latest film, “Dear Santa” (2024) starring Jack Black, didn’t fare well. Nevertheless, their early works deserve recognition and appreciation.

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2025-02-13 23:02