"Knocked Up"

Directed by: Judd Apatow
Starring: Seth Rogen,
Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd,
Leslie Mann, Jason Segel
Rated: R (for sexual situa
tions, adult language, drug use)
Running time: 129 minutes
Best suited for: freaks and
geeks, "oddcouple" connois
seurs, frats
Least suited for: the lessfre
netic romcom fan

What "The 40YearOld Virgin" did for 40-year-old virgins, and what "Wedding Crashers" did for wedding crashers, "Knocked Up" will probably do for the geeky 20-something party animal who suddenly finds himself in an excruciating adult situation and is clueless about how to handle it.

Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) lives with a bunch of relatively unattractive geek stoners, living life inconsequentially day by day, killing brain cells and just hanging out. He and his pals are capriciously building a website (and let's just say the kind of site that other unattractive geek stoners will adore), although the project's completion date seems to be "whenever."

Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) is an uptight overachiever on the fast track. She works for the E! Network and has just been promoted to "on-air" personality. The last thing she's looking for is a commitment, or even a relationship. But when she and her older sister, Debbie (Leslie Mann), head out one night for a few drinks to celebrate the promotion, they unwittingly meet up with Ben and the boys.

Normally, these two parties would repel each other like oil and water. But the teddy-bearish and charmingly befuddled Ben buys the women a round of drinks (a ploy that has never gotten him anywhere before). A confluence of good (or bad) timing, the right cosmic alignment and too much alcohol eventually pairs up Alison and Ben that evening. When she invites him to her place afterwards, he's exuberant.

The next morning, sober again, Alison's aghast to realize what's occurred. Ben also realizes that his lucky one-night stand won't amount to anything more, so they awkwardly part and go their separate ways.

Six weeks later, fate and a bout of morning sickness bring them together again. This truly mismatched couple must abruptly confront the rest of their lives.

Director Judd Apatow (who also directed "The 40-Year-Old Virgin") gives both Ben and Alison enough quirky charm to keep this nimble situation comedy moving nicely. When it's funny, "Knocked Up" is outrageously good, and when it's not- well, the characters are honest enough to make the picture work on a multitude of levels.

Where several "Revenge of the Nerds" knockoff films have previously played (lamely) for overblown laughs or outright parody, "Knocked Up" takes a more pragmatic route. Sure, the plot may feel a tad contrived to some, but the challenges and potential solutions seem very real. Occasionally, the tension is palpable.

The tightly wound Debbie exudes obvious disdain for her younger sister's new "boyfriend," at one point telling Alison he's "beneath her." Yet Debbie's husband, Pete (Paul Rudd), is openly envious of Ben's carefree existence (however temporary). The chilly calm in Pete's marriage isn't lost on Ben, who's only too aware of his own shortcomings as potential mate and father.

Debbie and Pete provide the film with a surprising amount of tension- Leslie Mann's portrayal of upscale angst is the most compelling I've witnessed since Téa Leone's remarkably adroit performance in "Spanglish."

One begins to wonder if that obsessive/compulsive behavior is destined to rub off on Debbie's little sister.

For instance, in one scene Alison's reluctant to introduce Ben when she bumps into a gaggle of her stylish friends. Oblivious (intentionally or not), Ben blusters through the introductions, saying not only that he's Alison's new boyfriend, but that she's pregnant.

It's not an embarrassment for him- it's a simple reality, and the sooner Alison confronts the truth, the better for both of them. In that regard, Ben's not only refreshingly genuine, he's also the more mature of the two.

There are lessons to be learned here, by both Alison and Ben. "Knocked Up" is really a tale of life's often harsh schooling. In the end, the morality holds up, the comedy's refreshingly clever and the stress feels suspiciously normal- and that's all right too. Because it's okay, sometimes, to let ourselves laugh at the predicaments life throws our way.

Words of caution: Expect a couple of brief scenes of childbirth. Also, the humor is also what I'd term "risqué." To those who prefer their comedy not quite so honest, be advised.