By I’m a firm believer that one of the most underappreciated aspects of storytelling is an exceptionally well developed supporting cast, and that the late 90s gave way to a damaging fad where only the two lead roles get screen time in each scene. While it doesn’t always ensure a great film outcome – as Date Night has recently shown – Life as We Know It is still a good example of how it can elevate a formulaic movie’s overall experience.
I’m a firm believer that one of the most underappreciated aspects of storytelling is an exceptionally well developed supporting cast, and that the late 90s gave way to a damaging fad where only the two lead roles get screen time in each scene. While it doesn’t always ensure a great film outcome – as Date Night has recently shown – Life as We Know It is still a good example of how it can elevate a formulaic movie’s overall experience.
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This movie is in no way a spiritual sequel to Knocked Up and it’s also less demanding of Heigl, who recently adopted a child in her personal life. Her role as the replacement mom in this movie only further solidifies her as a pretty face whose acting is more believable than most of the other pretty faces out there, but I’d still like to see her shoot for a more challenging role in the future. Not long after Holly (Katherine Heigl) and Messer (Josh Duhamel) unsuccessfully try their first date, the death of their mutual friends puts them in the awkward position of owning both the parentless kid and the house it lives in.
I still don’t like that the trailers spoiled the fact that they get a kid by means of offing the parents early on, but I suppose uncertainty and vagueness are bigger enemies to box office hits than visual verbosity. Throwing a baby into the mix of a romantic comedy isn’t an often occurrence, but when you compare this to past movies that tried it, you start to notice more and more how less and less special its baby montage moments are. Aside from those fundamental flaws, Holly is easily mapped out as the responsible business owner, but Messer is where the movie’s other weaknesses are noticeable.
It’s one thing to try to convince viewers that a millionaire actor is actually a normal guy or even socially shy, but Life as We Know It just comes out and admits that the new father is a douchebag. It’s not about letting down the mother in the third act like most couples movies tend to do, but instead he’s a narcissistic jerk who uses women and legitimately angers Holly. It plays out totally plausible since both movies and real life are great examples of how “true love” is too often just a case of human’s ability to naturally fall in love with anyone they’re around long enough, but it’s still bitter as a viewer to see Heigl grow fond of a jerk.
Eventually the movie becomes aware that Heigl is carrying too much weight in the plot and we see too little too late. It’s a shame because if Messer had some redeeming qualities this would actually have been a pretty good date night film for couples to see. Instead it’s a bit like a good fish dinner that unfortunately had bones sticking out of it. Luckily for Life as We Know It, a great supporting side dish is also present to help distract from the flaws and deliver more laughs for all ages.
Letting the audience in on as much of the family’s journey as possible is what allows the movie to grow on you. The judge gets dialogue, the doctor becomes a major side character, their coworkers get more than one scene, the recurring child protective services actress is exceptional, and the neighboring parents are all frequently used as solid supporting characters throughout the film. It’s great when movies dare to dedicate entire scenes to supporting characters without the lead roles getting any face time, and it shows how a casting director can be more than just a yawn-worthy title you see in the credits list. Likewise, they found one of the most adorable babies I’ve seen in a long time.
Maybe recently adopting a child in her personal life is what led Heigl to this film, but I’d like to see her inch towards award worthy roles in the next few years. She might not be able to handle them, but at least she’ll have tried and failed instead of successfully accomplishing nothing challenging. Much like a child growing up fast, her time to stay relevant could quickly vanish before you know it. Grey’s Anatomy seems like a safe bet, but I’m hoping she takes some bold risks that will help her get remembered.
Overall Score: 6.60 – Okay. (6s are just okay. These movies usually have many flaws, didn’t try to do anything special, or were poorly executed. Some will still love 6s, but most prefer to just rent them. Watch more trailers and read more reviews before you decide.)
A good romantic comedy film is held back by one too many clichés and a flawed male lead character who’s hard to sympathize with, but is somewhat redeemed by a great supporting cast.
