Why Him? (2016)
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
- The incredible score for Why Him? was composed in just a few weeks after the original composer dropped out.
- Before Bryan Cranston was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
Why Him? is a 2016 American comedy directed by John Hamburg. Bryan Cranston stars as Ned Fleming, a conservative Michigan printing company owner who visits his daughter Stephanie, played by Zoey Deutch, at Stanford and discovers she is dating Laird Mayhew, played by James Franco, a crude, tattooed, foul-mouthed Silicon Valley tech billionaire who is deeply in love with Stephanie and desperate to win her father's approval. The comedy derived from the culture clash between Ned's midwestern propriety and Laird's aggressively inappropriate, no-filter approach to human interaction โ Laird's genuine goodness was constantly undermined by his complete inability to read social situations.
James Franco committed to the role with characteristically unrestrained energy, and Bryan Cranston's increasingly horrified reactions provided a perfect straight-man anchor. Keegan-Michael Key appeared as Laird's estate manager Gustaf, a martial artist who randomly attacks Laird to keep him alert. Why Him? earned $117 million worldwide on a $38 million budget.
