Two Twenty-Something Non-Virgins
Written: Jun 16 '07
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Bang For The Buck |
 |
|
|
Pros: Heigl, Rogen, Mann, Rudd, story
Cons: The movie runs a little long
The Bottom Line: Kids, don't try this at home. This is only a movie.
|
|
|
| pmills1210's Full Review: Knocked Up |
They thought their night together was going to be a one-night stand. A couple of months later, the woman calls the man with some news that is going to change both of their lives. It's not an easy call, for neither expected to see the other again. As they continue to converse, they find it easier to speak. Although they will learn they are far apart on many issues, they have made the connection after the Connection.
Thus begins an unexpected relationship in Knocked Up, Judd Apatow's follow-up to The 40-Year-Old Virgin, which features actors from his previous film in more prominent roles. Seth Rogen stars as Ben Stone, a young, would-be web entrepreneur who's been working with his friends to build an online entertainment site that chronicles all of the nude scenes that feature mainstream movie stars. One night, Ben goes to a club with one of his friends and meets Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl), who's out celebrating her work promotion with her sister Debbie (Leslie Mann). He gets the ladies drinks when the bartenders won't pay them any attention. Alison has just been named an on-air correspondent at E! Entertainment Television. Before she does her first piece for the network, her bosses, Jack (Alan Tudyk) and Jill (Kristen Wiig), suggest Alison work on toning her figure. After her night with Ben, Alison finds that request impossible.
Alison has become pregnant, and gets some measure of relief that Ben wishes to accept responsibility for his role in their impending parenthood. Ben spends more time with Alison, Debbie, and Debbie's husband Pete (Paul Rudd), who's a musical talent scout who works all sorts of odd hours. Many things still don't go smoothly for Ben and Alison. Alison is continually unhappy with the doctors who want to get her through her pregnancy. She also wants Ben to add stability to the responsibility. While they try to become some sort of couple, they find themselves in moments of great contentiousness. Still, they learn how to deal with each other as a couple and try to focus on their future.
Apatow, who also wrote and produced this picture, creates an effective mix of comedy and drama. Had Alison and Ben not had a life-altering moment, they likely would never had met again. They begin the movie as people on opposite ends of the entertainment spectrum, although each is seeking a higher level of achievement in their work. Alison gets it, and worries about keeping it. Ben wants it, but neither he nor any of his web partners have any sort of sensible business plan. Their best plan involves knowing how to have a good time. Ben has lived off a disability settlement, but now that life must change out of necessity. His good nature helps to make him half of an unlikely couple with Alison. After their dubious start, they want to do better. Apatow brings the comedy from every situation. Alison finds new reactions from celebrities and co-workers alike. Ben and his friends are excited about the pregnancy, but they don't realize that they're not really in it together in the same way they are in business together. Ben and Alison show they are an extreme example of opposites who attract. Some people will object to some of the language and situations in Knocked Up, but Apatow has a good sense of pacing, and a strong sense of humor. Some sequences move a little too slowly, making the movie feel long, especially toward the end.
A number of actors have followed Apatow from the small screen to the big, most notably Rogen, who was in two TV shows with Apatow's involvement, Freaks And Geeks and Undeclared. Rogen, who also had a supporting role in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, is fine as the always-optimistic Ben. He's determined to do right by Alison and their child, though he's not always sure how he will accomplish this. As a young man of limited means, he finds he wants to marry Alison. His proposal scene is one of the highlights of the film. I also like Rogen's scenes with Rudd (also from The 40-Year-Old Virgin), as Ben sees how Pete deals with the demands of married life. In one part of the film, Debbie thinks Pete is cheating on her. She brings along Ben and Alison on a spy mission, only to learn that Pete has been doing anything but cheating.
Heigl, who is best known for her work on Grey's Anatomy, is a comic bundle of emotions as Alison. From the moment she's promoted, she's given advice on image. When she thinks she may be pregnant, she and Debbie buy an ample supply of test kits. Heigl is very convincing not only at conveying the stages of pregnancy, but also she shows the concerns of an on-air personality and potential partner to a man who scarcely understands responsibility of any sort. Mann, who had a memorable driving scene in Apatow's previous directorial effort, is funny as sister and advisor to Alison. Debbie wants to dominate many aspects of her marriage to Pete, and gets worried about something that turns out to be nothing. Plenty of other actors make their mark in brief scenes. Joanna Kerns plays Alison's mother, and offers advice that is far different from the words offered by Harold Ramis, who plays Ben's father. Several celebrities have cameos as themselves, including Steve Carell, who starred as Apatow's virgin, and James Franco, the Spider-Man 3 actor whose film is referenced by Ben and his friends. Some will be surprised by the cameo from real E! correspondent and American Idol MC Ryan Seacrest, who goes into an angry rant about an upcoming interview with Jessica Simpson. Debbie's children are played by Maude and Iris Apatow, whose parents are the director and Mann (husband and wife since 1997).
In the tradition of American families, many would not start the way that Alison and Ben did in this movie. In Knocked Up, they enter a situation where they learn more about each other than they ever expected. While they work together toward some form of civil union, they realize what is more important is the health and well-being of their baby. With the help of their family and friends, they find that an impending event can reveal the sort of character that is not revealed by one date. While Alison and Ben don't make plans for the altar, they do have a relationship and a courtship. Some would say they have put their proverbial cart before the horse. In a world where lasting marriages have become less of a certainty, Alison and Ben have found a way to make their situation work. Some modifications are likely to follow.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Feel-good Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Pacing
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
pmills1210
|
 in Music, Movies |
 in Movies |
 - Top 500 |
|
Member: Pat Mills
Location: East Chicago, In.
Reviews written: 954
Trusted by: 374 members
About Me:
"Nothing in moderation." - Ernie Kovacs. Read and enjoy!
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.