My 62 year-old dad says he wants to see Knocked Up, so despite its raunchy humor it must be getting some loveable word of mouth. I say this because The Old Man ain't up on the film criticism scene, making himself scarce enough to not even read this very blog! Like the Bundy kids used to say to Al, "Thanks, dad!" And though I delight in taking loving jabs at my father on a public forum, my point is clear, Knocked Up has even the most unlikely audiences excited to get to the theater. I would expect nothing less from director Judd Apatow and his usual crew of comics. The notoriously nice Steve Carell, who starred in 2005's The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Apatow's first big directorial hit, makes a cameo in Knocked Up starring Seth Rogen. Rogen also had a secondary part in 40-Year-Old, so Apatow's got his own repertoire of actors to rely on. The best thing about the actors (and indeed the characters they play) is their down-to-earth sensibility; these guys really are regular Joes, the fun (not mean) kind who get their kicks poking fun at one another.
Whether or not the film can be termed Pro-Life or not, to me, is irrelevant. It's an issue buzzing about in reviews of Knocked Up, and for good reason: a beautiful young TV personality named Alison (Katherine Heigl) has too many beers with a stoner stranger named Ben (Seth Rogen), they go home together, and a few weeks later (after she has purposely fallen out of touch with him), and as the title bluntly states, Alison realizes she's been "knocked up." Most importantly, she decides not to get an abortion. Her sister Debbie (gleefully played by Leslie Mann) thinks she's crazy for keeping it, and Ben is even more shocked. Neither of them is at the place in their lives where they want a child, or even feel responsible enough. Surely, that's to be said for Ben who doesn't even have a job.
What's interesting about the movie is that it never pleads a case for or against abortion; instead the situation is looked at from a personal perspective. Alison decides that the best thing for her is to keep the baby, never implying judgment on anyone who might make the opposite decision. And very sweetly (and comically), we see two polar opposite characters learn to like one another.
Some of the best moments include comedy regular Paul Rudd, who is looking wonderfully dreamy --just like he did in the slender, clean cut days of Clueless. Take that with a grain of salt, I guess, but his blue eyes are enough to make one swoon (men included; I think he qualifies as a "man crush.") Ryan Seacrest makes a cameo appearance ranting on celeb culture (one brilliantly ironic performance), and the host of roommates Ben stores at home might make you snort with laughter. A personal favorite of the bunch is Martin (Martin Starr), who accepts a challenge not to shave his beard for a year; his friends mock his appearance; hilarity ensues.
Knocked Up is head and shoulders above the rest of the summer movies out now, and will probably a remain a favorite on my top ten for 2007. It's so funny, and so kind that even a conservative sixty-something will like it--right, Dad?
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