They always say that the first year of being married is the hardest. So hard, in fact, that watching newlyweds suffer through things can be pretty fertile grounds for comedy. Or at least that’s the bet writer/director Dan Mazer (Dog Bites Man) is making with his new romantic comedy I Give It A Year. This one tells the story of a horribly mismatched couple trying to survive their first year together, and from the title and the cast announced so far, it would seem that it also heavily involves the couple’s skeptical friends.
Prometheus actor Rafe Spall is already set to play the husband, and according to a report from Variety, Anna Faris has agreed to join the film as his wife. That isn’t the end of things as far as casting news goes, though. Margin Call’s Simon Baker and Bridesmaids’ Rose Byrne are also signed up to play what are described as “strong supporting characters.” Whether that term is to be taken figuratively or literally, it presumably points to the fact that they will be the principal actors’ naysaying friends.
With this core foursome Mazer seems to have put together a solid ensemble. Three of the four actors have established themselves doing smaller roles in large films over the last few years, and have bigger roles in even higher profile pictures on the horizon. By the time this movie gets released they could all be burgeoning superstars, and wouldn’t that go a long way in making Mazer and his people seem smart?
The odd man out in that bet is Anna Faris. If her career had a peak, it was a number of years ago already. And her last few efforts, bad romantic comedies like What’s Your Number? and worse children’s fare like the Alvin and the Chipmunks sequels and Yogi Bear, have been kind of embarrassing. Hopefully some of Byrne’s Bridesmaids luck can rub off on Faris with this project and those claiming that she’s already past her prime will be proven wrong. Watching people shut up critics and achieve their potential is always so heart-warming. Once-promising actresses desperately drying to glam themselves up while making bad movie after bad movie: not so much.