The Secret Joke in Dumb and Dumber You Probably Never Noticed
Dumb and Dumber is a classic comedy film that tells the story of two best friends, Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) and Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey). They both embark on a road trip to Aspen, Colorado, to return a mistakenly abandoned briefcase full of money, which was actually left as a ransom.
The movie is full of hilarious moments and one-liners. Yet one hidden joke often goes unnoticed by many viewers.
The joke lies in the name of Mary Swanson (Lauren Holly), Jim Carrey 's character's love interest in the movie.
Specifically, it concerns what would have happened had she married Lloyd Christmas and taken his last name. If Mary had married Lloyd, her name would have become Mary Christmas. Which clearly is an intentional play on the popular phrase "Merry Christmas".
The joke is subtle and not explicitly mentioned in the movie. Still, it's a clever wordplay that adds another layer of humor to the film. The fact that the name "Mary Christmas" sounds like a festive greeting is fitting, given the happy and cheerful nature of the film. The joke is not only humorous, but it also shows the attention to detail that went into the making of the movie. It's a subtle nod to the audience that shows the writers' cleverness and wit.
Of course, in addition to the hidden joke, Dumb and Dumber is full of other comedic moments that have become iconic over the years. From the characters' silly antics to their ridiculous outfits, the movie never takes itself too seriously and provides constant laughs throughout.
Ironically, although Carrey's character was rejected by Holly's character at the end of the film, the pair actually got married sometime after this film in 1996. Unfortunately, the marriage only lasted a year. Holly also did not reprise her role in the film's 2014 sequel Dumb and Dumber To. However, her character is briefly mentioned at the beginning by Harry. Lloyd had supposedly spent 20 years pretending to be handicapped after being traumatized due to not getting married to Mary. Yet it turns out it was all to pull a prank on Harry the whole time.
Overall, the hidden joke in Dumb and Dumber about Mary Swanson's potential name change is an excellent example of the film's clever humor. It's a joke that may not be immediately apparent, but once discovered, it adds another layer of amusement to the already hilarious film.