Movie Reviews
Knocked Up
Rated R, 2:23 (2007)
Starring: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl
Direction: Judd Apatow, Shauna Robertson, Evan Goldberg, Clayton Townsend
Production: Judd Apatow
Screenplay: Judd Apatow
by Vincent St. James
A Raunchy yet Romantic Comedy That Gets It
Judd Apatow's comedy about the horrors of unplanned pregnancy is a lot like his 40-Year-Old Virgin. It is filled with raunchy humor and maintains his pull no punches comical style. Fortunately, while building on the strengths of Virgin, namely the screenwriting and a cohesive, plausible storyline (two components that are often missing from today's comedies), Apatow has managed to improve drastically in creating characters we care about.
Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) and Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) find themselves at a night club for different reasons: one to celebrate her recent success in what seems to be a career on the rise, and the other just out for snits and giggles. The couple hit it off at the bar and Proceed to enjoy an evening together doing the usual thing young couples do: sex. Only this time, someone forgot protection and the inevitable happens. What follows are a very funny yet heartwarming nine months for these two in which not only do they try to get to know each other, but they also attempt to figure out how to raise a child.
I give Apatow all the credit for writing such a good screenplay—it makes his job as a director that much easier. Alison and Ben say and do the things that real couples would in real life, only with just the right humor to give all the right laughs. Though the couple may have their share of emotional and at times almost (sarcastic gasp) dramatic moments throughout the film, the supporting cast of characters and their humor make up for any lost laughs, all in stride. This is a testament to Apatow’s unique ability to pace the film between comedy and romantic semi-drama. It's hard to say exactly what this style is reminiscent of, but it's been perfected here. Whatever it is, it works: it makes us laugh and care about their problems.
Heigl is great as Alison, portraying the emotions and hormonal effects of unplanned pregnancy with conviction. For example, early on her voice implies she cares about Ben, but not in the way she’s “supposed” to. Later on, we see that though she’s been through a lot emotionally, she realizes what Ben brings to the table as a human, as a man, and not just as the guy who knocked her up. Indeed, having such a solid script to work with helps her in the acting department.
Ditto for Seth Rogen. He seems to be emerging into the next big thing in comedy, but if that doesn’t pan out, he can always point to this performance as a worthy one. He’s raw and real as the unsuspecting father to be, as well as charismatic in his own way. There isn’t blow-your-mind chemistry between the two leads, but there’s enough to make the movie more than work.This movie gives lots of laughs while simultaneously showing “his and her” sides of the story quite well. It seems real, and that’s why the characters are so identifiable and easy to connect to. Kudos to Apatow.
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