Synopsis

Thirteen years after a disastrous prom night, Ted hires a private investigator to locate Mary, his high-school crush. The investigator falls for her and begins sabotaging Ted's chances, while a parade of hopeful suitors competes for Mary's attention. As old feelings, lies, and outrageous misunderstandings collide, Ted must decide whether persistence is romantic or simply ridiculous.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was released by 20th Century Fox on July 15, 1998. Made for an estimated $23 million, it earned nearly $370 million worldwide.

• The American Film Institute ranked it No. 27 on its 2000 list of the funniest American films, titled AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs.

• Production took place between December 2, 1997, and February 19, 1998. Locations included Baltimore, Providence, and several parts of South Florida, with much of the story's Miami setting filmed on location.

• The famous hair-gel gag was built from a basic comic idea developed during production. The scene became one of the film's defining images and helped establish its deliberately outrageous tone.

• The studio initially resisted casting Ben Stiller, who was the Farrelly brothers' first choice. Owen Wilson was considered as an alternative before the filmmakers eventually received approval to use Stiller.

• Dialogue about the lack of meat on sticks originated in a script for an unaired episode of Seinfeld. The Farrelly brothers acquired the material and adapted it for the film.