Knocked Up

Release date: June 1, 2007
Directed by: Judd Apatow
Starring: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann

A couple of years ago, Judd Apatow revived the intelligent lowbrow comedy. The genre was basically destroyed in Hollywood by the Farrelly brothers, who made one blockbuster (that wasn't even very funny) and then attempted to make the same film nine more times.

Apatow is clearly a lot smarter. This comes as no real surprise. He's responsible for some of the funniest cancelled-too-soon TV series of the last decade (Freaks And Geeks, Undeclared) and was one of the masterminds behind the classic Larry Sanders Show and the equally awesome Ben Stiller Show. But The 40-Year-Old Virgin was the crown jewel in Apatow's collection. It was him from top to bottom, and it foreshadowed Steve Carell's much-deserved stardom and the mega-success of The Wedding Crashers. So what does he do for an encore?

He produces one of the smartest demographic films of the year, Knocked Up. The movie follows two characters: likable Canadian stoner Ben (Rogen) and driven E! Channel reporter Alison (Heigl). When the two have an unlikely one-night stand, Alison accidentally gets pregnant.

While they decide to make a go of having a real relationship after Alison decides to keep the baby, the duo couldn't be more opposite. Every time Ben opens his mouth he reveals another piece of information that makes Alison's head spin. When her controlling sister Debbie (Mann), who has plenty of issues with her own husband Pete (Rudd), tells Alison she has to make Ben change, the already complicated situation takes a nasty turn.

So This Is Kinda Awkward
Generally speaking, Knocked Up is funnier than Apatow's previous effort. I wouldn't say it's as well constructed, because Virgin's plot was masterful, to the point that it was long, but never overstayed its welcome.

The comedy in Knocked Up is a bit more consistent, but its plot is a tad shakier, mostly due to a lack of chemistry between Rogen and Heigl. I know we're supposed to see that the two are opposites, but Ben is pulled in such a polar direction from Alison that it's unclear what she would ever see in him. It makes her motives a little shaky.

Heigl isn't without her moments, but every comedy has to have the straight person. Here, the Grey's Anatomy star is mostly a foil for Rogen's nervous verbal diarrhea and Mann's alternately great or grating outbursts. She's a good actress and has big features that should be perfect for humour, but something's lacking in her delivery. I think, perhaps, the part was slightly underwritten. While she's onscreen for much of the film, you never really get to know Alison, which is sort of strange given your ability to sympathize with her depends on that happening.

But Apatow's obsession with his male lead, Rogen, prevents the movie from ever sliding off the rails. The writer has had an affinity with the goofy Canuck since the Freaks And Geeks days, and Rogen truly shines in his first attempt at carrying a whole film. Ben's so wholly relatable that it's easy to forgive him when he makes decisions that don't necessarily jibe with his character. Plus, he's brilliantly reunited with alumni of Apatow's two student TV comedies and Virgin/Anchorman standout Rudd, whose renaissance as the prettiest guy in comedy has been nothing short of astonishing.

In addition, Knocked Up is a movie for everyone (over, say, 16). Where Virgin primarily appealed to a male audience — I'm not saying women wouldn't have enjoyed it, I'm sure many did, it's just that it was more geared to men — there's more than enough humour to appeal to both sexes in Knocked Up. And in this age of mind-blowingly awful comedies for 13-year-old boys, that's an achievement worth heralding.

The problem with movies this year is that they seem to have forgotten the fun. Reviews for this year's biggest releases have been either totally mixed or completely awful. Finally, here's a movie for people who want more than big explosions, choreographed action and overly-convoluted plots. Knocked Up is a smart and thankfully simple gem.