What's Your Number? is a romantic comedy in which Anna Faris plays Ally Darling; an unlucky in love, down on her luck girl who reads a study in a women's magazine that declares 96% of women who’ve slept with 20 or more men can’t find a husband. As Ally is already on 20, she decides to go back and find the best ex of her life, hoping that one of them will now be The One.
I have a bit of a problem with women being depicted as incomplete without a man at the best of times, and the idea that a man, or marriage, validates us is not something I subscribe to, so I spoke to Anna this morning about the double standards that exist between men and women, what women want, what studios let us have, why women must always be likable and why no-one's number should ever really matter.
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Can you tell us about What's Your Number??
What's Your Number?... the greatest story ever told!
Interview closed.
[Laughs] It's about a gal who is convinced that if she sleeps with more than 20 guys, and she's already slept with 20, that her chances of getting married are much less likely. So she decides to revisit her exes and see if there wasn't one that she, you know, missed. Yeah, you know? Typical journey.
How would you describe your character Ally Darling?
I think that she's a mess. I love her, she's neurotic and weird about this whole journey. She's unemployed, she's just kind of lost in life. Her perfect little sister is getting married, she drinks a lot, she hooks up a lot, she's kind of like my friends. And myself, probably. I love that about her, that's why I wanted to play her. Except she wears nicer clothes than I do. And more high heels.
What did attract you to the role?
Oh yeah, I think I was really excited to play a character that was just so... We've seen a lot of Type A ladies on screen for a while, that are trying to juggle a very successful job and men and babies and clothes and whatever, and I liked [the idea of] playing this girl who just didn't have any of those things figured out.
Do you believe that the double standard of 'sluts vs studs' is a problem in film and TV?
Yeah, I do! I mean, I think it's unfortunate, for sure. And I think that it's sad that women have guilt associated with sex, you know? It's unfortunate. But that's how I grew up, and that's how a lot of my friends grew up. So I think that it is totally unfortunate, but I commend any woman that is like 'You know what, I'm sexually liberated, I'm feelin' great about my body, let's go sleep my way across Australia!' I'm in to it, that's so admirable to me, I love it.
Do you worry that the way women are portrayed in the film perpetuates the double standard that exists between men and women?
Well I think that the ultimate... Yeah. I mean I think that the ultimate message of the movie is that it shouldn't matter what your number is. I think that her sister and her friends poke fun at her, but I don't think that anyone is really judging her. I think that it's just something funny that women talk about sometimes amongst each other and my character, for whatever reason, takes it to heart. Instead of thinking about getting another job, or helping her sister plan her wedding, or doing whatever, she's like 'I'm going to revisit my boyfriends.' It's a very selfish move, I think, on her part, but that's what she does.
Your character is very malleable to the men in her life, what do you think about the way a lot of women seem to feel the need to be what they think a man wants them to be, rather than themselves?
I think it's sad! But I am so guilty of it, I mean I used to, I still, I mean my husband thinks that I like football. I don't know, maybe boys do it too? They must to some degree! It comes from youth, you know? Trying to pretend that you're something that you're not, because you don't really know who you are. I have done that so many times. Usually very unsuccessfully.
Well I guess that's what the film...
Yeah!
... It's only when she realises that she can be herself that she really succeeds...
Yes! Yes, that's right!
So that's nice.
[Laughs]
I kind of took a bit of a feminist approach with my questions today, because...
Good!
Mostly because, well you seem able to articulate it, and because so many romantic comedies...
No, I'm glad. I'm glad because it is an archaic idea and it is unfortunate. I don't know what it's like in Australia, but I know that in America we have a lot of guilt around sex. The studio... the writers and I wanted to make... we were like, 'Shouldn't [the number] be like 70? Or 80?' and the studio was like, 'No.' There was another studio that the script was at before and they wanted [the number] to be 16. There's this idea that even that is shocking! It's like, that's so dumb.
I imagine you would be really up against it in those discussions with the bigger studios?
Definitely. It has been a challenge ever since I arrived in Hollywood. Always, pitching any project, the first question is like 'Well what's it rated? Is it rated R? If it is, it needs to be rated PG13,' and 'Is she likable?' That's always the question, 'Is she adorable? Is she likable?'
Heaven forbid.
Yeah, it's really frustrating! But I mean, I think that it's exciting that clearly there's an audience for... I think that Hollywood thought for a long time that they knew what women wanted. They thought that women wanted to see a certain kind of woman and it's exciting that over the summer that the mold has been broken.
What's Your Number? is female-driven and female-written. Do you think that women self-sabotage at all by creating films that are inherently sexist, or is it different if we write the jokes, not men?
I don't think that it's... personally, I always get bothered by the idea that there is a gender differentiation between humour. Even the question 'What do you think women find funny?' I mean, why are we even talking about it in terms of gender? I don't understand why, because I truly don't know if there is a difference, but I find even the question insulting. I think that what I find funny is mocking oneself. I'm not really interested in really snarky humour. I prefer to make myself the fool, I find that a funnier idea.
I think that's why you're so good as Ally, because you do just seem to just go for it.
Thanks! As far as the gender question, I think that people would be asking me even more questions if it [were written] by a man and I just think it's unfortunate that the conversations are even being had about the difference between men and women in Hollywood. Like, 'Are women funny?' I find it depressing.
At present there are more women that write, direct and produce movies than ever before...
It's still so minimal though.
It is. You are also an executive producer on the film though, so I wanted to ask if you've ever experienced that aversion toward women at all?
I think for sure. When you get sent scripts, when every movie being made has six male characters to every one female character, it's really hard. It also sucks, because it pits women in Hollywood against each other! I want to find a community of my girls. Let's write movies for us, and let's cast each other! You know? Because it's so much fun to finally get to act with a girl, and you're not talking about a guy. I did this movie called Smiley Face, I don't know if you ever saw it? The whole time I was l was like 'This is a guys role.' I was shocked that I got to play that, I was so, so thrilled that I got to play that. I mean it would never have been a studio movie where a girl gets to be a loser stoner, that doesn't happen. Yeah, I think it's a constant, I think if I pitch an idea it's like 'Yeah that would be funny, but funnier with a guy.'
[PR enters, I get told to wrap it up]
Lastly then, what do you want women to take away from this film?
I think I just want them to laugh. And have a good time. My mum went to go see it with her book club and I asked if they all talked about their number on the way home...
And did they?
They did, yeah! My mum is super conservative, she's only been with my dad. At least that's what she tells me! [Laughs] So I hope that it's a fun experience, that guys and girls can bring it up, or not bring it up. I think it's an interesting discussion.
What's Your Number? opens in cinemas on Thursday, October 13.