The Feature Film
Starring Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl, Knocked Up (2007) was a smash hit at the box office, and it was favorably reviewed by an overwhelming majority of critics. It was written and directed by Judd Apatow, who previously did The 40-Year-Old Virgin and TV's Freaks and Geeks. Knocked Up is a dialogue-driven, profane, raunchy, sweet-natured comedy-drama.
The story focuses on a mismatched couple who are going to have a baby even though they barely know each other. Ben Stone (Rogen) is a schlubby slacker who lives with a group of pals in a state of extended adolescence. Alison Scott (Heigl) is an attractive, ambitious woman who is an on-camera correspondent at E! Entertainment Television. One night the two meet at a club, and they have a one-night stand. But a few weeks later, Alison discovers she's carrying Ben's child. She calls him up to tell him the news, and the heart of the movie is about the two of them attempting to form some kind of relationship.
Counterpointing the tale of Ben and Alison is a subplot about a troubled marriage involving Alison's sister (Leslie Mann), her husband (Paul Rudd) and their two young children. Mann is the wife of director Apatow, and the two kids in the film are their real-life daughters.
This DVD version of Knocked Up is unrated by the MPAA and is about four minutes longer than the R-rated version that showed in theaters. In the audio commentary Apatow points out two places containing additional material, and both instances entail nothing more than characters talking.
A Ton of DVD Extras
The Two-Disc Collector's Edition DVD set containing Knocked Up provides many bonus materials. There are over four hours of video extras plus a feature-length audio commentary by writer/director Apatow and lead actor Seth Rogen. Occasionally heard from during the commentary is Bill Hader, who has a small role in the film, but is probably best known for his impressions of famous people on TV's Saturday Night Live.
The DVD set contains nearly an hour and a half of deleted/extended/alternate scenes. There are three gag reels with a total runtime of 12 minutes. There's 15 minutes of footage on singer Loudon Wainwright III, including three numbers performed at McCabe's in Santa Monica. Also, the DVD contains over 28 minutes from a video diary Apatow kept during production.
Incidentally, there are two selections on the DVD menus where the phrase "Topless Scene" occurs, but keep in mind that some people don't look all that good when they're not wearing a top.
Some Highlights of the DVD Bonus Materials
For fans of sketch comedy, there's the half-hour "Finding Ben Stone," a mock documentary purporting to show how several actors were tried and rejected before the male lead in Knocked Up went to Seth Rogen.
Those who love the movie will want to watch the six-and-a-half-minute "Gummy: The 6th Roommate," the story of how Ben Stone ended up with one less slacker housemate than Apatow originally intended. Here David Krumholtz (from TV's Numb3rs), who was supposed to play the role, looks back on his decision to do a Woody Allen film instead.
A memorable minor character in Knocked Up is the autocratic Dr. Kuni (Ken Jeong), the OB/GYN who delivers the baby. For a zany bravado comic performance by Jeong, watch the six-minute "Kuni Goes Wild."
And for viewers who want something mildly racy, there's the two-minute "Stripper Confidential," in which Apatow directs actors Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd in the scene where they get up close and personal with a pair of curvaceous topless entertainers.
DVD Details
Below I have listed all the details for the Two-Disc Collector's Edition DVD set containing Knocked Up.
Release Date: September 25, 2007
Number of Discs: 2
Feature Film Run Time: 2 hours 13 minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Widescreen (1.85:1), Color
English 5.1 Dolby Digital
Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital
French 2.0 Dolby Digital
English Captions for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Spanish Subtitles
French Subtitles
Audio Commentary by Director, Lead Actor and Impressionist
Deleted Scenes (28 scenes, total runtime = 49 min.)
Extended/Alternate Scenes (12 scenes, total runtime = 37 min.)
Gag Reels (3 segments, total runtime = 12 min.)
Loudon Wainwright III (4 segments, total runtime = 15 min.)
Video Diaries (22 entries, total runtime = 28 min.)
Topless Scene — Web Design Company (1/2 min.)
Topless Scene — Restaurant (3 1/2 min.)
Finding Ben Stone (30 min.)
Gummy: The Sixth Roommate (6 1/2 min.)
Kuni Goes Wild (6 min.)
Stripper Confidential (2 min.)
Line-O-Rama (2 segments, total runtime = 10 min.)
Roller Coaster Doc (5 min.)
Directing the Director (7 1/2 min.)
Kids on the Loose (5 1/2 min.)
Beard-O-Rama (4 min.)
Kuni Files (5 1/2 min.)
First Sex on Camera (1 1/2 min.)
Raw Footage (2 segments, total runtime = 18 min.)
Katherine Heigl Audition (2 1/2 min.)
