Movie Review: Knocked Up

From the moment I first saw a trailer for Knocked Up, I knew it was going to be one to watch. Frankly, I thought it looked hilarious, plus I am becoming a big fan of Judd Apatow's work, and have been looking forward to his follow up to the very funny 40 Year Old Virgin. There was definitely going to be some sort of comparison to his earlier film, and I am happy to say that this surpasses the Steve Carell vehicle. I found there to be a stronger sense of reality in this movie, and it really struck home.

Knocked Up has a strong sense of reality to it, that isn't to say that it is real. As I watched this I found that it had a very natural and organic flow to it. Still, there is a difference between real and reality. This has reality to it, not real. If I want to see real, I would just go out and people watch, and doing that it woiuld be quickly found that real is boring. What I like about this is that it has a reality to it. You may know people like those in the movie, you may identify with people in the movie or at least elements of those people, but the pieces are there to draw you in. It is something that Apatow has been doing his entire career, go back and watch 40 Year Old Virgin or his television projects Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared. Watch them and you will find a lot to laugh at, lots of comedy, but also a lot of truth. It is truth that is grounded in the real world, and delivered in a believable fashion, one that has a reality to it, just a slight step removed from the real.

The story follows Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) and Allison Scott (Katherine Heigl), a drunken evening at a club leads to a life changing event that has drastic impact on both of their lives. Ben is a party guy who lives with a group of his friends, spending his days getting high and working on a startup internet project. He is a guy who just floats through letting the chips fall where they may. He is not a bad guy by any stretch, just someone who has not yet grown up, someone who has not had the need to become a productive part of society. Allison, on the other hand is a woman on the go, with a career on the rise and the whole world stretched out before her. So, after being promoted, she heads out on the town with her sister to celebrate. It is at a night club where Allison's and Ben's paths cross. The two wind up having a one night stand, a fateful night that will change the paths of their lives forever.

A couple months out from that drunken night of bliss it is discovered that Allison is pregnant. This causes a crisis. What does she do? Her on camera career at E! is on the rise, and this could jeopardize all that she has worked for. Does she tell Ben? Does she have the baby? It is a big thing for a young woman to deal with. In the end, she decides to tell Ben, and together the two navigate the rough and choppy waters of preparing to have a child and at developing a relationship with each other.

Knocked Up is very funny, very touching, and a film that hits all the right marks. It is laced with raunchy comedy, and heart warming moments. The screenplay is a thing of beauty, taking something that could be considered a trite plot and giving it something special. It is so much more than the crass comedy or the one night stand plot, it is about characters encountering that life changing event and the ways that they deal and cope and grow as people. Yes, it is a comedy, and an absolutely hilarious one at that, but the drama is equal to the comedy.

In addition to the story of would be lovers Allison and Ben, we have a side story integrated to contrast their relationship. We get Debbie (Leslie Mann) and Pete (Paul Rudd) as a troubled married couple in love. It is a nice side story that fits in well with the larger picture. Also consider that the supporting cast is great, and there are some funny cameos sprinkled throughout.

Judd Apatow, serving as writer and director, once again delivers a great comedy that puts the vast majority of other Hollywood comedies to shame. He is a talent that cannot be ignored. He has delivered a movie that is easy to get into, easy to identify with, and really digs to the heart of the matter. It puts an unlikely pair together, one not looking for love, the other not feeling that he can be loved. Simply a great film.

Bottomline. This outdid my expectations and sits as one of the finest films of the year. It comes out firing on all cylinders. Funny, romantic, and just flat out entertaining. This is a movie that really deserves to be seen. Seth Rogen emerges as a star on the rise, Heigl is beginning to cement upper list status, and Apatow is clearly one of the top comedy filmmakers currently working. Great film, great cast, go see it.

Highly Recommended.