LIFE IN JOE MOTION
Knocked Up nicely champions the regular guy
Review by Robert Newton

KNOCKED UP
Starring Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl and Paul Rudd; Written and directed by Judd Apatow; 129 minutes; Rated R [for sexual content, drug use and language]

Every decade, movie audiences need a funny Hollywood Everyman. Tom Hanks ruled the 80s, Jim Carrey defined the 90s and now, it is Seth Rogen’s turn. He is not yet a household name, but in The 40-Year-Old Virgin director Judd Apatow’s latest comedy, Rogen proves that he has the chops for the job. He plays Ben, an unfocused, 20-something party boy whose one-night stand with Alison (Emmy winner Katherine Heigl), an up-and-coming TV anchor, results in unexpected fatherhood.

Apatow, who produced the gone-too-soon TV series “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared,” is fast becoming the John Hughes of his generation, with this one even resembling Hughes’ 1988 comedy She’s Having A Baby. Here, he tells a sensitive story with laughs throughout, and not cheap and obvious laughs, either. Apatow sensibly approaches every facet of Ben’s fears, using them as an opportunity to further the multiple storylines, which he ties up nicely, too. Rogen (You, Me and Dupree) is super as the lovable dork, and his performance is effortless and genial. Heigl breaks out of her “Grey’s Anatomy” rut and mixes it up nicely with Rogen, though fellow Apatow alum Leslie Mann (The 40-Year-Old Virgin) steals scenes from both of them. She plays Alison’s sister, Debbie, a married mother of two, and the scene in which a club bouncer refuses them entry based on Debbie’s advanced age is just priceless, expertly handled all around.

The best part of the movie is the cool rapport that Rogen has with Apatow and the supporting cast. This has a lot to do with having worked with so many of them before, with Rogen and Jason Segel having been on both “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared” together, with other supporting players like Jay Baruchel and Martin Starr having had roles on one or both series. Like Apatow did with 90s king Jim Carrey, he seems as if he is now priming this new batch of gifted comic actors to go off into the world to take their shots. He has a contender with Rogen, the understated schlub who gets the pretty girl and fills the millions of ticket-buying schlubs like him with the kind of hope that may very well herald the dawn of a new movie genre — the dick flick.•••