‘Marriage is like a tense, unfunny version of Everybody Loves Raymond…’
As someone who grew up adoring the films of Kevin Smith, it is no surprise that I’m also a big Judd Apatow fan. Apatow’s blend of slacker chic, improv humour and sentimentality broke through to the mainstream with the success of 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up after he had initially developed a cult following with the famously cancelled-too-early TV show Freaks and Geeks. Knocked Up has often been criticised for viewing pregnancy through the prism of the male experience with the female characters reduced to nagging, shrewish stereotypes. I don’t think that is accurate…
After a one night stand, stoner and budding internet entrepreneur Ben Stone (Seth Rogan) begins an unlikely relationship with TV runner Alison (Katherine Heigl) following the revelation that she is pregnant. Ben survives on an insurance payout he received as a teenager for being hit by a car whilst also trying to start a website that catalogues nude appearances from movie stars. Alison, on the other hand, is on the way up in the world of television and very much has her shit together. The two of them form an uneasy alliance with Alison’s sister Debbie (Leslie Mann) and her husband Pete (Paul Rudd). The enviable supporting cast is made up of Jason Segal, Jonah Hill, Martin Starr and Jay Baruchel.
While I understand the criticism of Knocked Up (Heigl herself initially described the film as ‘sexist’ – a comment she has since retracted), time has been kinder to Apatow’s film than you might imagine. Under the cold glare of gender politics in 2024, the actions of Alison and Debbie seem completely reasonable, and both characters are treated with warmth and nuance. Heigl herself is excellent, fully anchoring the movie and providing many of the funniest moments too. Based on this performance, I’m surprised that she didn’t go on to enjoy a more prestigious career. Elsewhere, Rogen is an acquired taste but he does some of his best acting here, but it is Rudd and Mann that really shine – it is no surprise they were given their own spin off film (This is 40) five years later.
Knocked Up is a well observed, authentic dramedy that fostered numerous moments of recognition between my wife and I. Watching this at the tail end of our own pregnancy offered up a number of familiar scenarios and it is a testament to Apatow’s ability to combine humour with heart to create something that feels shot through with authenticity and truth – one of the best comedies of the 00s.