Katherine Heigl as Holly Berenson and Josh Duhamel as Eric Messer in "Life As We Know It".

Katherine Heigl as We Know Her

What would you do if you were on your way to reaching your career goals, living the enjoyable single life and dreaming about your future when suddenly, overnight, you become a parent to your deceased best friend’s child? What if you had to raise this child in the same house with the person you disliked most? Unfortunately, for Holly Berenson (Katherine Heigl) and Eric Messer (Josh Duhamel), this was life as they knew it. After a disastrous first date set up by their mutual friends, Holly, a bakery owner, and “Messer” a hopeful sports director, want nothing more than to never see each other again. They have no idea what they are in for...

His name couldn’t be more fitting. Eric, referred to as “Messer,” messed up big time. Showing up an hour late in a worn hat, old t-shirt and leather jacket on his motorcycle was only the beginning. Holly asks where they are going to dinner and he simply says, “I don’t know, you pick.” As if things aren’t already off to a rocky start, Messer’s phone starts ringing, blaring the song, “Sexytime” by Donnis. He refuses to answer it thus, making the moment even more awkward. Once Holly insists he pick up his call, Messer answers saying, “Hey you,” in a seductive voice followed by plans to “stop by” later. Needless to say, the date only gets as far as the street outside of Holly’s apartment.

Unfortunately, for Holly and Messer, their mutual best friends, Alison (Christina Hendricks) and Peter (Hayes MacArthur), are married and named them the godparents of their little girl, Sophie. Since Alison and Peter’s wedding, Holly and Messer have shared countless moments with each other as they tag along with the new family of three. This allows for a series of scenes with the two of them annoying each other to the nth degree.

Suddenly, they get a call that their best friends have been in a fatal car accident. Holly and Messer find themselves in a place they never thought possible, joint custodians of Sophie. Now, they both must be forced to put their differences aside, live under the same roof together and raise Sophie. With two inexperienced individuals suddenly becoming parents you can only imagine the diaper humor inserted throughout.

Director, Greg Berlanti (executive producer of TV’s “Brothers and Sisters” and “Dirty Sexy Money”), takes us on a predicable journey through the peach state. This works for the most part but we know Berlanti is still somewhat new to the directing chair - luckily, there is room for growth.

Duhamel and Heigl are very believable in their roles, although, it is almost like déjà vu for the audience in regards to Heigl. We consistently see her in the same rom-com roles over and over again. Whether it be, “Knocked Up,” (2007), “27 Dresses” (2008), or “The Ugly Truth” (2009), Heigl plays the same single, lonely, woman looking for love while all of her friends have already found their happiness in marriage.

Not only is Heigl’s character predictable, but so is the entire film. I must say, “Life As We Know It,” is one of those movies where the best parts are already featured in the trailers, leaving little left for the full-length feature. Luckily, the minor characters do add some flavor to the mix though whether it is the nosy neighbor, the gay couple raising a child or the Child Protective Services worker who stops by at the most inconvenient times.

An unexpected funny moment was when Messer finally gets his break directing a basketball game and doesn’t have a babysitter so he hires his cab driver to watch Sophie in the meantime. Messer is talking to a co-worker about how him and Holly have been getting along great lately and the co-worker turns to him and asks if he’s ever really thought about marriage. Messer couldn’t get a word in before his co-worker followed with, “Marriage. Imagine a prison and then don’t change anything.” I can openly admit this was a laugh out loud moment in the theatre.

Although predictable, it is not to say that this movie doesn’t tug at your heart a little bit. We feel for both Holly and Messer as we watch their lives take such a swift, unexpected turn.

Jessica Aymond © October 12, 2010