Knocked Up (2007)

Premise: Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) is promoted at E!, and she heads out for the night with her sister, Debbie (Leslie Mann), to celebrate. Alison meets cute with Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) while he is out with his stoner roomies (Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, and Martin Starr). Eight weeks later, Alison is preggers.

Hurrah! I have returned from my little hiatus refreshed and ready to review. Miss me no longer, gentle reader. I'm back.

Naturally, I'm back with some sweet Judd Apatow (writer/director here) action. Yes, people, naturally. I have a love for M. Apatow that knows no bounds. F&G rocked, I own Undeclared, and I spent weeks begging my friends to go see The 40-Year-Old Virgin with me. He's the main delivery service for an addiction known as Seth Rogen (Ken! Ron!).

First of all, he's cute. Secondly, and most importantly, he's funny. He's wonderfully sarcastic, and he obviously can see the humour in a lot of different things, like the first time you get sick away from home. All in all, Rogen made a great TV boyfriend, and it seems he is on his way to make a great movie boyfriend.

Oh, Heigl, they really made Izzie reprehensible this season, no? It's too bad 'cause Izzie was my favourite intern. Of course, no matter what ridiculous speech the writers throw at you, you carry it off with aplomb, as you are far, far more talented than they seem to realize. You are also a delight here with deft comedic timing and a winsome screen presence. You know, in addition to being really hot. Hope there's more big screen roles in your future, as I am about ready to abandon the show you currently call home.

Much like with the outlandish Virgin premise, Apatow succeeds in taking something that, by all
rights, is creepy and icky and turning it into something hilarious and sweet. Carrell's subtle performance did it for the first, and Rogen and Heigl's budding relationship, contrasted with Debbie and Pete (Paul Rudd)'s marital strife, does it for the second. It's too bad about the way that the abortion discussion gets the bum's rush, but, in a movie whose premise is so clearly stated in the title, what do you really expect?

Anyway, must be time to go read what Dana Stevens says they got wrong about women. I'm sure I'll be incensed when I am finished. Until then, I remain enraptured. A-