Life as We Know It: Katherine Heigl, The New Meg Ryan?
Posted: Friday, October 01, 2010
by Brombergs 2 Cents
Alright, perhaps I am exaggerating-but at least I paint an often realistic picture.
The attractive couple we have in this film is Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel. I've never heard of Duhamel before this but he has been in quite a few films such as the hugely mainstream Transformers movies. Does it matter that he is a relatively little known actor? Nope. As I was walking out of the theater, women were going on and on about how cute he was.
Meanwhile, Katherine Heigl might be the next Meg Ryan-this actress loves the romance genre with such notable films as Knocked Up, The Ugly Truth, 27 Dresses, Love Comes Softly, and more. Pretty soon we may even see her name the way we used to see Julia Roberts' name: everywhere.
Unlike Julia Roberts, Katherine Heigl is actually quite attractive. Seriously, Roberts has always had such a big mouth. I mean honestly, it never did anything for me and I do not think I am alone on that point.
Life as We Know It is one of those rare movies that works well within its conventions. You have to assume a romantic comedy will basically be about a film where two people do not like each other in the beginning but then learn that they are made for each other by the end. This is just a given. The kicker is this: Some films do this significantly better than others. How? Let me explain.
Why I recommend this film:
1) The writing.
As a writer, I find it refreshing when I see a film that brings something new to the table. Rather than being a movie in which the two main characters talk about life with each other, get advice from their friends, talk more with each other, get more advice from their friends, and so on and so forth-Life as We Know It is about two people that are brought together not because they are on dates, but because they have a complicated situation. The premise of the film is that the two main characters (Heigl and Duhamel) know a couple (mutual friends) who have a baby. The couple dies suddenly in a car accident and Heigl and Duhamel find out that they were named as guardians in their will, should something happen to them. So, they are forced to either find another family member to take the child, or do the unthinkable and attempt to raise the child themselves.
2) The jokes.
I am happy to say that this movie is consistently funny! In a romantic comedy, usually these days the comedy comes in two forms: Mildly amusing lines involving awkward situations or raunchy dialogue. Life as We Know It is not a raunchy movie, you can actually take your grandma to it, if you so desire and not feel like an idiot afterward because this film, unlike many movies in the past decade, does not have a script splashed with dick-jokes and humor derived from bowel movements and screwball debauchery.
All I can tell you is that I found the humor to be smart and satisfying. The theater had many laugh-out-loud moments so we are not just talking about mildly amusing quips. If you see this film and do not laugh, you probably have some sort of horrible psychological disorder which somehow limits the ability to emote properly.
3) It's complicated.
If ever there was a time when someone should put in their Facebook profile "It's complicated with John Smith" as their relationship status, it would be for Heigl and Duhamel. This works well for a romantic comedy because in a world where social media, gay marriage, organic foods, I-phones, and strange children's programming become a symbol of our 21st century society, a story built on relationships which involve some of these issues makes it more relatable, realistic, and dynamic not only for our attention span, but for the sake of keeping the genre fresh.
4) We need things to do with our significant other.
This may sound odd, but good romantic comedies are one of the healthiest things for a couple to experience. It gives a couple something to talk about, it may provide insight into their own relationship, and it gives you something to do on a date night, which is healthy for couples first going out as well as those that have been married for 40+ years.
If you rarely see a movie, deviate from routine and do it. If you always see a movie, then it is a no-brainer (but next time, go hiking or something to change it up). Do you want to get tired of your spouse? Or do you want to look at your significant other as though you just met? If so, then it might be worth 20 bucks for a movie night (or at least 3 bucks for a DVD rental).
I don't mean to be a huge advocate of these types of movies, but let us face it: Women generally love it and men should be open-minded to it since, god forbid, they might be entertained too.
Life as We Know It is thoroughly entertaining. It is PG-13, yet adult enough for the material. If they wanted it to be R-rated, it would have been easy-drop a few F-bombs, show some breasts, talk about genitals profusely, etc. The producers opted for a happy medium: not G-rated and not dirty. This is my favorite scenario because the writers have to work that much harder to achieve the same amount of entertainment value without losing intelligence points.
Go see this movie, especially if you have a date. 3 out of 4 stars.
My 3 criteria (out of 10).
Story: 8
Cinematography: 4 (mostly average but there was one scene that seemed out of focus)
Acting: 8
Thanks for your great assessment of this piece. Heigl is so much more voluptuous than Roberts or Ryan, I think that may be a distinction that even outshines her wonderful smile. Can't predict her future, but I will vote for her to outshine both of them. There may be a "skinny flat chested" quotient that somehow appeals to women that I am unaware of as a male, but KH has my vote.It could be an interesting study to see if there is such a thing as a "skinny flat chested" quotient. But for now, I agree... Meg Ryan and Roberts will always have their place--but for 2010, it would seem to be a KH era. Thanks for the comment!-Bromberg
I miss the Meg Ryan days of romantic comedy! I like Katherine Heigl and I'll watch a movie of hers over Jen Aniston any day! Looks like hubby is in for another rom/com soon.~ GraceYes, the Meg Ryan days were good ones and you can't ever get away from the classics like When Harry Met Sally--and I am not a big Jen Aniston fan so I totally would watch KH over her. KH is more talented and pretty and I could go on. :-)
Thanks for the comment as always Grace! Put it on your list for you and the hubby!
I'd rather be sitting in the theater holding hands with the bald paunchy man next to me than watch another romantic comedy with Bradley Cooper or Jake Gyllenhaal. I'm glad the days of Ms. Roberts being so popular are done, lol. I'll have to keep an eye out for your articles. You do it for fun and not profit so I'd believe your assessment more than those who are out for fame.Hey Dixie! Good to hear from you! Well I only used Cooper and Gyllenhaal as examples because they are current eye candy for the ladies and I anticipate more chick flicks from them in the next few years. You are right, I do this for fun and I have happily received very good reactions about my reviews thus far. Did you see Sex and the City 2? I did (I saw it on a plane and figured that it would likely be easy to write about). That's one of my favorite reviews so at least try to check that one out. Oh and there's nothing wrong with fat, bald men--I was just painting a picture for contrast :-)
I hope to hear from you again soon! Thanks for the comment!You would never find this woman watching a Sex in the City movie. I couldn't even stomach the cable show! But I'll look it up to see what you had to say about it. Keep writing and I'll keep commenting.haha... thanks Dixie! It so happens that I was talked into seeing SATC 2. Being someone that appreciates fine cinema, it was not on my list of films to see. However, if the movie is bad, it is that much more fun to rip it apart and explain what it means to be a one star film. I have a feeling you will enjoy my thoughts!
Guess I'll have to call the kids so we can go see this movie. My husband prefers his cave, something about the light hurts his eyes. I really enjoy your reviews. Thanks for sharing., Linda DThanks Linda! Well let the husband enjoy his cave and you go have fun with the kids for a couple of entertaining hours! I enjoyed the film a lot more than expected--you will have fun! Thanks again for the lovely comment!
Guess I'll have to call the kids so we can go see this movie. My husband prefers his cave, something about the light hurts his eyes. I really enjoy your reviews. Thanks for sharing., Linda D
You sold me, Bromberg! I'm pretty tolerant of romantic comedies, but it's just great when the dialogue is good. The story has a good premise, and I think Heigl and Duhamel have fantastic chemistry. Great review, as always.Hey there Jennifer!
Glad you liked the review! They do have chemistry and I believe you'll find the film to be an enjoyable ride. Thanks for stopping by as always!
Love it! A SW movie review - thanks for the head's up! I usually do not like "chick flicks" but this one with the baby looks kinda cute!
This one is actually pretty cute, so glad you liked the review! I've been doing film reviews on SW for a little while now so check out some of my other articles if you are interested. (They're not all chick flicks, I promise!) This film comes out this weekend so if you don't have other plans, you might look to see if it's at your local theater! Thanks for the comment! -Bromberg
I don't much like Romantic Comedies- they remind me of Barbara Cartland romance novels............. but evidently a lot of younger people like them- so they can learn what to do in relationships I guess LOL- Will you be reviewing any Historical Epics any time soon? That's the kind of movies I like- Thanks Always- Ella
I'll keep that in mind. Romantic comedies have their place, and luckily some are produced in a modern and non-cheesy way. My dad's favorite movie is Gettysburg, I imagine you have seen it? Did you like Titanic? I know some historical epics may be too "hollywood" for some, but I'm just getting an idea of what seems to attract you. Is there a type of history that you particularly are interested in? I have seen a bunch of WW2 films, many of which deal with the Holocaust; however, that may not be your cup of tea. Perhaps you simply prefer things based on true stories? Regardless, thanks for stopping by, always good to hear from you! My newest article is about a murder mystery and the next one will probably be on a comedy. I do try to have variety in the films I write about! I may be due for a historical piece sometime soon... -Bromberg