Perfect comedic writing.

I've saw the movie a while back now, and remember that scene. However reading it still had me in stitches. You can see how this screenplay was snapped up without hesitation.

Thank you for the awesome insightful analysis.

I'm going to be limping all day now...

thanks loads!

haha favorite line of the movie "We got a bleeder!"

When it comes to the directing lingo. I must say it's kind of tough, because majority of the scripts I read are 10 years or older. And they are full of "ANGLE ON" and "POV", which I understand perfectly. It's almost is a rewrite in itself creating it more like today's spec standards.

If you're writing for a specific producer do they tend to want directing lingo more?

There's Something About Mary is a movie/screenplay I wish more comedy screenwriters followed closely. Too many simply think "Oh, people loved the shocking, raunchy moments," and then fill up their screenplay with those.

But those moments (penis in zipper, Magda's old breasts, semen on ear) are only funny because they use other comedic techniques as well. The zipper scene escalates and gets more claustrophobic, the breast scene reverses your expectations (you expect to see Diaz's chest), and the semen scene had planted the mystery of where it went, and it's also paid off later with Diaz's hair.

Also, people forget that the movie had great characters, lots of other laughs not stemming from raunchiness, and a good story with lots of heart.

You bring up a great point Peter. I was "trained" on scripts from this era and I'm awfully brainwashed to toss in a whole bunch of "ANGLE ONs" in my projects. It's a bad habit that I've already been called on at the GITS CLUB (shameless plug).