James Franco will win over Bryan Cranston in the Why Him? red band trailer

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

Over the holidays, Ned (Bryan Cranston), 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 billionaire boyfriend, Laird (James Franco). The straight-laced Ned thinks Laird, who has absolutely no filter, is a wildly inappropriate match for his daughter. The one-sided rivalry—and Ned’s panic level—escalate when he finds himself increasingly out of step in the glamorous high-tech hub, and learns that Laird is about to pop the question.

This is one of those concepts on paper that, while not bringing anything new to the table, actually looks really fun. Given that this is the red-band trailer for the film, I'm actually surprised at how tame it is. This movie doesn't look like it's even trying to push the levels of filth and awkwardness that can be reached with family situations like this. It would be a shame to waste the talent involved, so I'm hoping the next trailer brings a little more to the table.

WHY HIM? will hit theaters on December 25, 2016.