Posted: 06/05/2007

Knocked Up

(2007)

by Marielle Brinda

Who’s ready for 129 minutes of a laugh-out-loud comedy about pregnancy? Well, you should be! Knocked Up is Judd Apatow’s most recent summertime success, released nationwide June 1st. And with love in the air, this is the perfect date movie. It will leave every couple exhausted from laughing by the end.

Should we be surprised? Not at all. Apatow left moviegoers toppled over two summers ago with The 40-Year Old Virgin, and remedied the 2005 winter blues with Fun with Dick and Jane. Having written both and directing The 40-Year Old Virgin, Apaotw has proven he can run with the big dogs of the genre—but, of course, in his own original way. Not to mention, with television series Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared and numerous film projects (including Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, The Cable Guy, and Heavy Weights) under his producing belt, there is just no stopping this behind-the-scenes funny man.

Apatow has put a new spin on the “romantic comedy,” giving guys the entertainment they need, while still providing that deep, heartfelt message that every woman loves. But let’s get real here! We all can enjoy a good bearded-man, sex, or loser joke! Knocked Up has all of these. If fact, it keeps up a consistent, satisfying pace throughout the entire film, with clever one-liners and movie references. Most of our leading man and Father-to-Be’s conversations with his Jewish Canadian or recently bearded buddies consist of amazing crossfire action and some of the funniest lines to come out of the classic bachelor archetype’s mouth. He even keeps his sense of humor when it comes to more serious matters.

Yes, Ben Stone, played by Seth Rogen, might have gotten lucky on his one-night stand, with a Grey’s Anatomy lesson from Alison Scott, played by Katherine Heigl, but this E! Entertainment reporter will not let go of what might become the best mistake of her life. So Ben will just have to find something to laugh about.

Eight weeks after her recent promotion and late-night lovin’ with Ben, Alison finds herself puking at the shoes of Spider-Man star James Franco, while doing an on-camera interview with him. It doesn’t take long for her fellow coworkers and sister to figure out that she’s pregnant. It is then up to Alison to shape her pot-smoking, naked-girl-website-creating new boyfriend into shape, with parenting books and lessons from her sister, Debbie (Leslie Mann), and Debbie’s fun-lovin’ husband, Pete (Paul Rudd). But as time goes on, hormones start to stir and Pete proves to be the bad influence on Ben, with whom he finally can relate.

Although understanding women as they are, Alison and Debbie find themselves struggling to put up with the men they have grown so much to love. It isn’t until a crazy Cirque du Soleil show, when shrooms turn on both of our dads, that they realize it is finally time to embrace the love they are given for everything it is—even if it’s not perfect in every instant. After all, Pete and Ben know they aren’t perfect. It’s just getting over their own personal insecurities that convince them that their family’s love is too important to lose.

Overall, this film is shocking… and shockingly amazing all the way through. Pulling off a two-hour romantic/slapstick comedy is hard to do. But it ended on the perfect note, leaving the audience on a full stomach of humor and heart. The dialogue is outstanding and leaves you wondering just how much of making this movie felt like play rather than work. The extremes of the characters, particularly Debbie the bitch and paranoid sister/wife/mom, are very well constructed. Together, both Debbie and Pete do an outstanding job of providing a humorous yet realistic contrast to our main couple, helping to accentuate the caring and redeeming qualities of both Ben and Alison.

And let’s not forget the kids! Also members of the Apatow family, these two cuties play the daughters of Debbie and Pete, and are made available for the Parents-to-Be to practice on. You will be sure to get a laugh out of the reactions that arise from conversations between an inexperienced Ben and the curious Googler, Charlotte.

Oh, and don’t be surprised to see a little more skin in the delivery room than ever before! Although a surprise to us all, it is more tasteful then one would anticipate. The story is surprisingly unpredictable, as well, never relying on cliché couple drama to keep it going, but rather honest and primarily optimistic attempts to give an unexpected change a try. Amongst all of the dirty jokes and goofy sex scenes, this movie is definitely worth biting into… Just don’t choke from laughing too hard!

Marielle Brinda is a screenwriter, film critic and kickboxing student living in Chicago.

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