Slacker Comedy Grows Up
Knocked Up is Outrageous but Heartwarming

With a curly hairdo reminiscent of Welcome Back, Kotter in the 1970s, Seth Rogen isn't the kind of guy you'd expect to pick up a hottie like Katherine Heigl. In the real world, it probably would never happen. But in the hilarious new comedy Knocked Up, director Judd Apatow uses the unlikely pairing as a starting point for a story about family, relationships, and responsibility.

Knocked Up
Alison (Katherine Heigl) and Ben (Seth Rogen) discover that a one-night stand is about to change their lives in the comedy Knocked Up. (Universal, 2007)
Directed by: Judd Apatow
Written by: Judd Apatow
Starring: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, and Martin Starr

Rated R (for sexual content, drug use and language)
Running time: 129 min.

FilmGuru's Rating : 8 out of 10.

Heigl (Grey's Anatomy) plays Alison Scott, a producer at E! Television who has just been promoted to be in front of the camera. Out celebrating with her sister, Debbie (Leslie Mann), she happens to hook up with Ben (Rogen) at the local club. Eight weeks later, Alison discovers that the one-night stand has given her more than she expected.

Knocked Up is a combination of two different movies genres. On the one hand, it's a stoner comedy. Ben and his stoner buddies (including Jason Segel from television's How I Met Your Mother) don't have any ambition or drive. None of them understand the meaning of consequences or responsibility. When Ben discovers that he is about to be a father, he acts like he understands but he ignores the fact that his life has changed.

On the other hand, Knocked Up is a pretty straight-forward chick flick filled with discussions of married life, relationships, feelings and fears. Alison asks the tough questions about having a child vs. having a career, fears getting fired from her job, and worries that Ben may not be the right choice for the father of her child.

While Alison and Ben try to sort out what kind of a future they might have, Alison's sister and brother-in-law, Pete (Paul Rudd), are in the midst of a meltdown. Debbie needs constant validation that she is still pretty while Pete finds himself being weighted down with responsibility. The outlook for Ben and Alison is bleak, but this isn't a Lifetime movie of the week.

The difference is that this film is outrageously irreverent and funny while being downright heartwarming too. It takes the sensibility of a teen comedy from the '80s, with lots of gratuitous sex and drug use, and couples it with a smart, engaging comedy about growing up.

The raw comedy talent in Knocked Up is worth the price of admission. Rudd and Rogen are a hilarious paring, making me laugh as much as they did in Apatow's The 40-Year Old Virgin. Because Apatow is known for a loose and creative atmosphere in his films, the result is dialogue that is both fresh and genuine.

In addition to the principle cast, one of the lynchpins of the film is Ben's group of friends: Segel, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, and Martin Starr. These four act as comic relief but also as a mirror to Ben. In them, he sees what will happen if he doesn't take control of his own life.

The film also boasts a great line-up of cameos including Joanna Kerns, as Alison's mom; Harold Ramis, as Ben's dad; SNL's Kristen Wiig, as Alison's co-worker; SNL's Bill Hader as Brent; and American Idol's own Ryan Seacrest as himself.

I think those who go to see a smart comedy/drama about the consequences of unexpected pregnancy are likely to enjoy the film, regardless of the low-brow humor and drug references. Those who go expecting something reminiscent of Apatow's previous work may be disappointed by this intelligent film.