Bromantic comedies

“There’s Something About Mary” (1998)

The story: A man (Ben Stiller) can’t let go of the high-school crush (Cameron Diaz) he never got a chance with due to a prom-night zipper mishap.

Bromance rating: 8. Those who identify with this movie the most are no doubt biologically inclined to suffer from a stray bit of…umm…hair gel landing on their ear lobe.

Was it successful?: Writer-directors the Farrelly Brothers have spent most of their careers trying to match it (see: "Me, Myself & Irene" and "Fever Pitch"), but "Mary" remains their biggest crossover hit. And a movie doesn't get to a $176 million gross, as this one did, by appealing to only one gender. Give the brothers credit for creating a leading lady who’s the ultimate male fantasy—she even prizes flatulence as an attractive quality!—without coming off as degrading or overly one-dimensional.