Dumb and Dumber
Dumb and Dumber (1994)
Writers: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly, Bennett Yellin
Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly, Mike Starr, Karen Duffy, Charles Rocket, Victoria Rowell, Hank Brandt, Teri Garr
Synopsis:
Lloyd Christmas (Carrey), a limo driver who's dumber than a sack full of bricks, takes his equally clueless roommate Harry Dunn (Daniels) on a cross-country trip from Providence to Aspen to return a briefcase left at the airport by his passenger Mary Swanson (Holly). Unbeknownst to the two idiots, the briefcase was left behind on purpose because it contained a sizable ransom payment for Mary's husband, who is currently kidnapped. Along their journey, Lloyd and Harry encounter all manner of obstacles, including angry truck drivers, hostile police officers, spicy peppers, diarrhea and, of course, the pair of hitmen sent to retrieve the briefcase. Hilarity ensues.
First Impressions:
I saw this in theaters when I was 18 years old, and I loved it. I don't recall seeing any trailers or TV spots for the film, and I was aware of it only through word of mouth. At the time, the humor really appealed to me (mostly because it was incredibly crass), and the set pieces were so ridiculous that the film became an instant classic in my mind. I frequently return to this film when I'm in the mood for a laugh, but it's been a while since I last saw it. So, without further delay, let's dive right in.
Story/Direction:
"We got no food, we got no jobs...OUR PETS' HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!"
In essence, Dumb and Dumber is just a road trip movie, and the main difference between it and other movies in the genre is that it's completely ridiculous. The situations that Harry and Lloyd get themselves into during their journey to Aspen are so bizarre that I often wonder what the filmmakers were on when they came up with it. The film's brilliance is that everything that happens to the pair isn't due to freak happenstance or bad luck but rather is entirely due to their own idiocy. Everything from nearly being assaulted by an angry truck driver to tricking a police officer into drinking urine to the classic scene involving explosive diarrhea on a non-functioning toilet is due to Harry and Lloyd's unending cluelessness. Even though Harry and Lloyd are both irritating as hell, they're both extraordinarily likable, making it a joy to follow them on their trip to the Rockies.
Now, as I've stated on multiple occasions, comedy is tricky to review because what was funny 28 years ago is not necessarily amusing now and what was an acceptable joke may now be considered offensive. So how does Dumb and Dumber hold up in this regard? Well, there weren't a lot of topical jokes that dated the film, but there were a few jokes that definitely wouldn't land right on some modern ears. Also, the entire plot is more than a little creepy (but that's kind of the point). That being said, I still laughed a ton while watching the film for this review. I even laughed at lines and situations I knew were coming just because it's still so damn funny decades after the fact. My favorite bits are the glimpses into Lloyd's imagination as he dreams of his life with Mary. It's pretty much straight out of the mind of a 13-year-old boy that really has no real clue about women.
There are other fantastic bits, such as when Harry gets his tongue stuck to an icy metal pole and the montage sequence involving him and Lloyd getting ready for a pricey charity gala. There really isn't any area of the film that I dislike and, in my mind, it's one of the best comedies of all time. However, like I said, the film is nearly 30 years old, so you may want to approach it with caution if you're sensitive about off-color jokes about manly love in a gas station bathroom stall.
Acting/Characters:
There's some pretty solid comedic acting across this film's cast. However, it really begins and ends with the two leads, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. To me, Dumb and Dumber is the quintessential Jim Carrey performance. It was, after all, the movie that really catapulted him to stardom. He plays Lloyd basically like an obnoxious preteen boy. He says whatever comes to mind and has a warped view of how the world works. On the face of it, that sounds like a character that would grate on the audience's nerves, but Carrey's immutable charm makes it so you can't help but love the character.
Then there's Jeff Daniels. This film was a definite departure for Daniels, who was known primarily as a dramatic actor at the time. But, boy, was it a good decision on the part of everybody involved that he took the role. If the production had cast another comedian like Carrey, I don't think the movie would have worked as well as it did. Like Carrey, Daniels plays Harry very childlike, and, like Carrey, the character's annoying traits were mitigated by the actor's considerable charm. Not to mention, the chemistry he and Carrey had really sold the relationship between the two characters.
The rest of the cast is solid, including Mike Starr and Karen Duffy as a pair of hitmen who mistake Harry and Lloyd as people in "the business" rather than just a couple of boobs. Lauren Holly does well as Mary Swanson, the object of Lloyd's affections, even though most of her job is to look confused or appalled. However, my favorite performance may have been from NHL great Cam Neely as the angry trucker Sea Bass, who runs afoul of Harry and Lloyd's antics.
Score/Soundtrack:
Tom Rundgren composed the music for the film, which I felt was suitably upbeat and goofy, though it did take a backseat to the soundtrack, which I was less impressed with. If there was one area where the film dated itself, it was the soundtrack. It's full of a lot of 90s-era music that I don't like, so it didn't resonate with me. However, it wasn't enough for me to dislike the film or anything.
Final Verdict:
I still love this film and still think it's hilarious. I think it probably ranks as my favorite non-Python comedy of all time. Fans of Jim Carrey or funny movies should definitely check it out, although you may want to think twice if juvenile humor isn't your thing.
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