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There's Something About Mary
Movie

There's Something About Mary

1998 • Comedy, Romance

Woke Score
1.4
out of 10

Plot

Ted was a geek in high school, who was going to go to the prom with one of the most popular girls in school, Mary. The prom date never happened, because Ted had a very unusual accident. Thirteen years later he realizes he is still in love with Mary, so he hires a private investigator to track her down. That investigator discovers he too may be in love with Mary, so he gives Ted some false information to keep him away from her. But soon Ted finds himself back into Mary's life, as we watch one funny scene after another.

Overall Series Review

There’s Something About Mary is a quintessential late-90s raunchy comedy that prioritizes physical humor, cringe-inducing situations, and the pursuit of romantic love. The story follows Ted, a well-meaning but awkward man who attempts to reconnect with his high school crush, Mary. Along the way, he encounters a series of deceptive rivals who are also obsessed with her. The film operates on a foundation of individual eccentricity rather than group identity. It captures a moment in cinema where comedy was allowed to be politically incorrect without a broader social agenda. Character motivations are driven by personal desire and human flaws rather than a need to subvert traditional societal norms or lecture the audience on social justice.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics1/10

The film focuses on individual character traits and personal obsessions rather than racial or intersectional hierarchies. Casting is based on the narrative needs of a 1990s American suburb, with no forced diversity or lectures on systemic privilege.

Oikophobia1/10

The narrative treats the American suburban landscape as a standard, unremarkable backdrop. It shows no hostility toward Western culture or history, focusing entirely on the personal lives and mishaps of its protagonists.

Feminism2/10

Mary is portrayed as the ideal woman—compassionate, beautiful, and successful—making her the central object of desire. While the male characters are often deceptive or incompetent, this is used for slapstick comedy rather than a critique of masculinity or traditional gender roles.

LGBTQ+2/10

The story centers on a traditional heterosexual romance. Alternative sexualities are occasionally mentioned for shock-value humor typical of the era, rather than to promote queer theory or deconstruct traditional family structures.

Anti-Theism1/10

Religion is largely absent from the plot, but there is no active hostility toward Christianity or traditional faith. The film relies on secular moral situations and physical comedy rather than mocking religious institutions.