Life as We Know It

There's not really a whole lot bad I can say about Life as We Know It, while at the same time not a whole lot I can praise. It's a sunny, pleasant, middle of the road romantic comedy that does its job. We like the characters, there's some notable chemistry between the lead stars, we smile at the cute baby, and then we forget about the movie until it goes into regular rotation on network TV in three or four years. That's when we won't be able to get away from the film, I imagine.

If I had to pick at least one thing that bugged me about the movie, it wouldn't be the predictable plot, or the baby poo and spit up gags that have been recycled right out of Three Men and a Baby. Those kind of things are expected in a movie such as this. No, what bothered me was the fact that director Greg Berlanti decided to shoot so much of the film with a soft light focus. It sometimes looks like we're watching the movie through a camera lens that's been smeared with butter before shooting began. It gives the backgrounds and settings a kind of soft, blurry look that really got on my nerves. Granted, he doesn't use it for every shot, but when he does, it grabbed my attention, and not in a good way.

Onto the plot: The film kicks off three years ago when Holly (Katerine Heigl) and Messer (Josh Duhamal) are set up on a disastrous blind date by their mutual best friends, a married couple named Alison (Christina Hendricks) and Peter (Hayes MacArthur). Holly and Messer have absolutely nothing in common, which you think Alison and Peter would have realized before they set them up. I guess they're familiar with the standard romantic comedy conventions that a couple must hate each other before they love each other. Time passes, and a tragic little bit of plot contrivance occurs. Alison and Peter are killed in a car crash, and state in their will that Holly and Messer must raise their orphaned 1-year-old daughter, Sophie, together. Once again, the couple thought ahead, and are wise in the ways of Hollywood conventions. They just seemed to know that this experience would bring Holly and Messer together.

So, Holly and Messer are forced to move into their friends' sprawling suburban home (which they get to live in for free as part of the will), hang out with some goofy and colorful neighbors, and grow closer together as they struggle to raise Sophie. Naturally, the pressures of raising a kid prove some difficulties. Holly's a perfectionist who runs a gourmet bakery, and is trying to start a relationship with a nice doctor who comes to her store (Josh Lucas). Messer is a slob, a womanizer, and a technical director for televised basketball games. How will they ever get to live their own lives, while fulfilling their duties as parents? I'm sure those of you who have never seen a situation comedy on TV will be on the edge of their seats. The whole thing unfolds predictably, but there are some charms to be found.

Heigl and Duhamal work well together up on the screen. I'm not quite sure I buy Heigl as a leading lady yet, as she seems to play the same character in every film, but she at least works here. Duhamal is charismatic, and I would like to see him with a stronger part. The movie itself also has some cute moments. I liked how Duhamal became addicted to toddler TV as the film went on. I also liked that no matter how predictable things got, the movie never resorts to having the characters act like total idiots, as in the recent female-centric comedy, You Again. There is one scene that comes dangerously close (when Duhamal leaves little Sophie in the back seat of a taxi cab), but at least the movie doesn't dwell on this type of behavior.

If I seem to be fishing for complements, that's only because there's not a lot to say about Life as We Know It. It's pleasant in-one-ear, out-the-other entertainment that doesn't stick around when it's done. It will make a passable date movie, but that's about it.

See the movie times in your area or buy the DVD at Amazon.com!

0 comments