Knocked Up

Rob Schneider once said that his main reason for making “Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo” was to resurrect the struggling genre of R-rated comedy. Well, I don’t think that an agonizingly idiotic sex romp with no apparent significance or purpose is the best way to save an entire group of films. It seems that Mr. Schneider could’ve used some advice from Writer/Director Judd Apatow, who is rapidly becoming one of the sharpest comedic minds in Hollywood.

His latest film, “Knocked Up,” is the absolute epitome of what an adult comedy should be. It’s a blisteringly funny yet surprisingly poignant look at pregnancy through the eyes of two twenty-somethings whose entire world is turned upside down following a drunken encounter. In the hands of a lesser director, this film may have been just another throwaway, but the combination of Apatow’s always clever dialogue and exceptional cast quickly make it one of the truly great comedies of all time.

Here’s the breakdown: Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) is an overweight stoner, who enjoys hanging out with his vulgar circle of friends and living life according to his own perverted vision. Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) is a reporter for E! and just starting to begin her high-profile career in the entertainment industry. Together, they make an interesting pair to say the least, but when Alison informs Ben that she’s pregnant, things get a little dicey. Ben says he’s “on board,” but has no real concept of what becoming a father really entails. He’s willing to make the best of the situation and Alison is willing to give him a chance to prove himself worthy of the task. For the first few months, their relationship appears to be heading in the right direction, but Ben’s juvenile behavior is wearing thin and Alison wonders if he’ll ever change his ways.

Here is where the film really flourishes, because we are given an in-depth look at contemporary dating and able to use Alison’s sister and brother-in-law as a mirror into the complicated psyche of married people. The comedic stylings of Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd are carried out in scene-stealing fashion as they engage in bitter verbal battles, while offering some often raunchy yet continually hilarious observations on the institution of marriage. When Alison looks at how her sister’s life turned out, she questions whether or not her life with Ben would be any different.

After all of the crying and arguing is over, Apatow greets us with what is probably the most graphic childbirth scene ever filmed. It’s everything you expect and then some. When the baby comes, we finally see what the film was getting at the whole time. It’s a rarity that a film with such a dirty mind can have such a heartwarming message at its center, but I think that’s what makes it so good. The fact that we care about the characters and are willing to watch them work things out is exactly where Apatow succeeds.

When the film is over, one question still remains: How on Earth did a beautiful, blond woman fall for a self-deprecating schlub like Ben? I guess that’s where disbelief has to be suspended. The bottom line is that these people are funny. Very funny. They’re so keenly aware of their pop culture surroundings that almost every one-liner is a reference to a movie or song. Whether it’s Doc Brown or Steely Dan, no one is safe from their wide array of sharp-edged insults. So as far as consistent humor is concerned, “Knocked Up” is one movie that literally delivers.

- **** out of 4