Sometimes Pregnancy is Funny

Rating: 8/10 (17 February 2013)

"Knocked Up" is more than just a synonym for pregnant. Judd Apatow's 2007 film, starring Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl, follows the story of how one drunken stupor can lead to a nine-month journey to parenthood. "Knocked Up" pushes the boundaries of what comedy is by introducing real life situations and an emotion filled story, all the while keeping the audience laughing. The film follows the plot line of Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) and Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl), a mismatched couple, who are together as the result of an unplanned pregnancy. The major comedy of the story comes from the acting on behalf of Seth Rogen. He plays a slightly overweight, curly-fro haired man who finds himself at a crossroads in his life. In essence, his character can best be described as a loser; he is unemployed, smokes marijuana regularly, and lives in a house full of male "entrepreneurs." The movie's cover features a humorous photo of Rogen, posing the rhetorical question: "What if this guy got you pregnant?" The character of Ben Stone makes for many comedic situations when his lifestyle clashes with that of Alison Scott's, a strait laced, professional woman working for the E television network. Primarily, Apatow's humor takes advantage of uncomfortable situations by finding the absurdity within them. For instance, Stone relies heavily on a dance move called "rolling the dice" while dancing for the first time with Scott at an L.A. nightclub. Apatow explores the real life situations of unplanned pregnancy and marriage through the relationships of his characters. He forces the audience to ask themselves, what would you do in that situation? In the case of Ben Stone, he commits to being a father. In turn, this leads to Apatow's further development of Ben Stone. At first glance, the audience sees a quirky but good-natured man who has little going for him. By the end of the film, the growth of Stone allows the audience to view him as a better-suited, potential father. For example, in the major climax of the movie, Heigl's character goes into labor and Stone is cool under pressure. He knows exactly how to handle the situation, because he has read the baby books the couple purchased. The originality of Apatow's work is what makes it so great. This new form of comedy is relationship driven and finds humor in the struggle of peoples' day-to-day lives. In fact, Apatow brings his own life into "Knocked Up" by casting his family in the film. In the movie, Apatow's wife, Leslie Mann, plays Alison Scott's sister, while his two daughters are also cast. Apatow's brand of comedy is one that has a real story behind it; unlike other comedies, it is not simply one joke after another. The story in "Knocked Up" is seen through the different romantic relationships in the movie. On one hand, Rogen and Heigl are just beginning a relationship that started off on a rather unexpected note. On the other hand, Paul Rudd and Mann have been married for years and are looking to rekindle the love in their relationship. The humor in "Knocked Up" can at times be seen as juvenile, but the movie is truly more than a raunchy comedy; it's an unorthodox love story. Along the way, the comedy exposes the humorous side of unusual situations. "Knocked Up" allows a person to see the absurdities in everyday life, whether it is at the hottest nightclub in L.A. or at the family breakfast table.