MOVIE REVIEW

'Knocked Up' a crack-up
by KEN BARTOLOTTA Reporter

Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogan star in "Knocked Up."

Kudos to the two elderly women in front of me. During my recent screening of "Knocked Up" they stuck with the movie. In spite of the incessant offensiveness that the film seemed to hurl at the audience, these two ladies soldiered on.

And trust me, this film does sport what the adolescent crowd would consider a literal cornucopia of sophomoric potty humor.

And while we might be able to chalk their staying to the overbearing price of ticket prices and a need to not waste a bit of that fee, I think it was something more.

The movie title really explains all you need to know: One night of inebriated judgement leaves two polar opposites linked together as a result of an unexpected pregnanc y.

Playing the part of unemployed slacker Ben Stone is Seth Rogan who couldn't be a more unlikely suitor for the responsible, work-obsessed Allison, played by Katherine Heigl.

But what sets this movie apart from so many of its predecessors is that sense of realism that writer/director Judd Apatow is able to conjure, avoiding the cliches that so many modern-day comedies have sunken to.

Apatow's former credits include the genius of his two television ventures: "Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared," as well as "The 40 Year Old Virgin." Once again he brings his usual cast of characters that reprise the idiot friend role that make almost everything he has his hand in hilarious.

It's in the creation of these characters that Apatow shines, with his uncanny ability to capture that particular niche of our culture, that group of young adults who have chosen partying, pop culture and stupid human tricks in lieu of anything that even comes close to resembling a career.

And there's Rogan, caught between this world of apathy and indifference that his friends have embraced for so long and the steaming freight train of adulthood that his situation with Allison represents.

In many ways it's a warped version of the classic hero tale with a modern twist.

Because there is a realness to this movie, and for every tasteless joke that might cut through those with a thinner skin, there's a small nugget of wisdom that somehow pulls the perhaps offended viewer back into the fray.

Another notable high point of the film is the flawless chemistry that Rogan has with his domesticated buddy played by Paul Rudd. So great are the duo that if given the right script they could redefine the buddy comedy.

And in the end, when it comes time for the climax of the film, Apatow avoids the smoltzy, guy gets the girl routine and instead opts for realism, with Rogan simply doing what he has to do and playing the card he's been dealt. It's a very refreshing conclusion to the film.

Maybe that's what kept the two ladies in the seats, either that or the sticky floors.