Knocked Up
Rated: R
Runtime: 2 hours, 9 minutes
Directed by: Judd Apatow
Starring:
Seth Rogen - Ben Stone
Katherine Heigl - Alison Scott
Paul Rudd - Pete
Leslie Mann - Debbie
Jay Baruchel - Jay
Jonah Hill - Jonah
Jason Segel - Jason
Martin Starr - Martin
I would ask you to see this film on general principle because unlike most other folks making “comedies” today, writer/director Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, TV’s Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared) actually tells wonderful stories featuring characters that grow, develop, and actually challenge the audience without becoming preachy or pedantic. But I don’t have to sell this film on principle because it’s absolutely hilarious and it’s much easier to sell hilarity.
Ben (Seth Rogen) is the kind of guy who gets passed over when the kind of girl like Alison (Katherine Heigl) is looking for Mr. Right. Ben spends most of him time dicking around with his friends (played by Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Martin Starr, and Johan Hill—all fellow Apatow alums), getting high, and building a website based on when famous actresses show breasts and/or vag in a major motion picture. Alison, on the other hand, is a career-minded go-getter at E! and has recently nabbed a promotion to host on-air interviews. But as Alison is celebrating her recent promotion, alcohol works its magic and both a smashed Ben and a smashed Alison end up smashing their genitals together and six weeks later, Alison discovers she’s pregnant with Mr. Wrong’s offspring. The rest of the film is more a coming of age story as Alison struggles with how she’ll learn to love a guy like Ben (if she ever can) and Ben learning if he can ever be the guy worthy of Alison’s love and more important, the responsible adult in the life of the impending child. Their struggle is paralleled by the story of Alison’s sister Debbie (Leslie Mann, Apatow’s real-life spouse) and her husband Pete (Paul Rudd) whose sarcasm and secrecy is beginning to unnerve his wife.
To begin, if you loved the “Know How I Know You’re Gay?” scene between Rogen and Rudd in 40-Year-Old Virgin, get ready for an embarrassment of riches as every scene these guys share is just guaranteed to make you pee yourself laughing (I seriously recommend not purchasing a large beverage before seeing this film). Segel, Baruchel, Starr, and Hill also deliver a load of laughs as their immature antics are slightly shameful but still lovable. While most of the character development comes from the four leads, everyone pulls their weight, even the two girls who play Debbie and Pete’s kids (who are actually Apatow and Mann’s kids; this is how you save money on films, by the way).
Knocked Up is a more difficult comedy than 40-Year-Old Virgin. Rogen isn’t always as lovable as Carell and he’s not supposed to be. There are moments where Alison is more the victim because she actually has her life together (or at least much more than Ben) and she’s sucked into his world simply because he couldn’t get a condom on fast enough. But like 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up shares the same message about the difficulty of growing up and what spurs us to find something greater in life than simple leisure. While other comedies will do everything short of sticking a penis in a wheat thresher (unless that was in the latest Jackass film and no one told me), Apatow holds a unique position as a storyteller because he’s the only one crafting inspirational comedies.
But I don’t have to sell this film on how it will make you think about your life. I don’t have to sell this film on how it will make you care about the characters involved. I have the pleasure of just selling it as it is: a hilarious film with a lot of heart.
Words by
Matt Goldberg
4.30.07