Why Him? (2016)
It’s a simple story: daughter loves family, daughter gets boyfriend, family hates boyfriend, daughter has to choose between them. I watched the preview to Why Him? and figured it was silly and harmless, and I rented it with an open mind and low expectations. Believe it or not, I really liked this sweet movie and wound up teary eyed by the end. Yes, I’m a sap.
To my fellow saps, don’t dismiss this movie as too weird or offbeat simply because James Franco plays the weird, offbeat boyfriend covered in tattoos and incapable of curbing his language. While most of his movies tend to fall in one of two camps (great acting, or under the influence) and make you wonder which is the real Franco behind the curtain (pun intended), this movie will give you a new perspective and make you absolutely certain that you know how misunderstood and sweet he really is despite his reputation. In essence, that’s a large part of the story. First impressions aren’t always correct, and people have hidden qualities you’ll only discover as you get to know them better.
Cute-as-a-button Zoey Deutch comes from a good family, and while she’s away at college, her loving parents, Bryan Cranston and Megan Mullally, expect her to follow in their squeaky-clean footsteps. Through a very embarrassing accidental meeting, Bryan and Megan find out their daughter has been hiding her unconventional boyfriend from them. Over Christmas break, the whole family, including her younger, impressionable brother Griffin Gluck, fly out to see Zoey and meet her sweetie-pie. He’s a perpetually shirtless, overbearing, boundaryless millionaire with an extremely foul mouth, vulgar artistic tastes, and no clue when to stop talking and reign it in. From one hilarious disaster to another, Bryan and Megan are humiliated and shocked as Zoey continues to stand by her boyfriend and plead that they give him a second chance.
Some of this movie might be a bit too vulgar for older audiences, especially if they’re watching it with their kids to show that they’re still hip. Keep in mind this is a modern comedy, so there will be some jokes that step a little too far over the comfortable line, and there will be some terms rattled off that you’ve either never heard before or never heard repeated in mixed company. But also keep in mind that no matter how much you’re scowling at the beginning of the movie, you’ll end up with a lump in your throat at the end. This is a cross-generational comedy that is nasty enough to keep the kids laughing but serious enough to get the parents to relate. The moral of the story is not that Bryan Cranston has to let his hair down and realize how wrong he’s been; this is a movie about compromises, second chances, and hidden qualities. James Franco might be covered in tattoos and unable to dress himself, but he’s incredibly sweet, loving, and expressive. He’s honest to a fault and takes his promises seriously, and as much as you sympathize and wouldn’t want him as a son-in-law, when he grins and hugs and loves and wears his heart on his sleeve, you can’t help but like him. Give this movie a chance. And when you’re dabbing your eyes at the very end, I won’t laugh at you or call you a sap. I’ll just ask you to pass the Kleenex box.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. The first couple of minutes of the movie are a FaceTime call, and the handheld camera will make you sick. In other words, “Don’t Look, Mom!”
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to language and sexual content, I wouldn’t let my kids watch it.
More James Franco movies here!
To my fellow saps, don’t dismiss this movie as too weird or offbeat simply because James Franco plays the weird, offbeat boyfriend covered in tattoos and incapable of curbing his language. While most of his movies tend to fall in one of two camps (great acting, or under the influence) and make you wonder which is the real Franco behind the curtain (pun intended), this movie will give you a new perspective and make you absolutely certain that you know how misunderstood and sweet he really is despite his reputation. In essence, that’s a large part of the story. First impressions aren’t always correct, and people have hidden qualities you’ll only discover as you get to know them better.
Cute-as-a-button Zoey Deutch comes from a good family, and while she’s away at college, her loving parents, Bryan Cranston and Megan Mullally, expect her to follow in their squeaky-clean footsteps. Through a very embarrassing accidental meeting, Bryan and Megan find out their daughter has been hiding her unconventional boyfriend from them. Over Christmas break, the whole family, including her younger, impressionable brother Griffin Gluck, fly out to see Zoey and meet her sweetie-pie. He’s a perpetually shirtless, overbearing, boundaryless millionaire with an extremely foul mouth, vulgar artistic tastes, and no clue when to stop talking and reign it in. From one hilarious disaster to another, Bryan and Megan are humiliated and shocked as Zoey continues to stand by her boyfriend and plead that they give him a second chance.
Some of this movie might be a bit too vulgar for older audiences, especially if they’re watching it with their kids to show that they’re still hip. Keep in mind this is a modern comedy, so there will be some jokes that step a little too far over the comfortable line, and there will be some terms rattled off that you’ve either never heard before or never heard repeated in mixed company. But also keep in mind that no matter how much you’re scowling at the beginning of the movie, you’ll end up with a lump in your throat at the end. This is a cross-generational comedy that is nasty enough to keep the kids laughing but serious enough to get the parents to relate. The moral of the story is not that Bryan Cranston has to let his hair down and realize how wrong he’s been; this is a movie about compromises, second chances, and hidden qualities. James Franco might be covered in tattoos and unable to dress himself, but he’s incredibly sweet, loving, and expressive. He’s honest to a fault and takes his promises seriously, and as much as you sympathize and wouldn’t want him as a son-in-law, when he grins and hugs and loves and wears his heart on his sleeve, you can’t help but like him. Give this movie a chance. And when you’re dabbing your eyes at the very end, I won’t laugh at you or call you a sap. I’ll just ask you to pass the Kleenex box.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. The first couple of minutes of the movie are a FaceTime call, and the handheld camera will make you sick. In other words, “Don’t Look, Mom!”
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to language and sexual content, I wouldn’t let my kids watch it.
More James Franco movies here!