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Ed Helms and Lake Bell in I Do... Until I Don't
The Film Arcade

This 'I Do... Until I Don't' Exclusive Clip Reminds Viewers That You Can't Pick Your Family

by Laura Broman

Family dynamics are hard to capture on screen. And while no one family is the same, Hollywood continues to try and incapsulate what it means to have a family that is, let's say... unique. Lake Bell's I Do... Until I Don't is throwing its hat into the genre ring, with an added quirk of taking an already unique family and raising the stakes by challenging ones expectations and assumptions of marriage. Now, in an exclusive clip, viewers can see just how much chaos those two things can cause in a seemingly normal-from-the-outside family.

I Do... Until I Don't is written and directed by Lake Bell, who made her directorial debut with the critically-acclaimed In a World in 2013. Bell also stars as Alice, one of several characters who gets roped into a cynical documentarian's plot to sow the seeds of chaos within three sets of married couples.

First up, there's Alice and Noah (Ed Helms), who after 10 years together are finding themselves a little bit tired of their boring marital routines. Alice's sister, Fanny (Amber Heard), and her partner Zander (Wyatt Cenac), are the complete opposite of Alice and Noah; a crunchy couple who refuse to let themselves be bound by the oppressive shackles of monogamy. Finally, there's Cybil (Mary Steenburgen) and Harvey (Paul Reiser), empty-nesters who give new meaning to the phrase "there's a thin line between love and hate." The three couples agree to participate in documentary filmmaker Vivian's (Dolly Wells) project that aims to expose marriage as an outdated institution.

From the I Do... Until I Don't trailer alone, Alice seems to clash a bit with her sister, perhaps partly because of their differing lifestyles and views on marriage, and partly out of her fear that her husband Noah may be attracted to Fanny. In an exclusive clip to Romper, we see just how different the two sisters are, and how their polar opposite lives lead to some uncomfortable (and hilarious) moments for the family.

In the clip, Fanny and Zander come to Alice and Noah's home for what seems to be a normal family get-together. It quickly becomes obvious that that is not what is going to happen in the comedic banter that follows. Fanny and Zander are fasting for no apparent reason, they don't want their son to learn what a television is (note, he's definitely old enough to know what a television is), and quickly after greeting their hosts, the hippie couple heads off to take a family shower.

As quickly as they enter, Fanny and Zander exit, leaving a stunned Alice and Noah who are so speechless, all they can say is, "They're so fun." Alice's discomfort is clear, setting the scene for what is to transpire for the rest of the film.

I Do... Until I Don't follows the three couples as they learn what it means to love, be married, and be happy. While chaos is inevitable, the film will also provide an honest look at the relationships that build families. Be sure to check out I Do... Until I Don't when it hits theaters on September 1.