I Give It a Year is a 2013 romantic comedy film, written and directed by Dan Mazer and starring Rose Byrne, Rafe Spall, Anna Faris and Simon Baker. It was released on 8 February 2013. The film was Mazer's directorial debut, after he was previously best known for co-writing the Sacha Baron Cohen films Borat and Brüno.
Ever since they met at a party, ambitious Nat and novelist Josh have been incredibly happy, despite their differences. However, on their wedding day, the forecasts are not promising: none of the guests believe in them. As such, as time passes by, Nat and Josh find that perhaps their differences are indeed too much.
This film features examples of:
- Amicable Exes: Nat and Josh end up being this after they realize that they aren't made for each other. He even tells her he thinks she is the perfect wife, just not for him.
- Dinner and a Show: Nat and Josh throw a dinner party to use their wedding gifts, in which some of their differences are highlighted when talking about their honeymoon in Morocco; Nat didn't enjoy the leather museum whereas Josh remembers it as interesting. Then the topic changes to Chloe, Josh's former flame, where Nat discovers they never officially broke up when she went to Africa for four years. In the kitchen Chloe, who is present there, apologises to Nat for not realising she didn't know. Nat's sister Naomia also reveals to have issues with her own husband's annoying habits.
- Fourth-Date Marriage: Downplayed; Nat and Josh marry after seven months of dating, but is nonetheless among the reasons why many of their friends think the marriage will not last.
- Mondegreen Gag: The main couple Nat and Josh argue over misheard song lyrics. Nat thinks the lyrics from "Sweet Dreams Are Made of This" go "I travelled the world in generic jeans" instead of "I travelled the world and the seven seas", much to Josh's chagrin. She also thinks the line from "We Built This City" goes "we built this city on the wrong damn road". Josh also brings up the lyrics from "Tiny Dancer", which Nat thinks goes "hold me close and tie me down sir".
- Pair the Spares: Each of the main couple, Nat and Josh, has a rival love interest, Guy and Chloe, respectively. The rivals date for a while, but the trope is subverted in the end, Nat and Josh finish up leaving each other for the rival suitors Guy and Chloe.
- Race for Your Love: Josh ends up doing this at the end, catching Guy and Chloe at a railway station waiting to go to Paris, to profess his love for Chloe after splitting up with Nat. This is shortly followed by Nat appearing there to do the same with Guy.
- Romantic False Lead: Guy and Chloe appear to be this, as Nat and Josh express attraction to them respectively, but turn out to be a subverted example, as the film ends with Nat and Josh actually breaking up to be with them.
- Starter Marriage: Nat and Josh's friends clearly think that this is the case.
- Sucks at Dancing: At a party, Josh dances embarrassingly. This (alongside other antics) annoys and embarrasses Nat so much that she heads home without him.
- Worst Wedding Ever: While Nat and Josh's wedding actually goes as planned, it is nonetheless marred by many of their friends commenting that the marriage will not last, an embarrassing best man's speech, and a coughing priest.
