Parents' Guide to

I Give It a Year

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Limp romcom has bickering couple, dreary image of marriage.

Movie R 2013 97 minutes
I Give It a Year Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 3 parent reviews

SaraMoran
SaraMoran Adult
October 13, 2022
age 17+

Very funny but not for everyone

This was the funniest comedy I've seen in a long time. I watched it 3 times in a week since it was free on Amazon and I knew I didn't catch all the jokes. I'm trying to understand why so many people agree that it was hilarious while so many others absolutely hated it. I can only figure it's because the movie is realistic about marriage, and isn't the usual romcom where couples fall in love with their soulmate, get married, and it's assumed they live happily ever after. Marriage IS lovely for some people but for some it's not. Some people marry the wrong person and the movie is very relatable in that way. Still has a happy ending. I saw a review where someone said don't watch it in your first year of marriage because it can make you feel insecure about things. That's probably good advice.
JashS
JashS Adult
December 18, 2020
age 18+

Avoid it like the plague

This is a terrible movie. Don’t touch it with a 40 foot barge pole- in other words- don’t go near it. It is crude, vulgar and thoroughly depressing. Not funny, unless you have a disgusting sense of humour. Would not show to kids ever. The worst thing about it, is that it mocks marriage and Joe wonderful marriage is. With so much divorce and sadness associated, why would you promote divorce like this? It is also so unrealistic- there is a reason to be married in the first place so there must have been something there, AND, no one is ever joyful and over the moon at someone saying i want a divorce. It’s filled with insecurity and disappointment. What a terrible story.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Nat (Rose Byrne) and Josh (Rafe Spall) meet cute, quickly fall hard for each other, and, seven months later, head for the altar. "I give it a year," says a good friend, and it's not long before the love-addled couple is bickering over the smallest of irritations and wondering why they ever thought a wedding was a good idea. It doesn't help that Nat is being pursued by a charming client (Simon Baker), while Josh is starting to spend time with his ex-girlfriend (Anna Faris). The couple sets up a simple goal: make it to their first anniversary. But it's unclear whether they'll actually get that far -- or, if they do, what will happen after that.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (3):
Kids say: Not yet rated

I GIVE IT A YEAR paints a distressing picture of marriage. Nat and Josh bicker about small things amid frequent exasperated eye-rolling and snide remarks. Their friends are a Greek chorus describing the horrors of long-term relationships, and even their therapist advises them to throw in the towel. All that would be fine if it was told in an illuminating manner. But while viewers may appreciate the irreverence -- there are some jokes that are so true that they shoot like a dart right to the center of the board, eliciting big laughs -- the truth is that we don't get much real insight.

Why should Nat and Josh try to make it work? We don't really know, since we catch barely a glimpse of why they might care for each other. Their couplehood is a thinly drawn image teeming with negativity. She's cold; he's an unmotivated doofus. And they were never meant to be together, or so it seems. So why should the audience root for them to make it at all? Then there's Josh's ex-girlfriend and Nat's handsome client. Are they the couple's real soul mates? Or would divorce be a betrayal of the spirit of all romcoms? Do we care? With its schizophrenic tone and flimsy plot, I GIVE IT A YEAR feels as fragile as the marriage at its center. Strong performances unfortunately don't rescue it from a not-so-happily-ever-after.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the filmmakers depict marriage. Is it positively or negatively? What do the supporting characters tell us about long-term relationships?

  • Do you think Nat and Josh belong together? Why do they bicker? Should they fight harder for their relationship?

  • What role does sex play in the story? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.

Movie Details

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