DIMWITTED best buddies Harry Dunne and Lloyd Christmas are cult Hollywood characters, who have appeared in three comedy movies since 1994.
Their first, Dumb And Dumber, comes on HBO (Astro Channels 411 & 431) at 5.40pm today, and introduces viewers to their first (mis)adventure across the US. Jim Carrey plays mop-topped and chip-toothed Lloyd, while Jeff Daniels is messy-haired blond Harry. The script was written by the Farrelly brothers and Bennett Yellin, and is the brothers’ directorial debut.
Our crazy heroes come from Providence, Rhode Island and set out on a cross-country trip to Aspen, Colorado to return a briefcase full of money to its owner, only to be pursued by criminals who are after the briefcase.
The success of Dumb And Dumber launched the Farrellys’ career and solidified Carrey’s career. The film also spawned an animated TV series, a 2003 prequel Dumb And Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, and a 2014 sequel, Dumb And Dumber To.
Lloyd, a limousine driver, falls in love at first sight with Mary Swanson (Lauren Holly), whom he is driving to the airport. She intentionally leaves a briefcase in the terminal.
Unaware that it contains ransom money for her kidnapped husband Bobby, Lloyd retrieves it and tries to return it to her, but her Aspen-bound plane has already departed, leaving Lloyd running through and falling out of the jetway. Fired from his job, Lloyd returns to his apartment and learns that Harry has also been fired as a dog groomer after delivering dogs late to a show.
Bobby’s kidnappers, Joe Mentalino (Mike Starr) and J.P. Shay (Karen Duffy), follow Lloyd home from the airport in pursuit of the briefcase. Mistaking the crooks for debt collectors, the duo flee the apartment and return later to find that Joe and Shay have decapitated Harry’s parakeet.
Upset about their situation, Lloyd suggests they head to Aspen to find Mary and return the briefcase, hoping she can “plug them into the social pipeline.” At first Harry opposes the idea, but eventually agrees and the duo leave the next day. Joe and Shay learn about their plans and follow them.
Although the film did not secure any major American film awards, it was successful at the 1995 MTV Movie Awards.
Carrey won for Best Comic Performance, Carrey and Holly won for Best Kiss, and Carrey and Daniels were nominated for Best On-Screen Duo.