Knocked Up

Let's get this out of the way: Kevin Drum couldn't find a clue with two hands, a flashlight, and possibly a sherpa when it comes to the funny. Knocked Up was fantastic. Better even than 40 Year Old Virgin, which is quite a feat considering this movie (almost) entirely lacked Steven Carrell. Seth Rogen may not be the next Olivier, but he's damn good.

More than the actors, I'm really enjoying Judd Apatow's writing. Both of his films have an element that really appeals to me: behind the fart jokes and bong humour (which is awesome, btw) there's a kernel I'd like to see a lot more people take to heart: relationships take work. Real Live Preacher once wrote that "love is a verb", as in a word denoting action. He was responding to people who would say to him, "oh my wife knows I love her" or "my kids know I love them" without ever actually showing it. No. Wrong. It's not enough.

What's more, in Apatow's films the work is worth it. People who aren't "right for each other" or "that special someone" end up being right for each other, but only after working at it. It's a sweet message, and a needed antidote to the people who worry too much about finding "the one."