Revisiting ‘There’s Something About Mary’, Cameron Diaz’s greatest film
When Cameron Diaz decided to walk away from acting in 2018, very few were surprised. In truth, her career had flatlined over recent years, with her final projects coming in the form of 2014’s The Other Woman, Sextape and the remake of Annie, all of which offered a bleak view of her floundering relevance.
Diaz officially announced her retirement four years ago, stating that she was “actually retired”, a point she expanded on in 2020 when appearing on the Goop Health Podcast, telling her friend Gwyneth Paltrow that she had “decided to stop making movies and really focus on my personal life, my personal relationships, my family, my friends.”
“I got a peace in my soul, because I finally was taking care of myself,” Diaz said. “It’s a strange thing to say, I know a lot of people won’t understand it, I know you understand it, but it’s so intense to work at that level and be that public and put yourself out there.”
She concluded: “There’s a lot of energy coming at you at all times when you’re really visible as an actor and doing press and putting yourself out there.”
It was an interesting decision as, on reflection, people had gotten used to the absence of Cameron Diaz, with many presuming she’d quit the industry anyway. That said, her career trajectory is a fascinating one, transitioning from being the it-girl of the 1990s, an everpresent in the decade and noughties cinema, to becoming an almost forgotten figure.
Starring in classics such as The Mask and Being John Malkovich, for a long time, Cameron Diaz was one of the best-loved figures in Hollywood, with a varied filmography that features not only the aforementioned titles but also the likes of Charlie’s Angels, Vanilla Sky, Shrek, and The Holiday, with the latter of which being a point of contention since it was released in 2006.
Although Diaz’s list of film credits remains intriguing, there is one title that stands out as her very best, despite the dramatic verve she might have displayed in Being John Malkovich and Vanilla Sky.
This is 1998’s There’s Something About Mary, a legendary Farrelly brothers comedy that really played on Diaz’s then-position as the queen of cool. The film might be slightly dated in terms of its absurd humour – as the zipper, hair and binocular scenes reflect – but as a whole, this does not detract from the fact that it is a hilarious farce complete with some brilliant characters.
Ben Stiller’s hapless Ted, Matt Dillon’s sleazy Healy and Lee Evans’ Tucker are all some of the most memorable from ’90s comedy, and the interactions between all three as they all vie for Mary’s attention are fascinating. The many twists and turns that the film throws up – not to mention those involving Chris Elliot’s Woogie – found its place in contemporary cinema. There’s also the surprise cameo from NFL legend Brett Favre, a random but nonetheless wonderful inclusion.
Despite the film being brimming with memorable performances and characters, it is Diaz who really steals the show. Her performance as the slightly dim but affable Mary is excellent, and in the more outlandish scenes, her straight face is nothing but impressive as anyone else would crack under the weight of such humour. On the other side of things, the ending, in which she chooses Ted over Brett Favre, is a piece of dramatic skill, as she provides a more serious foil to Ben Stiller’s snivelling husk of a man.
It’s about time There’s Something About Mary gets the respect it deserves. This is peak Cameron Diaz, and it’s hard for her to top.
