Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) has just been promoted to be one of the presenters of one of those celebrity interview shows. To celebrate she goes out to a club with her sister where they meet Ben Stone (Seth Rogan), a slacker who spends most of his time getting high and who, along with his friends, is working on a film nudity website.

In their drunken state they sleep together - which she immediately regrets when they get to know each other over breakfast. A few weeks later, she realises that she is pregnant and must tell him.

Despite everything he tries his best to do the right thing by her, stands by her and even proposes with an empty box because he doesn't have enough money for a ring. She turns him down, but thanks him for the gesture.

Eventually, through a few misunderstandings, arguments and other such things they have the baby and, at the end of the film at least, end up together again.

I think the first misconception I had about this film, and possibly a problem with the marketing, is it wasn't really a comedy. There was comic relief, but in much the same way as Buffy had comic relief but wasn't really a comedy. What comedy was present, was usually of the gross out nature and due to the overuse of curse words and profanity - none of which I generally find that amusing for some reason.

What I did like was the down to earthiness of the plot. These weren't your Hugh Grant types going from one unrealistic situation to the next - unless you include the drug induced fantasies that they indulged in in Las Vegas - this was your warts and all relationship that your rarely see in Hollywood. So kudos to them for that. Looking back on it, it now reminds me of The Break Up - though that was a lot better.

Perhaps I've lived in a protected little caccoon but the portrayal of drug-use as normal and, in some ways acceptable, left me disheartened. It is better not to live in ignorance of such things, but at the same time they portrayed it as normal, having no side effects other than a waster lifestyle - and that just isn't true. Especially the Las Vegas trip from which there were no consequences - when such drug use would result in at least a struggle against addiction such is the nature of the drug in use. To show the 'fun' side in this way without the consequences is irresponsible.

If there is one scene that I remember vividly it's the birth scene. A scene that I've seen countless times in sit-coms over the year and that has, I guess, lost it's edge. This film went one step too far - showing too much. Even if it was most likely a mock up, there is no good reason for showing a baby crowning in a film - as much of a miracle that child birth is - I don't need to see the gritty details of it - Thankyou.

A lot of my friends really enjoyed the film, perhaps I'm getting intolerant in my advancing years and by all means see it for yourself if you want to. I shan't be watching it ever again - despite some of the obvious positives I've already mentioned - the negatives overrule.

see also:
Hot Fuzz, Anchorman, Big Nothing, Zombieland

[rate this movie] [official site]
photo © Universal Pictures.