Knocked Up

After a one-night stand, Ben Stone, an easygoing slacker, and Alison Scott, an ambitious magazine editor, learn she's pregnant. Instead of parting ways immediately, they try to make a relationship work while preparing for parenthood. The film tracks their awkward attempts to bridge very different lifestyles, from career priorities to emotional maturity, and shows how friends and family complicate the situation with advice, judgment, and comic interference. Scenes swing between broad humor and quieter sincerity as both characters test what kind of adults they want to be, without tying up every issue in a neat ending. It keeps the setup grounded even when jokes get outrageous.

Released in 2007 and directed by Judd Apatow, Knocked Up comes from Apatow's original material and features a cast drawn from his comedy stable, including Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl in lead roles, with Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann supporting.

On release it was a commercial success, earning well beyond its modest production costs and helping cement Judd Apatow's mainstream profile, while turning several supporting players into recognizable faces and increasing studio interest in similar adult-oriented comedies, and future projects.

Critics were mixed to positive, reflected in an average rating around 6.3 out of 10 from many viewers, with praise for naturalistic performances and humor, and criticism for uneven tone and some character treatment. The film tackles unexpected parenthood, responsibility, gender dynamics, and the gap between youth and growing up.

Knocked Up helped define the mid-2000s Apatow comedy aesthetic, blending raunchy jokes with sincere domestic scenes, and it boosted the careers of its leads and ensemble. It also sparked discussions about how comedies represent men and women in relationships, and many lines and scenes became part of pop culture shorthand.