Is there a perfect movie? In my sermon last Sunday, I suggested that the perfect movie is A Few Good Men. I’ve said that the perfect comedy is Election, as I’ve written in this space. However, Dumb and Dumber occupies a special place in my heart. I know that it’s got a little bit of a rep for being, er…dumb, but Jim Carrey (with the stunning exception of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) has never been better. This film boasts some of the classic-est lines in the history of the world:
“What’s the soup du jour?”
“It’s the soup of the day.”
“Mmm. That sounds good. I’ll have that.”
___________
“Tell her I’ve got a rapist wit.”
___________
“What are the chances of a guy like you and a girl like me ending up together?”
“Not good.”
“Not good…like…one out of a hundred?”
“More like one out of a million.”
“So..you’re telling me there’s a chance! YEAH!”
And maybe best of all:
” Hey guys. Woah, Big Gulps, huh? All right! Well, see ya later.”
Dumb and Dumber is a classic tale of the search for true love through a haze of skull-crushing stupidity. It’s very human, with Jim Carrey’s Lloyd telling his friend Harry, “You know what I’m sick and tired of, Harry? I’m sick and tired of having to eke my way through life. I’m sick and tired of being a nobody…But most of all, I’m sick and tired of having nobody.” Who cannot feel this?
If you haven’t seen Dumb and Dumber, give it a chance. If you’ve seen it and hated it, give it another chance. If you’ve seen it and hated it twice, give up on it. If you’ve seen it and loved it, call me, and we’ll watch it together, laughing until we cry.
“Man, you are one pathetic loser! No offense.”
Great Movie No One Has Ever Seen: Wag the Dog, 1997 (Barry Levinson)
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12 responses to “Mockingbird at the Movies: Dumb and Dumber”
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First, ‘Wag the Dog’ is excellent…good call. Secondly, I was always partial to the infamous bathroom scene from Dumb and Dumber, however, I think it is one step behind Zoolander as a ‘total package’…just my humble opinion. (Hmmmm, just realised how un-humble that phrase sounds). Anyway, we’ve missed your posts Nick!
“The bathroom scene” is the easiest acting job ever. Anyone can do that, and it’s basically Jeff Daniels’ only contribution to this film. Never has a comedy been so carried by one actor as this is carried by Carrey.
I think Jeff Daniels’ best moment is the snowball scene. His throwing the snowball in her face reminds me of the mindless violence between Austin Powers and Mini Me. Its a combination of horror and laughter- like (The Office BBC)
I love WAG THE DOG. It’s one of my favorite movies. Great work by Dustin Hoffman and Robert Deniro and Anne Heche. And an amazing script by David Mamet.
It’s all good, but the closing scene with Deniro and Hoffman is incredibly touching and sad.
“We got no FOOD! We got no JOBS! Our pets’ HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!!!”
Colton, forgot about that one, hilarious!
Nick,
You are a man after my own heart. Dumb and Dumber is simply the best. Let us not forget the amazing day dream scene in which Jim Carrey rips a man’s heart out of his chest and puts it in a doggy bag.
Other amazing moments:
Lloyd – “What’s with the bags? Flying somewhere?”
Mary – “How’d you guess?”
Lloyd – “Well, I saw the tickets, and I put two and two together.”
Lloyd – “Where you headed?”
Mary – “Aspen.”
Lloyd – “Mmm, California…beautiful.”
And:
Lloyd – “I wanna go to a place where the beer flows like wine and the women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I’m talking about a little place called, Aspen.”
Harry – “I don’t know Lloyd. The French are assholes.”
And:
Lloyd – “I’m gonna stay here by the bar and put out the vibe.”
And:
Random woman at bar – “Do you wanna know what he said then?”
Lloyd – “No, and I don’t care!”
Finally:
Lloyd – “No way…that’s great! WE LANDED ON THE MOON!”
There was also that great part of the daydream scene where Jim Carrey, wearing that turtleneck sweater, lights the fart on fire for everyone’s amusement!
And the great line, “Mary, I desperately want to make love to a schoolboy … I guess what I’m trying to say is that I like you, Mary. I like you a lot” (in that deep voice).
Ah, that movie is wonderful!
Lloyd: Some kid back in town, traded the van for it, straight up. I get 70 miles to the gallon on this hog.
Harry: You know Lloyd, just when I think you can’t possibly be any dumber, you go off and do something like this… and TOTALLY REDEEM YOURSELF!!!
And how can we forget: “Samsonite! I was way off!”
Colton! Awesome.
You reminded me of the very end:
Lloyd: Who are you?
Jonathan: I’m the rightful owner of that briefcase.
Lloyd: Well, Mr. Samsonite, you’ll be happy to know that every penny is accounted for.
Jonathan opens the briefcase: What the hell is this? Where’s all the money?
Lloyd: That’s as good as money sir…those are I.O.U.s. See (holding up napkin with scribbles on it) that’s a car…275 thou…you might want to hold onto that one.
Nick & Co. – What redemption! I've always been a closet D&D fan but was afraid to come out. I literally rolled in the isle in the theatre during the turbo lax scene. I'm glad my secretary has the copier on – I'm laughing again! Thanks – joseph
“That’s what I like about you, Harry…you’re a regular guy…”