RSS Review: Knocked Up
Filed in Blog, Reviews| Knocked Up is, unsurprisingly, the movie of a woman who gets knocked up. A one night stand turns into nine months of pregnancy with both the father Ben (Seth Rogen) and the mother Alison (Katherine Heigl) trying to get to grips with impending parenthood, each other, and the vast changes happening in their life.
It’s way over the top, of course, with much shrill shrieking. Ben is a flat broke stoner living in bachelor heaven with his equally warped roomies, and the mother has recently been promoted to TV presenter–lots of money and prestige. This is not a match made in heaven. ;) |
Her employers are characatures–with a sense of “not far from reality for Hollywood.” They’re not allowed to ask her to “lose weight” but they can give her a gym membership so that she can, um, “tighten.” That kind of thing. This is why she doesn’t tell them about the pregnancy until it’s impossible to miss.
Where this movie shines is in the characterizations and insights of the four main players–the newly pregnant couple, and her sister and brother-in-law. And it’s not sugary—thank goodness. This is a movie all about relationships, and the deep feelings that lie behind them. The two men bond, and we get glimpses into male fears and attitudes that way. The sister is terrified of getting older, of rejection, and reacts by being controlling. Yet somehow, all four of them end up being good for each other, and the sense is of a more happy ending than one would have expected at the beginning. There are some fantastic, poignant one-liners that highlight everything that is wrong about modern human relationships.
It’s rare that a script goes this far into the “taboo” worlds of both men and women. Luckily, it’s funny as well. Anyone watching this with an open mind will be both amused and educated. It’s kind of like “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” with a hefty dose of “Men are from Earth, Women are from Earth, deal with it.”
I liked this movie very much.
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2 Comments, Comment or Ping
Ling (11 comments.)
I remember Heigl from Grey’s Anatomy, but I keep forgetting Seth Rogen. Even after seeing the movie, I still can’t remember his face.
Aug 2nd, 2008
Linda R. Moore
I can hardly ever remember actors’ names, but it was a fun movie. Haven’t gotten into Gray’s…I’m more of an ER girl.
Oct 23rd, 2008
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