why is it that cruel forces leave me in a lurch and on a weekend that all the good movies premiere on both movie channels, too. last weekend, it happened again so rather than let them pass on by, I`m gonna submit them here and now...especially where it`s slim pickings (with the exception of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug). last fall, I was singing the praises of writer-director Judd Apatow with a double whammy in the form of The 40-Year-Old Virgin & This Is 40. and now, it`s time to deliver his second film that became a huge success. released in 2007, Knocked Up brings together two very opposite characters. Seth Rogen`s Ben is a typical guy: spending his days hanging with his equally slack off buddies smoking pot, riding roller coasters, and planning a new online website. Katherine Heigl`s Allison is living with her sister and her family focusing on her career on the E! Network and just got a promotion. to celebrate, Allison and sister Debbie go to a nightclub where she meets Ben and hook up. eight weeks after their one night stand, Allison discovers that she`s pregnant and has to tell Ben which leaves him in shock. beyond the personal issues, Alison struggles with how this pregnancy will affect her new job, especially in the eyes of her image conscious bosses. and despite being a big kid himself, Ben, wanting to do right by Alison, supports her in any way he can. As they are both nice people who strive for the traditional when it comes to family, they decide to give their relationship a shot despite their incompatibility. especially for Alison, her primary concern is not ending up the way of Debbie and Pete, who too are incompatible, who only married because Debbie got pregnant, and who both seem unhappy in their married life. also starring Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann (aka Mrs. Apatow), Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Martin Starr, Joanna Kerns, Harold Ramis, and in their big screen debuts the Apatow sisters, Maude & Iris. Knocked Up finished 5th on my Best of 2007 list which was perfect where comedies have been scarce over the years and 4 finished in the top 10. and while Apatow does not sugarcoat it in his script, he stretches the boundaries of romantic comedies by introducing one of American films most unlikely pairings, and then brilliantly crafts a story where moment by moment, laugh by laugh - the couple embrace each other - and the audience - in a world of humor and heart. Knocked Up premiered on Friday, October 3rd on Encore and is currently available on Encore On Demand until November 4th.
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 03:21:52 +0000