Knocked Up (2007)

Funny stuff, and exceedingly generous besides; Judd Apatow's films are textbook crowd-pleasers, not because they pander or stoop to the lowest common denominator but because his worldview is warm and inclusive. He loves all his characters, loves their failings and foibles and ugly bits as much as their positives. One might say he genuinely believes in the goodness of people. Even the more caustic and raunchy jokes here -- say, the running brutality of the beard jokes -- are posited as communication between friends and compatriots rather than true attempts to demean, much like the gay jokes in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. This giving nature, at times, take the teeth out of the situation; problems crop up only to be glossed over or instantly figured out. Still, I can't fault the guy for figuring out what works and running with it. Besides, this is some fucking funny shit, yo. "I feel like I'm gonna poke the baby in the head" -- genius.

Grade: B