"Knocked Up" again

email this story
read comments (78)
post a comment

"It may be a bit, um, premature to say so, but Judd Apatow's Knocked Up strikes me as an instant classic," N.Y. Times critic A.O. Scott wrote yesterday, calling it "a comedy that captures the sexual confusion and moral ambivalence of our moment without straining, pandering or preaching."

No straining, that is, except for that believability issue that I wrote about twice and was shouted down for from every corner of the globe. I'm speaking (for the third and last time, I swear) about a mature, well-employed hottie who looks like Katherine Heigl going for a drunken one-night-stand with a layabout who looks like Seth Rogen. Wouldn't happen, couldn't happen..absolutely no way in hell. But everyone's loving the movie so the issue is moot. I enjoyed and respected this film a great deal, but I couldn't let it go. I tried to push it away but it kept poking me in the ribs and breathing in my face.

"Like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, it attaches dirty humor to a basically upright premise," Scott continues. "While this movie's barrage of gynecology-inspired jokes would have driven the prudes at the old Hays Office mad, its story, about a young man trying to do what used to be the very definition of the Right Thing, might equally have brought a smile of approval to the lips of the starchiest old-Hollywood censor."

"The wonder of Knocked Up is that it never scolds or sneers. It is sharp but not mean, sweet but not soft, and for all its rowdy obscenity it rarely feels coarse or crude. What it does feel is honest: about love, about sex, and above all about the built-in discrepancies between what men and women expect from each other and what they are likely to get."

"Prince" DVD is second-rate?<< previous | next >>"Once's" R rating

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on June 2, 2007 at 4:54 AM

comment #1

Doghouse Reilly says ...

I agree to a certain extent.

Don't get me wrong, I thought the movie was really, really funny and a great theatrical experience. Its weakness - what keeps it from being a "classic" to me - is that it gets a bit TV sitcom-y in places. You have to take certain aspects of the plot on faith, buy in to the situation because Apatow doesn't make much effort to fully dramatize.

The one night stand is one such situation, although I'd say these thing happens - Ben was in the right place at the right time. However, it's almost too easy. We all know that in that club, there would 40 deuchebag guys trying weasel their way into Alison's pants. Perhaps she'd be turned off by the whole thing and even more likely to be amused by a guy like Ben. But Apatow doesn't go there. And once they meet, we don't really see any of the "seduction" - it's a montage of drinking and dancing. And again, sure, it happens but because we never really get Ben turning on the charm, we're just supposed to buy into the whole thing so that we can get to the laughs.

The bigger offender is the actual romance. I found their relationship and the speed with which they're holding hands and making out after that brutal conversation at the restaurant unconvincing - she falls for him too quickly. We're just supposed to accept that they both need each other in this moment and are thus throwing themselves into this thing, but it doesn't quite ring true to me.

That said, I certainly laughed my ass off - those quibbles above are set ups to make you laugh, and the movie delivers the laughs big time. I'm just saying that the sitcom-y nature of it - albeit a hilariously foulmouthed, extremely well written and performed sitcom - keeps it from being what I would consider a classic.

Posted by Doghouse Reilly at June 2, 2007 5:42 AM

comment #2

Jayne Gacey says ...

I'm waiting for the libs to freak out about how there have now been two movies this summer (WAITRESS & KNOCKED UP) in which abortion is never even really considered by young professional women. Maybe the tide is turning? Wait, here comes 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS and 2 DAYS...

Posted by Jayne Gacey at June 2, 2007 6:06 AM

comment #3

corey3rd says ...

there are three ways a guy like Seth gets into the pants of an E! Reporter:

1. He has an ounce of cocaine
2. He is a producer at a network (that can hire talent)
3. He has an ounce of cocaine, a producer gig and a sportscar to race her back to the pad

Even if she wanted to score with the guy - she'd merely give him oral or a handjob while demanding more oral than any actual penetration - unless he's hung like the second coming of John Holmes.

And all the trailers have scenes that look like they were a Fox Sitcom.

Posted by corey3rd at June 2, 2007 7:24 AM

comment #4

JD says ...

Is someone with the name Jayne Gacey even allowed to be pro-life? Also Jayne, I suggest you do a little more research on the topic. Being pro-choice is not synonymous with being pro-abortion. I can't speak for anyone else, but I certainly wouldn't encourage anyone to have an abortion. But if those characters WANTED to have abortions and people tried to stop them, that's a different story. It's about freedom, not a bloodlust for fetuses.

Posted by JD at June 2, 2007 7:43 AM

comment #5

Deege says ...

Jeff, I'm with you. There is no way this could or would happen in real life. And, if by some far fetched set of circumstances, it DID happen, I can't imagine the woman not opting to have an abortion (without telling her one night stand, of course).

I have absolutely no desire to see this movie. I put it in the same category as Lord of the Rings: pure fantasy.

Posted by Deege at June 2, 2007 7:44 AM

comment #6

Jayne Gacey says ...

JD, the current pro-choice position, as advocated by NARAL and the like, is abortion on demand without exception. That's just a fact.

Witness your candidates in hysterics over a ban on a truly gruesome and extremely rare procedure called partial birth abortion, where commonly a baby's is semi delivered, and then his or her skull is crushed. If that's not bloodlust, I dont know what is.

Posted by Jayne Gacey at June 2, 2007 8:34 AM

comment #7

transmogrifier says ...

I can't believe that so many people are so smug with their assertions about how human relationships work (especially around alcohol!) AND that they are using these self-created "laws" of the one-night stand to pre-judge a film as being unrealistic.

And the kicker is, in a couple of weeks time, these same people are going to be lining up to see a movie about robots from another planet that can change into various vehicles.

Posted by transmogrifier at June 2, 2007 8:49 AM

comment #8

Nick29 says ...

The movie was great and feel that they sold the one night stand well, what they didn't sell is her decision to give things a try. During their morning after breakfast, Rogan's character becomes every woman's worst nightmare of a what a one night stand could be. They really give him no real redeeming qualities during the first two meetings. I thought both scenes were funny as hell, they just didn't quite sell that all of this could actually happen. Fifty bucks says something's on the cutting room floor that does, both scenes seemed a little rushed.

Posted by Nick29 at June 2, 2007 9:05 AM

comment #9

bone says ...

I think it's kind of explained throughout the movie how he could hook up with Heigl. I mean, they do fall in love and end up with each other. And that's after she's sober and has plenty of time to meet other people. Obviously they have some chemistry. And when you do, it sometimes is felt immediately.

Plus, it's two months before she realizes she's pregnant and she hasn't had any sex in that time. Yeah, she's an E reporter but at no time do we see her enamored with the stars she covers. She watches his movies with him and notes the times the actresses get naked! It's pretty much a consistent character point this woman is not the vapid bitch Jeff apparently wants her to be.

Posted by bone at June 2, 2007 9:14 AM

comment #10

CambridgeCat says ...

It was completely unbelievable (well, more believable than aliens that turn into cars but still) but still a funny movie.

The only way for it to be real is to A. have Allison already be drunk when she meets Ben or B. Show Ben (in a moment of grace) absolutely charm the pants of of her then have the movie be about how they decided to go through the pregnancy process together without a romance (the way he acted the morning after they got it on and her decision to get with him because she was pregnant was probably the biggest credibility gap for me) then fall in love over the ensuing nine months. But then it would have been a very different movie.

Posted by CambridgeCat at June 2, 2007 9:17 AM

comment #11

christian says ...

well, i listened to the right wing critics on hugh hewitt praise this film because she decides to keep the baby. a bunch of uptight conservatives talking about how women need to really think about their decision...

anyway. i'll see this because apatow has done good work but this does seem fox sitcomy. i weary of critics who think to be relevant they have to find extreme raunch the height of wit.

Posted by christian at June 2, 2007 9:52 AM

comment #12

AbeGoldfarb says ...

I'm seeing it tonight, and very eager. Huge Apatow fan. Apatow, just from the 40 Year Old Virgin, has an uncanny knack of sitting right in the middle of moral/political questions. It's not a cop-out, but seemingly a recognition that a lot of people don't formulate their actions from a standpoint of political extremism. 40YOV is a film of deep moralism that preaches both personal responsibility and crazy wild sexy fun times. And there's no contradiction for this lefty.

That he doesn't bring up abortion as a serious alternative in Knocked Up seems just about in keeping. Gacy, abortion on demand is not mandatory abortion. Perhaps you remember when conservatives were into the whole, you know, government staying out of people's private lives thing. Interesting how that falls away on certain issues.

Posted by AbeGoldfarb at June 2, 2007 10:37 AM

comment #13

Jeffrey Easter says ...

I can forgive her hooking up with him but there are a few things in an otherwise funny movie that kind of take me out of the moment.
1. When they are both drunk and first have sex her bra is on the whole time. Now while I would make this statement simply because I think Katherine Heigl is hot and wanted to see her fully naked, the more important fact is that a young, drunk man who is making out with her would 100% be going for the that bra the first chance he got. (Also the second time we see them having sex she is with bra again.)
2. (Kinda Spoiler) The "money shot" during the delivery seemed wring mostly because there was no "HAIR" there. I find it amazing that a woman 9 months pregnant was able to either shave herself or pay someone else to do that.

I know these are both silly but they did take me out of the movie.

Posted by Jeffrey Easter at June 2, 2007 10:41 AM

comment #14

Rob says ...

Gacey, just to be clear, "partial birth abortion" is a buzzword created by the Republican party and doesn't actually refer to a specific medical procedure.

Posted by Rob at June 2, 2007 10:51 AM

comment #15

Dan Revill says ...

Wells definitely wants every E! reporter to be a vapid bitch.
It's a frackin' movie! A fantasy perhaps, but it was done real well, and I don't for a second think that these two weren't meant for each other. Obviously they had common ground to kick-start things and like any semi-forced relationship, it takes work to make it work long term.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that there won't be any comedy this summer that has even a sliver of heart that this film has.
Just go with it. It may not happen everyday, but in the context of the story, it works. If I wanted real life, I'd have sat outside in a field for two hours.

Posted by Dan Revill at June 2, 2007 10:52 AM

comment #16

Dan Revill says ...

"What happens in the field?"
"Nothing!"
"Everything!"
"Nothing!"
"Everything. It's beautiful."

Posted by Dan Revill at June 2, 2007 10:53 AM

comment #17

Ogami Itto says ...

"And the kicker is, in a couple of weeks time, these same people are going to be lining up to see a movie about robots from another planet that can change into various vehicles."

No, the kicker is that robots coming here from another planet that can change into various vehicles is slightly more likely than Katherine Heigl's character hooking up with Seth Rogen's character. I like Seth Rogen, but a movie like this is pretty much an average-looking/homely guy's fantasy. Who wouldn't want to nail a woman who looks like Katherine Heigl?!

Posted by Ogami Itto at June 2, 2007 10:54 AM

comment #18

Larry says ...

The film was fun, but it's not even close to a classic.

As for the abortion issue, they dealt with it quickly because they had to get it out of the way. There's obviously not going to be an abortion or there's no movie.

Posted by Larry at June 2, 2007 11:00 AM

comment #19

Movie Watcher says ...

I thought the movie was almost as funny as 40YOV, except for two things:
1) Why didn't Heigl take off her bra during sex? How many women do that? Or is it because she thought they were too good to be seen by the geeks/stoners etc. in the audience.
2) How many bong jokes are there? I know, a lot. Apatow should have worked on the script, instead of throwing one in when he couldn't think of anything else.

Overall, a good/funny film.

Posted by Movie Watcher at June 2, 2007 11:02 AM

comment #20

The Winchester says ...

I look like Seth Rogan, and I've had one night stands (and long term relationships) with woman of Heigl's caliber. It happens, Wells, get over it.

Besides, she's only a reporter for a few hours when he meets her. And how successful can she be if she still has to live in her sister's house?

As far as the abortion concern in this and Waitress, if they had an abortion, the movies would be over quickly. Not to mention that a discussion of abortion can bring light comedy to a grinding halt and cast a pallor over the rest of the film.

Posted by The Winchester at June 2, 2007 11:10 AM

comment #21

The Winchester says ...

Oh, and the Munich riff in the movie is fuckin brilliant.

"If any of us get laid tonight, it's because of Eric Bana"

Posted by The Winchester at June 2, 2007 11:11 AM

comment #22

Devin Faraci says ...

If KING OF QUEENS is on TV for a zillion years I would say America's pretty forgiving when it comes to the schlub/babe couple.

Posted by Devin Faraci at June 2, 2007 11:20 AM

comment #23

arch451 says ...

Actresses in real life are much hotter than they appear to be on screen. Katherine Heigl is not only beautiful, she has a good personality and she is intelligent. She is far too classy to be with a guy like Seth Rogen. (Just look at her real-life fiance.)

The only problem with the movie is the casting, which is unfortunate since the script was so good. Bad casting can ruin a film, and this is a case in point. The N.Y. Times critic infers that the film is an instant classic because it is honest. He might be right...if the casting was as honest as the screenplay.

Posted by arch451 at June 2, 2007 11:39 AM

comment #24

christian says ...

and what's with this E reporter bullshit? i guess you know who's covering this movie non-stop...

Posted by christian at June 2, 2007 12:34 PM

comment #25

corey3rd says ...

Seth would have a better chance of hooking up with Joel from E!'s The Soup.

Now that I know her bra doesn't come off - I'm not even going to see this at th $1.50. As if somehow Seth's character wouldn't be sucking away on her rack? What's the point of being in an R rated sex comedy if you're not going topless? Who does she think she is? Heather Thomas in Zapped?

Katherine Heigl's real life love pretty much shows that this film might as well open up with "Dear Penthouse Forum, For years I've read your letters never thinking they were for real, until it happened to me....."

Posted by corey3rd at June 2, 2007 1:02 PM

comment #26

MickTravis says ...

Actually, an alarming number of the most attractive women I know are with guys who aren't worth a pint of piss. And they love them so....

Posted by MickTravis at June 2, 2007 1:14 PM

comment #27

MilkMan says ...

Corey3rd is right. Katherine Heigl only sleeps with a fat jewish guy is if he's Joel Silver or in a position to get her a job. And if this movie was really being honest, really trying to capture the moment, Katherine Heigl would've gotten an abortion. This movie takes place in Los Angeles, right? Except it doesn't. This movie takes place in the same country where they make all the beer commercials. Middlebrow horseshit made by people who haven't ventured East of Silverlake since 1990. That self-referential, in-the-know, wink-wink nonsense with Ryan Seacrest at the beginning was like an outake from a Will and Grace/How I Met Your Mother/Two and Half Men/Generic Sitcom DVD. Judd Apatow is a one man Mandell and Ganz crossbred with virulent strains of Ephron and Meathead. I'm taking bets on how long it takes before Apatow decides that he's a "serious" director and signs on to make something more adult, i.e., I've made a lot of money for you people now give me an award. I say the movie after the next.

Posted by MilkMan at June 2, 2007 1:42 PM

comment #28

CambridgeCat says ...

For me, the issue isn't one of looks because fat, ugly, sloppy, etc. guys get with fine girls all the time. Maybe it's because they have money or maybe it's because they have personality or are extremely funny. We've all seen these couples, haven't we? Usually, the guy has SOMETHING on the ball, even if it's just being a really nice chap.

The issue is (and I think this was Wells' original point) that Rogan is not real attractive AND a raging fucking moron, who happens to make (literally) zero money. Now, for the people pitching a bitch here, please name one super successful, super beautiful, super sweet woman who's with a fat, obnoxious (as in can't have a breakfast conversation with a woman he's just shagged without sounding like an immature twelve year old), dirt poor pot head ... who hangs out with a bunch of similarly afflicted yahoos. It doesn't happen and if it did and you meet these people you scratch your head and say "How in the world did that happen?" It didn't ruin the movie for me but lets just say the plot didn't bear scrutiny.

Posted by CambridgeCat at June 2, 2007 1:59 PM

comment #29

JD says ...

Jayne: "...the current pro-choice position, as advocated by NARAL and the like, is abortion on demand without exception. That's just a fact."

NARAL does not decide what society at large thinks. They are an activist group with their own agenda. They don't reflect the mainstream pro-choice opinion (and yes, pro-choice is a mainstream opinion). Having interacted with regular people all my life, I happen to know that most regular people have pretty moderate views on abortion. This idea that you're either Rush Limbaugh or NARAL is narrow-minded and insulting.

Posted by JD at June 2, 2007 3:03 PM

comment #30

sandekat says ...

This movie just made me sad and a little sick to my stomach.

Apatow seems like a sweet guy and has a nice presence. Heigl did a good job but her character was a fantasy construct in every respect....the strings from the script yanking her from one scene to the next were distressingly obvious....

Even more depressing than the movie was the critical reaction: 'instant classic'!! good god.

Posted by sandekat at June 2, 2007 4:41 PM

comment #31

otakuhouse says ...

http://www.hotchickswithdouchebags.com/

Posted by otakuhouse at June 2, 2007 5:55 PM

comment #32

Jayne Gacey says ...

JD, you're entirely correct about mainstream opinion. I would say about 70% of us, including me, fully support abortion in the frist trimester or for medical reasons to save the life of the mother or in the case of rape. The problem is that that the NARAL/Limbaugh fringe is what influences our policymakers. Compromise and rationality and taking a backseat in this debate.

Rob, Partial Birth Abortion is indeed not a medical term, but rather a name for several procedures. But it is still a very accurate term to describe these procedures, buzzword or not.

Posted by Jayne Gacey at June 2, 2007 6:18 PM

comment #33

Hallick says ...

"I'm waiting for the libs to freak out about how there have now been two movies this summer (WAITRESS & KNOCKED UP) in which abortion is never even really considered by young professional women."

Nah - I'm fine. But you may as well wait for Godot. I only freak out when young amateur women stop considering abortion.

Posted by Hallick at June 2, 2007 9:55 PM

comment #34

Jayne Gacey says ...

Touche.

Posted by Jayne Gacey at June 2, 2007 10:04 PM

comment #35

SpinDozer says ...

Speaking as a "Liberal", ah wants to cumend Jayne fur bringing up a negelected genre. 8.5 month pregancies terminated by abortian. Yeah, that's what ahm talkin about. Sweet lil innocent baby jus bareley get its sweet lil innocent 'preme' head outta the birth canal and ...whammey down comes the pick-axe; Sweet Mother of Gawd if that ain't Entertainment, ah don't know whut iz, yup.

Whether its tentpole or bargepole, nuthin sez summer like whackin the unborn.

Solidarity with NARAL comrades!

Posted by SpinDozer at June 2, 2007 10:04 PM

comment #36

Jayne Gacey says ...

SpinDozer, you're really an idiot. You do your type no favors.

Posted by Jayne Gacey at June 2, 2007 10:58 PM

comment #37

rgmax99 says ...

I just walked out of Knocked Up, and I must say, it is an incredibly overpraised movie -- YET, it's also a very smart little flick with a level of maturity and dignity that's missing from the Hollywood crap that passes for mainstream cinema these days.

In particular, I thought Leslie Mann stole the movie from everyone else. Apatow wrote a Best Supporting Actress role for his lovely partner. The velvet rope confrontation and the driveway argument with Rudd were two very well-done scenes.

That said, I laughed a lot more in 40 Year Old Virgin than Knocked Up.

And, finally, I'm in agreement with the poster who found Ms. Heigl's wax a tad unbelievable.

Nice soundtrack, though.

Posted by rgmax99 at June 2, 2007 11:08 PM

comment #38

rgmax99 says ...

By the way, the "See ya Scorsese in his coke years" line was BRILLIANT.

Posted by rgmax99 at June 2, 2007 11:10 PM

comment #39

SpinDozer says ...

'SpinDozer, you're really an idiot. You do your type no favors.'

Jayne you posted that you're waiting for 'libs to freak out about how there have now been two movies this summer in which abortion is never even really considered by young professional women' and call me an idiot. About all that's left to say at this point is you represent your type (assholes) quite well. Keep up the stellar work.

Posted by SpinDozer at June 2, 2007 11:50 PM

comment #40

Jayne Gacey says ...

Thanks!

Posted by Jayne Gacey at June 3, 2007 12:03 AM

comment #41

corey3rd says ...

Tao of Steve 2: Baby Batter Edition

The fat dork guy marrying the hot wife is a sitcom genre - wasn't that pretty much ever show about two years ago on CBS? And while I've encountered a few hot gals that were dating dumpy guys, they did have one thing going for them - they knew how to play off her inner fears to manipulate her. Or they were doing something that she believed was going to make him big - mostly it had something to do with his band.

But there's something about the clips of Seth and his gang of friends discussing the baby that makes me wonder if this is Freaks Part 2. If this woman has any plans for Seth, she'll be cutting him off from his friends - since they only reinforce his dork nature. And I know this happens since I've had a lot of friends who get new friends when the wife cracks the whip.

Posted by corey3rd at June 3, 2007 5:59 AM

comment #42

Jayne Gacey says ...

corey3rd, most of what you discuss is mentioned in the seminal film SAVING SILVERMAN. I believe Eisenstein directed it.

Posted by Jayne Gacey at June 3, 2007 6:11 AM

comment #43

corey3rd says ...

I'm waiting for Knocked Up 2 - Katie Couric gets boffed by Kevin Federline.

Posted by corey3rd at June 3, 2007 8:43 AM

comment #44

malibugigolo says ...

A.O. Scott sounds like he's searching for a production deal.

What is confusing about sex?

I found the movie dull and trite and I left after 30 minutes.

Posted by malibugigolo at June 3, 2007 9:26 AM

comment #45

christian says ...

i think a.o. is preserving his job. "i'm hip. with it."

Posted by christian at June 3, 2007 10:06 AM

comment #46

BurmaShave says ...

malibu, I find you smug and played-out, and I stopped reading after the second sentence.

Posted by BurmaShave at June 3, 2007 10:25 AM

comment #47

malibugigolo says ...

Christian you are being too nice.

A.O. is just a nerd. Being a nerd.

As for corey3rd
"there are three ways a guy like Seth gets into the pants of an E! Reporter:

1. He has an ounce of cocaine
2. He is a producer at a network (that can hire talent)
3. He has an ounce of cocaine, a producer gig and a sportscar to race her back to the pad"

You do not need an ounce if you have a sweet Malibu pad like the gigolo.

3 grams, that's it. I promise.

Long live love!

Posted by malibugigolo at June 3, 2007 10:27 AM

comment #48

corey3rd says ...

I forgot #4 - You're French

Posted by corey3rd at June 3, 2007 10:50 AM

comment #49

malibugigolo says ...

corey3rd-

#4- French?

That's so 90's.

Tahitian.
You can thank me later.

Posted by malibugigolo at June 3, 2007 11:18 AM

comment #50

corey3rd says ...

Being French worked for the guy who knocked up Salma Hayek (along with being loaded).

Posted by corey3rd at June 3, 2007 11:27 AM

comment #51

nemo says ...

I've never seen "40-Year-Old Virgin" or "Freak and Geeks". I've never seen anything associated with Apatow or Seth Rogen. But the other day I did hear an extended radio interview with Seth Rogen. He sounded like an even bigger moron than he looks, which is saying something.

The most off-putting part was his constant talk about his real-life "friends", the crew of actors who play his friends in the movie. The characters all have the same names as the actors playing them, and according to Rogen, their "interests" (if you can call them that) and relationships are all lifted directly from real life. He claimed that there was no difference at all between their interactions when the camera was rolling and when they were off-camera.

The sheer laziness and smug self-satisfaction of his voice was off-putting enough. He and his crew sounded like the ugly not-too-smart pudge-ball version of Clooney, Pitt, and Soderbergh making those Ocean's Whatever movies. They're so busy entertaining themselves, they forget they've taken on the job of making a movie and entertaining an audience.

Maybe it works, but if I'm going to pay to see such nonsense, I'd rather pay to see some good-looking professionals like Clooney et al, not a bunch of nose-pickers like Rogen and his crew.

But even more revolting was the idea of any adult craving so much time kicking back with his juvenile "friends". Rogen seems to honestly think that the main thing every young male wants out of life is to spend every minute, morning, noon, and night, hanging out with his moronic crew of friends, watching television, playing video games, looking at porn, and having moronic conversations like some low-rent version of Ã¢â‚¬Å“EntourageÃ¢â‚¬Â.

No time spent alone. No time spent reading a book or even a newspaper. No time spent learning anything, whether from curiosity or to improve your career prospects. No time spent writing, learning a musical instrument, or doing anything that demands the slightest bit of solitude or self-discipline.

Rogen and his real-life pals are a walking advertisement for reinstating the draft.

Posted by nemo at June 3, 2007 11:41 AM

comment #52

christian says ...

and politics nevers enters this la slackerhipster world where you end up impregnating an E reporter -- talk about an insulated world!

Posted by christian at June 3, 2007 12:21 PM

comment #53

malibugigolo says ...

nemo:

Rogen was just playing the awshucks populist route, most people are slobs.

As for believability issues, the greatest one was Heigl's character. She has at least two thoughts in the movie. E reporters only have one original thought a year.

Posted by malibugigolo at June 3, 2007 12:51 PM

comment #54

George Prager says ...

The movie was originally going to be about how Ben Affleck knocked up a hot rocket scientist who then gets an abortion, but the studio didn't think that was funny. You guys need to take the Christmas trees out of your asses.

Posted by George Prager at June 3, 2007 1:02 PM

comment #55

nemo says ...

"Rogen was just playing the awshucks populist route, most people are slobs."

If he was playing a role on the radio interview, he managed to keep it going for 15 minutes straight. He did claim that the actors playing his knuckle-dragging crew in the movie were his real-life buddies, and that they behaved exactly the same way in real life. Rogen and Apatow did give all those characters the same names as the actors.

"Awshucks" wasn't at all his tone. "Smug" described his voice all the way through. As in: I'm a loser and I can't live 5 minutes without the emotional support of my crew of loser friends, we're stuck in the age 12 level of maturity, and yet, my life is just like a beer commercial, with hot babes bringing me my cold beer.

Posted by nemo at June 3, 2007 1:41 PM

comment #56

nemo says ...

I remember seeing Eddie Murphy interviewed by Arsenio Hall after his 1980s movie successes, and I remember seeing Bruce Willis interviewed after his string of early successes. I thought I'd witnessed the outer limits of human smugness. In that radio interview this past week, Seth Rogen joins Murphy and Willis in the pantheon of smug.

Posted by nemo at June 3, 2007 2:00 PM

comment #57

George Prager says ...

Sounds like nemo is jealous of/obsessed with Seth Rogan. Which makes sense. Seth Rogan is a successful actor in a hot movie. nemo is.. well...nemo.

Posted by George Prager at June 3, 2007 2:16 PM

comment #58

Terry McCarty says ...

I liked KNOCKED UP more than I thought I would, but I had one caveat:
Yes, I like Leslie Mann (whose comic talent was pretty much ignored in her earlier films) and I wish Apatow would write a film tailored for her as lead. But the velvet rope scene (intended as Mann's showcase number) was illogical since the bouncer would have recognized Heigl's character (regardless of pregnancy) as an E! personality and waved her in at the very least.

Posted by Terry McCarty at June 3, 2007 2:23 PM

comment #59

George Prager says ...

God, I have those caveats!

Posted by George Prager at June 3, 2007 2:26 PM

comment #60

George Prager says ...

I mean I hate those caveats! Franky, Terry McCarty, that's the stupidest criticism of the movie yet.

Posted by George Prager at June 3, 2007 2:28 PM

comment #61

nuc says ...

It's not how pretty the people are. It's how Ben lives and talks and where Alison lives and talks. Alison doesn't say 'fuck' or 'cocksucker' or 'asshole' a lot in her daily life (in that unreal LA neighborhood with pool houses and no servants.) Ben, on the other hand, thinks that 'fuck' and 'bitch' are eloquent. If this were a British comedy, he would also say 'bugger' a lot.

I liked some scenes but this is not a completed film. This is a pitch or a prank or something but not a finished work. Ben Stiller could have made this film. Has made this film. Will make this film again. And again.

"The 40 Year Old Virgin" was a phenomenon and in Hollywood, people love to replicate success.

Here's hoping Mr. Apatow will be more creative next time.

Posted by nuc at June 3, 2007 2:42 PM

comment #62

nemo says ...

"Seth Rogan is a successful actor in a hot movie."

I do well in my work life, which is completely unconnected with show business. The thought of trading a successful adult life for Rogen's leads to thoughts of suicide.

The unreality of this movie is not the idea that a guy who looks like Rogen could get together with a gal who looks like Heigl. The unreality is the idea that a guy who is so completely sunk into bonding with his immature friends could get together with any woman with her head on straight.

Ordinarily I wouldn't give this movie a thought. But I was stuck in traffic this week with not much else to listen to on the radio, and I got to listen with fascination as Rogen proudly and repeatedly asserted that there is zero difference between his life and his crew onscreen and off. Those dudes need a vacation in Baghdad.

Posted by nemo at June 3, 2007 3:03 PM

comment #63

George Prager says ...

"Here's hoping Mr. Apatow will be more creative next time."

Here's hoping that he doesn't.

"The unreality is the idea that a guy who is so completely sunk into bonding with his immature friends could get together with any woman with her head on straight."

That makes about as much sense as flat Chunkys.

Posted by George Prager at June 3, 2007 3:17 PM

comment #64

corey3rd says ...

Someone who looks like Rogen might have a chance with a hot E! Reporter if he has something major going on. If he had any mad pimp skills. but as far as the previews go, Seth has very little going for him. he's a deadbeat. he's got no dreams outside of hanging out with his buddies, smoking lots of dope and playing videogames.

This is a masturbation fantasy for Kevin Federline - except for the "grow up and accept your responsibility part."

Posted by corey3rd at June 3, 2007 4:09 PM

comment #65

nemo says ...

I don't get why Rogen felt the need in an interview to assert over and over again that there's no difference between himself and his character. He claimed at great length that he and his crew weren't doing any acting. Like the song says, all they have to do is act naturally.

I can't imagine Steve Carell claiming that in real life he's just like his character in either 40-YOV or LMS. Why would an actor with any shred of pride go to such great lengths to tell the world he's nothing but a one-trick pony?

Rogen sounds as if he considers it a smart move to build a career as a one-trick pony. Apparently he's good at that one trick.

Posted by nemo at June 3, 2007 4:35 PM

comment #66

mitch says ...

I just finished watching this movie here in Seattle (downtown at the Regal 16), and must say that the audience LOVED it. I found it enjoyable, and only occasionally slow. I expect that, overall, this movie will be considered a kinda classic by most younger viewers.

As for abortion: am I the only one that finds it sad that an unmarried woman even needs to consider the subject of keeping the baby? I understand the reality, but that still doesn't make me feel any better about the whole thing.

And one more plug: guys, wake the fuck up and start becoming more outspoken for a more progressive outlook on the subject of abortion. Remember, once she's pregnant you have NO RIGHTS with respect to what happens next. She wants to abort, you have to go along with it (can't really argue the other side...I still firmly agree with a woman's right to choose). She wants to keep the baby, you have to go along with it. As a man you have NO RIGHT to back out of fatherhood. Truly and utterly outrageous (awaiting all the bs arguments as to why a man can't have an option to back out...they always fail the hypocrisy test).

Here's my solution: treat it exactly as abortion of fatherhood. Either opt-in and be the father, or opt-out and waive all rights to the child. You have until the 3rd trimester to decide. Now, the total solution would be much more detailed than this, but you get the gist of it.

Ok...flame away. I actually love reading the *against* arguments.

Posted by mitch at June 3, 2007 5:11 PM

comment #67

Rob says ...

As usual, there's no shortage of lonely, insecure, basement-dwelling heterosexual men commenting on Hollywood Elsewhere.

Posted by Rob at June 3, 2007 5:40 PM

comment #68

corey3rd says ...

deep down, isn't Knocked Up really the set up film for Idiocracy? Can you really imagine this kid not turning into those brave souls of the future that love their electrolytes?

Posted by corey3rd at June 3, 2007 6:15 PM

comment #69

slothroplt says ...

"It's doggie style. We don't have to go outside or anything."

What's with the ridiculous debate going on in here? Blah blah blah...

Who gives a fuck. It's a comedy. A funny comedy. A funny comedy that made me and my wife laugh. A lot. And it made everyone else in the very full theater I saw it at laugh a lot, too

You know, my wife and I both graduated from college, both have high-paying, well-respected, fullfilling jobs, both raised a bright, articulate child, both care a great deal about the state of our World and about the people in it. We're relatively serious people who feel social awareness and activism are an essential part of a well-rounded life.

That being said, neither of us gives a flying fuck about what "Knocked Up" has to say about the state of the modern, young adult male or abortion or E! or porn or hot chicks with douchebags or Seth Rogen or Judd Aptow or anything remotely real.

Last night, we wanted to see a movie, relax, laugh, and, generally, have a good time -- and Knocked Up delivered the goods.

If you stop looking so hard at the trees, you just might see the forest. Time and place, idiots. Time and place.

Posted by slothroplt at June 3, 2007 6:54 PM

comment #70

malibugigolo says ...

slothroplt:

Thank for you for lending your charming personality and subtle wit to this board: very ingratiating.

Posted by malibugigolo at June 3, 2007 7:33 PM

comment #71

nemo says ...

Part of what set me so intensely against Rogen is how much he reminds me of two young leeches I had the task of firing back in the late 1990s.

The guy who hired them and should have fired them was a total wimp who hadn't done a thing to lay the groundwork. I had to go through six months of documenting their non-performance and giving them warnings, while I worked to hire replacements who would be ready to start immediately. (Firing for cause in a professional job is lot easier in the US than in Europe, but it's not all that easy. You have to lay a paper trail to ward off lawsuits. And if you don't have a replacement lined up, you're in danger of top management taking away that full-time position.)

The whole time these two Seth Rogen clones continued leeching off the labor of everyone else and damaging morale. One of them at least read the writing on the wall and had the decency to quit before I finally dropped the axe.

We're a small software company that can't afford this kind of Dilbertesque bleeding. Like Rogen, they presented themselves as the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet. Rogen's little speech (replayed in the radio interview) about living for 12 years off the $14,000 he got from an insurance payment reminded me so much of those parasites. I got to hear endless variations on the same white-boy entitlement thing from them, like they're middle-class versions of the Bush family.

After the firings, we soldiered on, survived and even thrived despite the dot-com crash and the rise of cheap competition from India. We're doing great now, but we wouldn't have survived if we continued to carry parasites like that. Hell, I wouldn't have a thing against Rogen, if he hadn't spent his whole 15 minutes identifiying himself so completely with his sordid character.

Posted by nemo at June 3, 2007 8:33 PM

comment #72

christian says ...

"If you stop looking so hard at the trees, you just might see the forest. Time and place, idiots. Time and place."

hmm. i just see one mean tree.

"...both care a great deal about the state of our World and about the people in it. We're relatively serious people who feel social awareness and activism are an essential part of a well-rounded life."

meanwhile, we're all idiots. thanks for your care.

Posted by christian at June 3, 2007 9:03 PM

comment #73

corey3rd says ...

Rogen's little speech (replayed in the radio interview) about living for 12 years off the $14,000 he got from an insurance payment
_____________

The guy is only 25. He's been acting in paying gigs since he was 17. He's had more than $14K to live on till this success moment.

Posted by corey3rd at June 4, 2007 6:25 AM

comment #74

Angry Drunk says ...

Hopefully I have not repeated someone else's comment but how can calling something an instant classic be premature? The whole idea behind the label is how you feel just after seeing the movie. Only time will tell whether or not it's worth a damn.

Haven't seen the movie yet but the premise sounds just like a sitcom. Throw some people in a crazy situation and hijenks ensue. Still want to see it.

Posted by Angry Drunk at June 4, 2007 10:00 AM

comment #75

peachtree says ...

>the guy is only 25. He's been acting in paying gigs since he was 17. He's had more than $14K to live on till this success moment.

It's Rogen's *character* in Knocked Up who's been living off of $14K for 12 years, not Rogen himself. This same idea -- money from an accident in which a foot was run over -- was used several years ago in Adam Sandler's Big Daddy to explain why the male lead didn't need to work. (At least in Sandler's movie the settlement was $200,000 and he had invested it in the stock market.)

I saw Knocked Up this weekend. Slightly more sophisticated version than one usually gets of the schlubby guy-hot babe trope. Nothing to get excited about -- I didn't find the relationship particularly believable -- although some of the dialogue was funny. Heigl needs to find a shade of blonde that matches her complexion.

Am I the only one to find Ben's pals -- Apatow's stock company -- repulsive rather than funny and appealing?

Posted by peachtree at June 4, 2007 11:32 AM

comment #76

T. S. Idiot says ...

While shopping last Saturday at a Target in Springfield, NJ (deep in the uncharted heart of original Wells country), I spotted an unusual family. Two cute kids. A tall, thin mom who could have made over to resemble a model. Then there's dad: at least six inches shorter than mom, dumpy, bow-legged, and balding. Made Bob Balaban look macho. I had just had eggs, toast, and orange juice, so I wasn't hallucinating. But according to Wells, this couldn't have been the real world.

Posted by T. S. Idiot at June 4, 2007 11:45 AM

comment #77