Why Him?

It is probably not going to win any Oscars or be mentioned as one of the best films one has ever watched, but if you are looking for some on-screen fun and silliness, then this is the movie to go to before the end of the year.

A film that is quite unoriginal in its premise but brings out the laughs nevertheless, ‘Why Him?’ centres around a father coming to grips with the fact that his young college-going daughter is dating an older wealthy man.

James Franco, who seems to be in every movie these days, is the star of ‘Why Him?’ along with Bryan Cranston. Ned Fleming (Cranston), his wife Barb (Megan Mullally) and their teenage son Scott (Griffin Gluck) are invited by daughter Stephanie (Zoey Deutch) to visit the house of her 30-something internet tycoon boyfriend Laird Mayhew, played by Franco, during Christmas.

Laird, who did not have a father figure while going up, is vulgar, blunt and uses inappropriate language, but he is also honest and is somewhat immature. Ned, who is conservative and runs an old-fashioned printing company in Michigan, cannot see why his daughter is dating him. Laird tries his best to impress his future father-in-law in order to get his approval before he proposes to Stephanie, and what follows is quite predictable but still funny.

The movie is crass and explicit on more occasions than one, and it is not suitable if you go to Church every Sunday. Some of the dialogues between Laird and Ned are simply unrealistic, but if you are an young adult, an adolescent or have a wicked sense of humour, then this movie will leave you in stitches.

‘Why Him?’ encapsulates what the entertainment industry is all about - entertainment. If you are looking for 111 minutes of unadulterated fun, then this is the movie to watch. The plot is largely predictable, except towards the end, but if you have a few quids to spare before the end of the year, then it would be money well spent.

Oh, a principal character from The Big Bang Theory also plays a small role in ‘Why Him?’