Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Zoey Deutch | ... | Stephanie Fleming | |
James Franco | ... | Laird Mayhew | |
Tangie Ambrose | ... | Patty Dunne | |
Cedric the Entertainer | ... | Lou Dunne | |
Bob Stephenson | ... | Jerry in Graphics | |
Bryan Cranston | ... | Ned Fleming | |
Megan Mullally | ... | Barb Fleming | |
Zack Pearlman | ... | Kevin Dingle | |
Griffin Gluck | ... | Scotty Fleming | |
Jee Young Han | ... | Marnie Dingle | |
Mary Pat Gleason | ... | Joyce | |
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Juliette B. Reiss | ... | Applebee's Waiter |
Melissa Graver | ... | Applebee's Waiter | |
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Steffen Dziczek | ... | Applebee's Waiter |
Jimmy Badstibner | ... | Fleming Company Employee |
Over the holidays, Ned, an overprotective but loving dad and his family visit his daughter at Stanford, where he meets his biggest nightmare: her well-meaning but socially awkward Silicon Valley millionaire boyfriend, Laird. The rivalry develops,and Ned's panic level goes through the roof when he finds himself lost in this glamorous high-tech world and learns that Laird is about to pop the question. Written by 20th Century Fox
Possibly more so than any other genre, a solid ensemble cast (as well as the script, of course) is the absolute key to unlocking a decent comedy and unfortunately, the very central piece lets the whole film down: Bryan Cranston is not a leading comic and it very obviously shows. As one of this year's Best Actor nominees, Cranston fails to come across naturally in this lead role, with every joke and riff feeling more like a stiff and laboured effort than an organic energy, as the rest of his cast demonstrate, who are all more typically associated with the genre - and it really rather shows. His lead co-star, Franco, does a far more convincing job and manages to translate what should be an irritating and obnoxious character into a far more likable and funny character than expected. Megan Mullally is also worth a mention; the Parks and Rec star has a rather small role but manages to make quite the impression as Barb, even when the script doesn't quite serve her well enough, including a prolonged scene in which she is determined to have sex with her husband - this same plot was employed with absolutely hilarious results in Parks and Rec (in which she played the outrageous Tammy Two) but it falls completely flat here through no fault of her own. It's another example of a committed performance ploughing against all the odds. Talking of ploughing, the absolute star of this film is the youngest cast member - Griffin Gluck is continually hilarious and awarded the script's biggest laughs, but it is his conviction and joyous performance that secures these laughs, making him the most memorable element of the film, even with the lowest-billing of the main five stars.
FULL REVIEW - http://perksofbeingnath.blogspot.com/2016/12/why-him-2016-review.html