To its credit, the strain on credulity in this romantic comedy is modest. Screenwriters Ian Deitchman and Kristin Rusk Robinson only ask the State of Georgia to allow the parents of a one-year-old to assign guardianship with physical custody to two unrelated, unmarried individuals, in the event of the deaths of the parents. The late couple once set up caterer and baker Holly (Katherine Heigl, “Knocked Up,””Grey’s Anatomy”) and basketball broadcast technician Eric (Josh Duhamel, “Transformers,” “Turistas”) for a blind date that backfired in a matter of minutes. Three years and one fatal accident later, these two learn they are godparents and homeowners in suburban Atlanta. Greg Berlanti directs kindly and molds characters with plausibility and appeal. Even the reaction shots by baby Sophie are done with tasteful cuteness. “Life As We Know It” is far more mature than romantic comedies as we know them. With Josh Lucas, Christina Hendricks, Hayes MacArthur. 114m. (Bill Stamets)
Ray Pride is Newcity’s Senior Editor and Film Critic. He is a contributing editor of Filmmaker magazine.
Ray’s history of Chicago Ghost Signs is planned for publication next year. Previews of the project are on Twitter and on Instagram. More photography on Instagram.
Chicago Salvation: Life, Movies And Uptown's Hurricane Billy A maker of hard-to categorize films, William Friedkin forged a career in his own way, fueled by arrogance, boastfulness, bravado, confidence, self-assurance and moral questioning, a Chicago working-class autodidact who grew up poor in Uptown.
Seeing The Elephant: A Review Of Babylon The boisterous, brawling yet melancholy "Babylon," is a variation on film history, but more drawing for drama. It's gaudy and mean, celebratory and sorrowful.
Heart: A Review of Soul The real world is soulful, too, in Pixar's bountiful life of the mind.
To its credit, the strain on credulity in this romantic comedy is modest. Screenwriters Ian Deitchman and Kristin Rusk Robinson only ask the State of Georgia to allow the parents of a one-year-old to assign guardianship with physical custody to two unrelated, unmarried individuals, in the event of the deaths of the parents. The late couple once set up caterer and baker Holly (Katherine Heigl, “Knocked Up,””Grey’s Anatomy”) and basketball broadcast technician Eric (Josh Duhamel, “Transformers,” “Turistas”) for a blind date that backfired in a matter of minutes. Three years and one fatal accident later, these two learn they are godparents and homeowners in suburban Atlanta. Greg Berlanti directs kindly and molds characters with plausibility and appeal. Even the reaction shots by baby Sophie are done with tasteful cuteness. “Life As We Know It” is far more mature than romantic comedies as we know them. With Josh Lucas, Christina Hendricks, Hayes MacArthur. 114m. (Bill Stamets)
