Daily Dialogue — October 6, 2017

Ted: Look, I didn’t solicit any sex, OK? This is a huge misunderstanding. I was really going out to pee, I was walking to the bushes, I tripped over this guy — and suddenly all those cops and their helicopters…
Detective Stabler: Ted, Ted, it’s OK, we believe you. The problem is we found your friend in the car.

Detective Stabler refers to the dead body found in Ted’s car, which unbeknown to Ted was left by the hitchhiker. Ted has no idea about the body.

Ted: [smiles] Oh, the hitchhiker? That’s what this is about, the hitchhiker? Oh, oh, great. This is my luck — I get caught for everything.
Detective Krevoy: [pats strongly on Ted’s shoulder] So… you admit it?
Ted: Ah, yeah, guilty as charged. Look, I know you guys got a job to do, all right? And I’m really sorry. I did it, I admit it. You know, the guy even told me, the hitchhiker told me it was illegal.
Detective Krevoy: Well, uh, can you tell us his name?
Ted: Ah… no, I didn’t catch it. Can we cut to the chase, I mean, am I like in a lot of trouble here?
Detective Stabler: [nods] First tell us why you did it.
Ted: Why I did it? Ah… I don’t know. Boredom? The guy turned to be a blabber-mouth who just would not shut up.
Detective Krevoy: [trying to control himself] Ted, this wasn’t your first time, was it?
Ted: No.
Detective Krevoy: How many are we talking here?
Ted: [confused] Hitchhikers? My whole life? Ah… I don’t know — twenty-five, fifty… I mean, who keeps track? Hey, you know, I know this is the Bible Belt and everything, but where I come from this is not that big deal, I mean…
Detective Krevoy: You son of a bitch! You’re gonna fry!

Exploding in rage due to Ted’s seemingly indifference to murder, detective Krevoy roars, grabs Ted by his shirt and repeatedly slams his head against the desk. Ted yells in pain.

Detective Stabler: Take it easy! Calm down!

Stabler manages to separate between Krevoy and Ted. Ted falls backward on the floor.

Detective Stabler: [to Krevoy] Are you OK?
Ted: [to Krevoy] What the hell is wrong with you?

— There’s Something About Mary (1998), screenplay by Ed Decter & John J. Strauss and Peter Farrelly & Bobby Farrelly, story Ed Decter & John J. Strauss

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Interrogation.

Trivia: After the financial losses suffered from Kingpin (1996), the Farrely brothers thought their next film would probably be their last. So they decided to go all out and deliver the most hysterically black comedy they could dream up. When There’s Something About Mary (1998) became a box-office smash hit, the Farrelly’s careers were safe to continue.

Dialogue On Dialogue: This is a classic comedic device: Create a scenario in which a key character has a wrong understanding of a circumstance, then proceeds through his dialogue to lead himself down an unintentional path toward pain and humiliation.