"Isn't it weird that when you have a kid, all of your hopes and dreams go out the window?" Spoken by Paul Rudd's weary father-of-two character, it's not exactly the revelation you expect in a comedy about pregnancy; nor do you expect to see a full-on crowning shot when the baby finally emerges. But Knocked Up is a film about the unexpected, and it admirably refuses to ply the audience with comfortable clichés. Judd Apatow's follow-up to the lovable 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up chronicles an accidental pregnancy from conception (during a drunken one-night stand) to birth. The film is, surprisingly, much darker than its predecessor. It's also longer; by the time Katherine Heigl goes into labor, it's easy to sympathize with her exhaustion. On the other hand, Knocked Up is very funny, loaded with bullseye observations (What to Expect When You're Expecting is "basically a big list of things you can't do," says a baffled Seth Rogan) and cringe-inducing gags that never feel contrived. This may be the first cinematic pregnancy in which the expectant parents act like grown-ups: screwed-up, endearing, complicated grown-ups who say foolish things like "I don't want this baby to determine the rest of our lives." After so many TV shows and movies that treat pregnancy as an idyllic happily-ever-after, Knocked Up is a bumpy ride worth taking. — Gwynne Watkins
