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Bobby Farrelly

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Bobby Farrelly
Farrelly at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
Born
Robert Leo Farrelly Jr.

(1958-06-17) June 17, 1958 (age 66)
Cumberland, Rhode Island, U.S.
Alma materRensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Occupation(s)Film director, producer
Known forThere's Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber
RelativesPeter Farrelly (brother)

Robert Farrelly (born June 17, 1958) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is one of the Farrelly brothers, alongside his brother Peter, who together are known for directing and producing successful box-office comedy films, including Dumb and Dumber (1994), There's Something About Mary (1998), Me, Myself and Irene (2000), Shallow Hal (2001), and the 2007 remake of The Heartbreak Kid.[1][2] He made his solo directorial debut in 2023 with Champions.[3]

Early Life

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Farrelly was raised in Cumberland, Rhode Island, to Mariann, a nurse practitioner, and Dr. Robert Leo Farrelly.[4] His grandparents were Irish immigrants, and he also has Polish ancestry.[5][6] Farrelly is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he entered the school on a hockey scholarship.[7][8]

Career

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Bobby and his brother Peter Farrelly are known collectively as the Farrelly brothers. Together they have written, directed and produced several comedy films including Dumb and Dumber, There's Something About Mary, Kingpin, Shallow Hal, Me, Myself & Irene and Stuck on You, and Fever Pitch.

Film

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Dumb and Dumber, 1994

Farrelly co-directed this iconic comedy, in which a business woman, played by Lauren Holly, accidentally leaves her briefcase at an airport terminal.[9] Hilarity ensues when her limousine driver Harry, played by Jeff Daniels, and his friend Lloyd, played by Jim Carrey, embark on a cross-country road trip to return it to her.[10]

Kingpin, 1996

Farrelly co-directed Kingpin, starring Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid and Bill Murray. The 1996 sports comedy chronicles competitors in the world of professional bowlers as they compete in a high-stakes tournament.[11][12]

There's Something About Mary, 1998

Among Farrelly's most successful films, There's Something About Mary became the fourth highest-grossing film in 1998.[13][14] Film critic Roger Ebert called the film, which stars Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz, "explosively funny."[15]

Outside Providence, 1999

Farrelly co-produced and co-wrote Outside Providence, which was an adaptation of Peter Farrelly's 1988 novel of the same name.[16]

Me, Myself and Irene, 2000

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Farrelly co-directed this slapstick dark comedy about a state trooper in Rhode Island, played by Jim Carrey, whose years of suppressed rage results in a psychotic break and split personality.[17] The film also stars Renée Zellweger and Chris Cooper.

Osmosis Jones, 2001

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In 2001, Farrelly co-directed Osmosis Jones, a blend of live-action and animation, starring Bill Murray.[18] The film presents an inventive spin on the buddy-cop film trope.[19]

Shallow Hal, 2001

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The Farrelly brothers wrote, directed and produced romantic comedy Shallow Hal, a film about a superficial man who falls in love with a 300-pound woman after being hypnotized into only seeing a person's inner beauty.[20]

Stuck on You, 2003

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Written and directed by the Farrelly brothers, Stuck on You is a comedy film starring Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Eva Mendes and Meryl Streep about conjoined twins who move to Hollywood so one can pursue a career as an actor.[21]

Fever Pitch, 2005

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In 2005, Farrelly co-directed Fever Pitch, a romantic comedy starring Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon about a schoolteacher and Red Sox fanatic who falls in love with a business consultant.[22] The film is an American remake of an eponymous British movie based on a novel by Nick Hornby.[23]

Hall Pass, 2011

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Directed, written and produced by the Farrelly brothers, Hall Pass tells the story of two friends, played by Jason Sudeikis and Owen Wilson, whose wives give them the titular hall pass from their marriage for a week.[24][25]

Dumb and Dumber To, 2014

In 2014, Bobby and Peter wrote and directed Dumb and Dumber To, the sequel to Dumb and Dumber.[26][27] Set 20 years after the events of the first film, the sequel follows Jim Carrey's Lloyd and Jeff Daniels' Harry on a cross-country road trip to find Harry's adopted daughter.[28]

Champions, 2023

In 2023, he made his solo directorial debut with the sports comedy-drama film Champions. Woody Harrelson, the feature actor of the film who worked on Kingpin with Farrelly in 1996, personally picked Farrelly to direct the film, saying "He’s a deep person and he’s got the most amazing sense of humor". Just like the original Campeones (2018) film, Champions was filmed with actors with intellectual disabilities.[29]

Dear Santa, 2024

Farrelly directed the forthcoming Christmas comedy, Dear Santa, reuniting with the star of his 2001 movie Shallow Hal, Jack Black.[30][31]

Television

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In 1992, the Farrelly brothers conceived the Seinfeld episode "The Virgin" (4.10), in which Jerry dates a woman, played by Jane Leeves, who has not lost her virginity.[32] In 2016, Farrelly directed several episodes of Season 10 of the Canadian cult mockumentary TV series Trailer Park Boys.[33] He created the series Loudermilk for Amazon Prime, which ran from 2017 to 2020 and starred Ron Livingston.[34][35] In 2020, Bobby and Peter directed the Quibi comedy series The Now.[36]

Awards

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In 1999, the Farrelly brothers won the MTV Movie of the Year award for There's Something About Mary.[37] In 2020, the Farrelly brothers received the Morton E. Ruderman Award for their sensitive and inclusive depictions of people with differing abilities in Champions.[38][39] In 2023, Global Down Syndrome Foundation honored Farrelly as a Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Awardee.[40][41]

References

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  1. ^ "Farrelly Brothers Movies: The Ultimate Ranking". UPROXX. November 13, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  2. ^ Staff, SlashFilm (November 11, 2023). "The Farrelly Brothers' 5 Best Movies Ranked". SlashFilm. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  3. ^ Walsh, Katie (March 9, 2023). "Review: The inspiring if formulaic 'Champions' translates into a winner". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  4. ^ "Bobby Farrelly". prod.tcm.com. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  5. ^ "Q&A with Writer/Director Bobby Farrelly | the Irish Film & Television Network".
  6. ^ "Peter Farrelly Returns to 'Green Book's Toronto Awards Launch Pad for 'The Greatest Beer Run Ever' with Zac Efron, Bill Murray & Russell Crowe: Q&A". September 9, 2022.
  7. ^ "Ebertfest | Home". ebertfest.media.illinois.edu. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  8. ^ "Rensselaer Magazine, September 2001: Why Is This Man Smiling? (Page 2)". web.archive.org. June 20, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  9. ^ Alexander, Bryan. "'Dumb and Dumber' at 30: Jim Carrey helped Jeff Daniels' fears over infamous toilet scene". USA TODAY. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  10. ^ Horn, Shawn Van (April 27, 2024). "Jeff Daniels Was Begged Not To Do 'Dumb and Dumber,' But That Didn't Stop Him". Collider. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  11. ^ "Kingpin movie review & film summary (1996) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  12. ^ London, Rob (September 4, 2024). "This Forgotten Farrelly Brothers Movie Starring Bill Murray Has a New Streaming Home". Collider. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  13. ^ "'There's Something About Mary': Farrelly Brothers on Its Problematic, Jizz-Soaked Legacy". The Daily Beast. September 30, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  14. ^ Liebenson, Donald (August 16, 2018). "'There's Something About Mary' at 20: Its creators and actors share memories of risky scenes (hello, hair gel)". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  15. ^ "Ebertfest | Home". www.ebertfest.com. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  16. ^ "The Farrelly Brothers: What I've Learned". Esquire. December 23, 2008. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  17. ^ "Me, Myself and Irene (2000) Review". CULT FOLLOWING. April 6, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  18. ^ "With Osmosis Jones, the Farrelly brothers invent a new genre: the body-cop comedy". AV Club. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  19. ^ Koehler, Robert (August 3, 2001). "Osmosis Jones". Variety. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  20. ^ "Shallow Hal". EW.com. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  21. ^ Knibbs, Kate (January 10, 2017). "Can We Talk About 'Stuck on You' for a Minute?". The Ringer. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  22. ^ Gonzalez, Ed (September 2, 2005). "DVD Review: Bobby and Peter Farrelly's Fever Pitch on Fox Home Entertainment". Slant Magazine. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  23. ^ Admin, C. M. S. (April 8, 2005). "Fever Pitch". Christianity Today. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  24. ^ Star-Telegram, Christopher Kelly | Fort Worth (February 23, 2011). "Film review: the Farrelly Brothers' 'Hall Pass'". The Mercury News. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  25. ^ MacIntyre, Ian (February 25, 2011). "Hall Pass Review". That Shelf. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  26. ^ Bentz, Adam (May 23, 2024). "Jim Carrey's Critically Panned Comedy Sequel Enters Netflix's US Top 10 Chart 10 Years Later". ScreenRant. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  27. ^ Appelo, Tim (November 10, 2014). "Farrelly Brothers Talk 'Dumb and Dumber To,' Jennifer Lawrence's Missing Scene, Jim Carrey's Big Payday". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  28. ^ Lund, Anthony (May 18, 2024). "Panned Jim Carrey Sequel to '90s Hit Breaks into Netflix Top 3 a Decade After Its Release". MovieWeb. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  29. ^ "How Filmmaker Bobby Farrelly Mixed Heart and Humor While Directing Champions". www.focusfeatures.com. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  30. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 15, 2023). "Jack Black & The Farrelly Brothers Reunite For Christmas Comedy 'Dear Santa' At Paramount". Deadline. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  31. ^ "Jack Black to Star in Christmas Comedy Dear Santa From His Shallow Hal Directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly | Above the Line". March 15, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  32. ^ Lind-Westbrook, Jennifer (May 31, 2022). "The Iconic Seinfeld Episode You Might Not Know Was Pitched By The Farrelly Brothers". Looper. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  33. ^ Grobar, Matt (October 10, 2024). "Amazon MGM Lands Family Vacation Comedy Spec 'Sporkinfeesten' From Aaron & Will Eisenberg; Bobby Farrelly Directing, Counterbalance Producing". Deadline. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  34. ^ updated, Michael Malonelast (March 12, 2021). "Amazon Prime Grabs Peter Farrelly Comedy 'Loudermilk'". Broadcasting Cable. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  35. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 15, 2024). "Three Times A Charm: 'Loudermilk' Wins Over Netflix Viewers 6-Plus Years After Audience Network Debut; Peter Farrelly Teases Season 4". Deadline. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  36. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (November 11, 2019). "Quibi Comedy 'The Now' Sets O'Shea Jackson, Daryl Hannah, And Jimmy Tatro In Lead Roles; Alyssa Milano, Rob Yang And Lex Scott Davis To Recur". Deadline. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  37. ^ "The Farrelly Brothers are too tasteless for MTV". EW.com. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  38. ^ "Morton E. Ruderman Award Ceremony honoring the Farrelly Brothers - March 3, 2020". Ruderman Family Foundation. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  39. ^ "Morton E. Ruderman Award". Ruderman Family Foundation. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  40. ^ "Bobby Farrelly". Global Down Syndrome Foundation. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  41. ^ Wilkes, Cole (October 26, 2023). "Hollywood Celebrities Join Forces for the Largest Down Syndrome Fundraiser in The World". Global Down Syndrome Foundation. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
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