Knocked Up is Coming to DVD

Knocked Up marks a turning point in American comedies… well, maybe The 40 Year Old Virgin marked the turning point, but regardless, there’s been a turning point. Gone are the days of gross-out comedies with no redeemable moral qualities. Adam Sandler and the rest of the mid-90s SNL crew are no longer relevant, and even the new crew of the Wilsons, Ben Stiller, and Vince Vaughn have been taken down a few pegs. That’s because Judd Apatow has gone and flipped the modern American comedy on its head.

Here’s where he mixes things up: he tackles adult subjects in hilarious ways, but he treats them with — get ready for this — respect. Yes, he respects his characters and he respects the situations they’re in. So while he certainly finds the humor in the unwanted pregnancy at the center of Knocked Up, he clearly also cares for his characters and makes the audience care for them as well. Rather than use them as the butts of jokes, he makes his jokes relatable to everyone. He’s set a new bar for comedic films, ones that not only make you laugh, but ones that might just make you cry as well. And isn’t that a sign of great filmmaking?

This entry was posted by Adam on Sunday, September 16th, 2007 at 1:37 pm