KNOCKED UP (2007)

""Knocked Up" is comedy that appeals to both sexes, which is not always an easy task. And through it's unflinching humor and unexpected feeling, it will make you realize that sometimes life takes a different path than you had originally planned."

- Timothy M. Bruderek

(4.5/5 Stars)

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How would you like to wake up and realize that the fat shlub down the street impregnated you? That is exactly the question writer/director Judd Apatow is trying to answer in his brilliant comedy "Knocked Up."

Seth Rogan takes a starring role as Ben Stone, a pothead who is in no hurry to grow up, and who's wasting his life away literally and figuratively. He is the de facto leader of misfit group of directionless stoners who spend the majority of their time smoking pot and developing a celebrity porn website.

Katherine Hiegl takes a much-needed break from "Grey's Anatomy" and plays Allison Scott, a knockout blonde with heart, who is eager to mature and completely immerse herself in her budding career.

The unlikely duo meet at a bar one night, and after one too many drinks, end up sleeping together and accidentally making a baby. The two are complete and utter opposites, with not one thing in common save their reluctance to be tied down. Both are forced to grasp the fact that it's time for them to grow up and realize that perhaps their lives won't be exactly as they expected.

Apatow practically reunites the full cast from his cult hit TV show "Freaks and Geeks", a riotously funny and painfully realistic portrayal of high school in the '80s. The stellar cast carries on their fantastic chemistry and effortlessly depicts the camaraderie between the motley crew of friends who are trying to let go of the unlikely family unit they have created. The realistic dialogue, though a tad vulgar and crude, truly shows how buddies interact when the women aren't around.

Apatow gives you an inside look at the world of dysfunctional relationships, both with the interaction between Ben and Allison, and the failing marriage of Allison's sister Debbie (played by the hilarious Leslie Mann, Apatow's wife) and her disconnected husband Pete (the always entertaining Paul Rudd). Both help us understand the goods and bads, ins and outs of starting a family, having children (both planned and unplanned), settling down, and giving up what you once held most sacred.

"Knocked Up" is one of the funniest films of the last few years, yet has a great dramatic storyline and is able to evoke an array of emotions. It's a comedy that appeals to both sexes, which is not always an easy task. And through it's unflinching humor and unexpected feeling, it will make you realize that sometimes life takes a different path than you had originally planned.