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 June2007
KNOCKED UP |
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By Julian Roman
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Finally, a breath of fresh air arrives in the stale summer of sequels. Judd Apatow’s “Knocked Up” is an absolute winner. It’s funny as hell, but never lets the raunchy humor get away from the clever and heartwarming story. The premise is highly original. Katherine Heigl stars as Alison, a beautiful production assistant who lands a major promotion at the ‘E’ television channel. She decides to celebrate by going to a club with her older sister, Debbie (Leslie Mann in the best performance of her career). When Debbie leaves in an emergency, Alison, in a drunken haze, meets the lovable stoner, Ben (Seth Rogan). The pair has a one-night stand and Katherine’s accidental pregnancy occurs. She decides to keep the baby, but is unsure if slacker Ben is good father material. Ben, who has fallen in love with Katherine, sets out to prove that he can be a good father and husband. “Knocked Up” succeeds because the actors play their characters well. Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogan are inspired casting. They’re believable and extremely likeable as the thrust together couple giving it a chance for the sake of their baby. They face a life-changing event together. The maturity that occurs happens in the context of the story. Good actors convey this by fleshing out their characters in a way that is believable to the audience. Without convincing character development, “Knocked Up” would be another comedy with big laughs and no heart. Judd Apatow’s stock has skyrocketed with this film. He’s made a career of brilliant comedy writing, but in my opinion, had not distinguished himself as an exceptional comedy director. That’s changed completely with “Knocked Up”. Apatow’s last directorial effort was the superb, and now classic, “The 40 Year Old Virgin”. When you do something great twice, that’s a trend and sets expectations. He’s on a roll here. I will now expect greatness from him from now on. Hopefully he can continue the good work. “Knocked Up” is the date movie of the summer. It’s a comedy that will appeal to both sexes. I have no doubt whatsoever that it will be a smash hit for Universal. Just be prepared for the onslaught of baby fever from women who see it.
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