Jeff Daniels Saved 200 ‘Horrible’ Reviews Panning ‘Dumb & Dumber’ and ‘Wishing It Never Existed’ in a Scrapbook: ‘I Still Have’ It 31 Years Later

https://variety.com/2025/film/news/jeff-daniels-saved-film-reviews-panning-dumb-and-dumber-1236298774/

16 comments

  1. > “I have a theatre company in Michigan so I put on a preview,” Daniels said. “I was sat next to my parents and when we got to the toilet scene, my father hung his head in his hands and said: ‘No, Jeffrey …’ Meanwhile 5,000 people fell out of their chairs laughing. The reviews were horrible though. I still have a scrapbook of 200 newspapers panning the movie and wishing it never existed. Then we were the box office No 1 for six straight weeks. That’s when it hit me that we’d done the impossible.”

  2. At least he keeps it real about reading negative reviews. A lot of actors be like 

    “omg I don’t do that at all, I don’t read any critics reviews, I enjoyed making this movie and that’s all that matters.”

  3. What the hell did the critics expect from a film called Dumb and Dumber ? lol

  4. Awesome! I love that and I’d love to think I’d do the same but I know I can get tetchy. Ha!

    And sod all those bozos without a funny bone. It’s not just one of the funniest 90s flicks, but I’d put in contention for the all timers list, too.

    Cracking soundtrack as well!

  5. Dumb and Dumber is a classic and it’s far smarter than the people who think it’s stupid.

  6. One of my Favorite Siskel and Ebert reviews is of Dumb and Dumber, where Siskel praised the movie for it’s great jokes and spot-on character work, while Ebert simply “didnt had it in [him]” to give it a thumbs up, but admitted he embarassed himself in the theatre burtsing out in laughter in reaction to a scene involving a blind kid and a dead parakeet.

  7. One of the most quotable movies ever. I love it to death.

  8. Stone cold classic comedies are always hated by critics. Scary Movie 2? Hated. Bill and Ted? Hated. Airplane!? Hated.

    Critics rarely have a good sense of humor.

  10. All actors need to read and remember this story. You do the work for the work. Enjoy it and do it with full intention of being the best you can be. Don’t worry about the reviews or the critics. The fans are the ones who really matter, and you can’t bullshit or fool an audience. Good movies are successful for a reason. There have been SO many incredibly successful films, that are widely popular with fans, cult classics, that critics have panned.

  11. This is a pop culture classic!!! I swear that I hear at least one quote a month to this day. If I count the ones I say it’d be every other day. This movie helped me appreciate the goofy child I was then and flourish into the immature adult I am today.

  12. Don’t worry, it’s one of the greatest comedies.

  13. You can tell Jeff is really proud of the film by the way he talks about it. It also seems like he really enjoyed working with Jim Carrey.

  16. 2 years ago I visited Denver and I made a point to drive for a tour of the Stanley Hotel, not because of The Shining, but only because of Dumb and Dumber being filmed there.

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