Outside of “it’s fine,” there are few answers in the English language more unnervingly vague than, “oh, you know.” Of course the asker doesn’t know — that’s why they asked the question. At the Another Simple Favor premiere in Austin at SXSW on March 7, Anna Kendrick was asked “what it means” to work with besieged co-star Blake Lively for the film, and she hit back with a pointed, “Oh, you know …” trailing off as she walked away from a line of eager fans.
Those siding with Justin Baldoni in the It Ends With Us legal theatrics quickly took Kendrick’s answer as evidence of her hatred for Lively, only further spurned by Kendrick’s continued latent flippancy toward the whole thing. Her answer is immediately reminiscent of Ryan Reynold’s bit at SNL50 when he appeared frantic and confused about how things might be going for him. Mostly what Kendrick’s answers reveal, if anything, is how much she does not want to field questions about this. How is she supposed to know “what it means” to work with Blake Lively? That’s not something that necessarily means anything, one way or another. The most remarkable thing about Kendrick’s answers is that she walks away right after both times. If there’s anything she’s saying, even wordlessly, it’s that these questions mean very little to her.
Kendrick’s blatant dismissal of this line of thinking works for her, but director Paul Feig has been fighting with internet trolls in Lively’s defense since it was rumored earlier this year that the project was shelved. Feig’s classic nice-guy act has been put to the test during this low-key rollout, the press tour — what little of it there is — stumbling along at the fault of no one in particular. That none of these people are nailing a campaign for a pulpy dumb thriller is not really a sign of anything one way or another. Like Kendrick’s “Oh, you know …,” Another Simple Favor has the rare misfortune of being at the center of a scandal no one wants to be involved in. When Kendrick was asked what it means to work with Lively, she answered truthfully when she mused, “oh, you know …” It doesn’t mean anything — she shouldn’t even have to say it. The gag order that Lively’s team requested earlier this year might have helped the court of public opinion by withholding the information about the case that’s now informed and enabled how awkward press will be for the Another Simple Favor team going forward.
What right-wing commentators and Baldoni enthusiasts (sometimes one in the same) key into is that no one will directly say anything about their support for (or lack thereof) Lively. Those making the most noise in this won’t care either way who says what, however much or little support is vocally articulate. It doesn’t matter that plenty of past co-stars have spoken up on Lively’s behalf: Nothing will appease people who are not directly involved, who have already made up their minds about what is happening.
Lucky for Lively, Kendrick, and Feig, the reviews for their new film seem mostly unaffected by whatever controversy haunts the perimeter, with many critics liking it albeit maybe a little tired of the shtick. Part of what was so thrilling about A Simple Favor the first time around was its easy, pulpy quality. This movie doesn’t have to be a runaway smash in order to salvage Lively’s career; in fact, what does Another Simple Favor have to do with the It Ends With Us lawsuits? Oh, you know …