Katherine Heigl as Allison and Seth Rogen as Ben in Judd Apatow's comedy
"Knocked Up", opening on Friday in North America. (Photo: Universal
Pictures)
One year ago on June 2, 2006 Universal Pictures released "The Break-Up",
advertised as a comedy but was actually a drama with a few comedic moments. The
film went on to gross over $100 million in North America.
On June 1, 2007, Universal Pictures releases "Knocked Up", a comedy about a very serious matter:
an unwanted pregnancy. With the film's director Judd Apatow at the helm,
there is no worry about this film as a mostly serious affair however, even with
the subject matter, because Apatow
directed the 2005 hit comedy "The 40-Year-Old Virgin".
Seth Rogen, one of the stars of "Virgin", which top-lined Steve Carell, takes on
a more substantial role in "Knocked Up", as Ben, a lazy 20-something whose
drunken interaction with an attractive journalist Allison, 24, results in a
one-night stand and a baby to come. Everything happens in reverse, as
mating season comes first, followed by dating, as the unwitting father and
surprised mother try to get to know each other beyond mere carnality.
Director Apatow squeezes joy from pain, and comedy from the brink of nightmares.
To accomplish this he partnered Rogen, whom he describes as a "very viciously funny,
biting, sardonic personality, but . . . a sweet and good guy," with Katherine Heigl of the hit television series "Grey's Anatomy". It turns out that
both Rogen and Heigl were a perfect match for the film, even if their characters aren't
quite a match onscreen. "Other people would read, and the whole premise
felt sad. But Katherine came in, and she and Seth would go at each other
hard, and it really made me laugh," says Apatow.
Despite the barrel of laughs that the mismatched onscreen pair share, the film
was not too lighthearted or comedic that it would lose its perspective.
"It's not so far out there and ridiculous that it's slapstick. Seth and
Judd take the experiences that we have in our relationships with our friends,
family and lovers, and exaggerate it just a bit," Heigl said. And when it
came to shouting matches, Rogen found that he was way in over his head when it
came to Heigl. "She could yell a lot louder than even I can," he said.
Faced with the situation of a pregnancy and imminent fatherhood, Rogen's Ben tries to step up to the
plate.
But will he stay or will he go?
Some of the factors surrounding that decision involve Allison's older sister,
played by Leslie Mann (who is also the director's wife) and her
husband, played by Paul Rudd, who's had his fair share of films that involve
awkward or troubled relationships, such as "The Object Of My Affection" and "The
Shape Of Things". In September Rudd will star in "I Could Never Be Your
Woman", with Michelle Pfeiffer, about a romance between an older woman and a
younger man.
In "Knocked Up", the married couple played by Mann and Rudd is the only
immediate template or frame of reference for parenting for Ben and Allison -- so what is this young
couple who suddenly have a new addition, to do?
You'll just have to watch "Knocked Up" to find out.
Both of the main stars of Judd Apatow's film will be fairly busy this summer.
Katherine Heigl will soon be filming the comedy romance movie "27 Dresses",
about a woman struggling to come to terms with being a bridesmaid as her own
sister marries the man whom she's been secretly in love with. James
Marsden and Malin Akerman are the co-star's bride and groom couple. Heigl
has such films on her resume as "Under Siege 2: Dark Territory", "The Ringer",
"Valentine", and "King Of The Hill", as well as her current role in the TV
series "Grey's Anatomy".
Seth Rogen is in high demand these days. As well as being a writer and
producer, he will be in front of the camera in numerous films over the next 12
months. On August 17 in the U.S. "Superbad" will be released, a film that
he co-wrote and executive produced with Evan Goldberg, his writing partner.
"The Pineapple Express," another co-writing venture with Goldberg, will open in
2008, in which Rogen will star with James "Spider-Man 3" Franco. Rogen's
voice will be heard in "Kung Fu Panda", an animated film, and two other films,
"Horton Hears A Who", a Dr. Seuss story, and "The Spiderwick Chronicles".
Another film that he co-wrote (with Judd Apatow producing) was "Drillbit Taylor"
which opens early next year, with Owen Wilson in the starring role. Rogen
actually began stand-up comedy routines while in Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada at the age of 13. Shortly thereafter he moved to Los Angeles, where
he currently resides.
Knocked Up opens across North America on Friday, June 1 from Universal
Pictures.
