Younger audiences who watch the Farrelly Brothers' first television show "UnHitched" might be unaware of their earlier slew of raunchy romantic comedies.
Directed and executive produced by the Farrelly Brothers (Bobby and Peter), UnHitched concerns a group of newly single friends (Craig Bierko, Rashida Jones, Johnny Sneed, Shaun Majumder), the same kind of quirky young singles depicted in many of their films. Although the series is set for late evening after smaller children are asleep, the brothers known for their gross-out comedy, sexual innuendo, famous actor cameos, handicapped actors, and psychologically traumatized characters, will have to tone things down a bit. For the uninitiated, here’s a brief look at some of their movie hits.
The Heartbreak Kid (2007) In this highly anticipated reunion with Ben Stiller that turned out to be a box-office disappointment, a newly married man finds that he wedded a woman (Malin Akerman) with severe emotional problems. Just getting through the honeymoon tests his courage, commitment, and integrity, especially when he meets someone special (Michelle Monaghan) on vacation with her family. Mean-spirited and raunchy, this is one of their grossest gross-out movies.
Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, crude humor, and language.
Stuck on You (2003) Cursed with bad timing (the film’s release coincided with the unsuccessful surgical separation of real adult conjoined twins), this film about brothers joined at the liver was sweeter than most of the Farrelly Brothers films. Here, Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear star as two conjoined brothers who want to retain their emotional closeness, but long for the physical separation that will allow them to live their own lives as a fry cook and actor, respectively.
Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, and language.
Shallow Hal (2001) Jack Black plays nice-guy Hal, who has one major fault: due to a childhood trauma, he regards women superficially. He judges them solely by their appearance until he is hypnotized into seeing only their inner beauty. When he meets the 300-pound Rosemary (Gwyneth Paltrow), he falls in love with the lovely woman hidden within. Funny, touching, and entertaining, this movie, like other Farrelly Brothers films, features physically handicapped and unusual people in supporting roles.
Rated PG-13 for language and sexual content.
Me, Myself & Irene (2000) Jim Carrey stars as a Rhode Island policeman with a severe personality disorder who is forced into escorting Irene, a ditzy young woman (Renee Zellweger), back to upstate New York. Along the way, Irene deals with both of his personalities (one is kind and non-confrontational; the other is exactly the opposite) and must elude a group of corrupt cops and an angry ex-boyfriend. Carrey and Zellweger have great chemistry here that evolved into a short-lived off-screen romance. Despite strong sexual content and constant profanity, a certain sweetness surrounds this romance.
Rated R for sexual content, crude humor, strong language, and violence.
There’s Something About Mary (1998) Here’s the gross-out film that set a new standard for acceptable raunch in a mainstream movie. Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon, and Cameron Diaz star in the story of a man trying to reunite with his high school crush. Stiller plays Ted, the lovable sap who endures physical and emotional abuse at every turn. Diaz portrays Mary, an irresistible woman who attracts every man she meets. Ted hires a private investigator (Dillon) to find his long-lost prom date, but the PI ends up falling in love with her, too. The outrageous humor stands the test of time; it’s just as funny ten years later.
Rated R for strong sexual content and language.
For more information about comedy films, read Good Luck Chuck Movie Review.
