DUMB AND DUMBER (1994)

The third release in an incredible 1994 run for Jim Carrey (which included Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask). I don’t want to party like it’s 1999, I want to party like I’m Jim Carrey in 1994. Believe it or not, I had never seen this movie. I don’t know what it all was that kept me away. Perhaps it was a combination of not having a copy of it at home (I don’t think my parents liked it much), none of my friends wanted to show it to me, and honestly, I had some trepidation about how stupid they’d be in the movie. Here’s what’s wild about that apprehension: I love movies about two idiots doing their best, like Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989), Wayne’s World (1992), Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), Pineapple Express (2008), and so on. But I think the same principle that sometimes keeps me from seeing a scary movie for a while (because I’m afraid it’ll be too scary) stopped me here. What if it was too dumb? Much like those other scary movies, it was not as bad as I feared. The movie had heart. 

Harry (Jeff Daniels) and Lloyd (Jim Carrey) were dumb but endearing, like if Tommy Boy (1995) had two Tommys. The story follows buddies Harry and Lloyd as they try to return a briefcase that they thought was mistakenly left behind, not realizing the briefcase is full of ransom money for a kidnapping. What a plot. Could have been a Coen Brothers movie if Steve Buscemi was in it. There were a lot of memorable lines and bits (personal favorites were “We got no food, we got no jobs…our pet’s heads are falling off!” and “Fell off the jetway again”) Jim Carrey might be best known for his physical comedy, but his deliveries are spot-on. It’s insane how load-bearing both Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels’ haircuts are. I love that their normal costuming is neutral and unassuming until they find the money in Aspen and really start dressin’. Despite its longer runtime for a comedy (106 minutes), the movie cruises pretty well. It’s a classic for a reason and the humor still holds up. Way to go.

Food Recommendation: Okay, hear me out. They go to Aspen, where it’s cold and snowy. They want to open up a pet shop called “I’ve Got Worms’. Stay with me here. Salt and Straw Creepy Crawly Critters Ice Cream. It’s got crickets and mealworms in the ice cream. Plus that even works for the joke about Lloyd eating the june bug on the way to the hotel. Nailed it.