‘Dumb and Dumber’ Premiered 25 Dumb Years Ago Today
Just when I think the internet couldn't possibly be any dumber, it goes and does something like this... and totally redeem itself!
Yes today, of all days, is December 6, 2019. On this day, 25 years ago, Dumb and Dumber had its world premiere. Why any of us are working on what should be a holy day of remembrance and solemnity I do not know. Nonetheless, we shall acknowledge and honor this important anniversary in the best way we know how: With dumbness.
How else would we commemorate the creation of cinema’s two great heroes of stupidity, Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) and Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey). 25 years ago, their exploits helped launch the careers of their writers and directors, the Farrelly brothers. Harry and Lloyd eventually got a spinoff animated series, a prequel that may actually be the worst film ever made, and a sequel that’s deeply, deeply underrated.
Even if Dumb and Dumber hadn’t had such an enormously important cultural legacy, it would still be worth remembering today because it is a very funny film. Consider this remarkable party sequence, where Daniels accidentally woos a woman (Lauren Holly) with his discussion of eccentric dog breeding techniques:
Or, of course, this scene, which shows the Farrellys’ flair for subtle and nuanced observational humor:
I just looked it up; Tom Hanks won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1994 for his work in Forrest Gump. Are you seriously going to tell me Hanks as Forrest Gump was better than Jeff Daniels’ performance of having explosive diarrhea in Dumb and Dumber? That is a load of crap! Even worse, Daniels wasn’t even nominated! What an egregious oversight.
With the benefit of hindsight, we can see which one of these films stood the test of time. In honor of the film’s 25th anniversary, let’s celebrate with a song!
Gallery — The Best Comedy Movie Posters Ever: