10 Best Films of 2007: #10 - Knocked Up

Judd Apatow can now do whatever he wants in Hollywood after Knocked Up, a hilariously raunchy and surprisingly sweet comedy about a slob (not unlike Bill Murray from Stripes) who thanks to the aide of alcohol (and maybe some loneliness) hooks up with uberbabe Katherine Heigel (the last thing I remember her from was My Father the Hero) who finds out she is pregnant after that one night stand. Oh, but Ben (Seth Rogen) wasn’t wearing a condom, and thanks to the always confusing “just do it already” blurted by Heigel, he scraps the condom and goes to work. The amazing thing about the movie is that amidst all of the big laughs there are some genuine tender moments (like the earthquake scene).

But it’s Apatow’s trademark postmodern, pop culture laden wit that keeps things fresh throughout the two-plus hour run time. It’s what saves the film from being another She’s Having a Baby or Nine Months and the film is highlighted by the supporting cast (most members of Apatow’s troupe from his television shows Undeclared and Freaks and Geeks) who are allowed to go for the big laughs too. The beard contest, Eric Bana references, Back to the Future references, Paul Rudd, and one of the more hilarious things I have seen in a comedy where Apatow takes a very necessary shot to Fantasy Sport geeks. It’s a film, like Anchorman, that will set the standard for the next wave of comedies. Especially watch the “morning after” scene in which Ben describes his web site and the purpose it serves, the timing and the awkwardness is both hilarious and painful.

Labels: Judd Apatow, Top 10 Films of 2007