Well, anyway, I don’t know much about God, but if you ask me about what films speak to a divine presence in life, it would be movies that deal with big life changes. That’s every film, you say? Well, in anticipation to Pineapple Express, I’m going to have to go with a not too appreciated Apatow production, Knocked Up. In almost all of the films/TV shows that I hope to review in the near future, and hopefully with some help, Apatow’s crew deals with big life changes, where the characters must adapt to a new situation, a new lifestyle, often times experiencing some difficult growing pains in the process. In Knocked Up, we see stoner Ben Stone (ha!) deal with just that. Ben (Seth Rogen) meets an up and coming TV host, Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) at a bar. After many drinks and dancing, Ben goes to Alison’s place and they accidentally have unsafe sex. An awkward morning after shows how different these two cats really are, and Ben is left with a business card at a diner in L.A. OUCH! He even says something like: That was harsh, after she leaves. However, to their surprise, Alison contacts Ben after two months to let him know that she is in fact, Knocked Up! In a commitment perhaps to life, but certainly not each other, they decide to try to make it work, for the sake of their child. The movie takes us on the bumpy road of the two lifestyles clashing, but ends with a perhaps all too Hollywood optimistic ending, where Ben moves out of the stoner house, gets a real, paying job, and creates a home with a nursery for his child. He changes – he grows up. It was probably difficult, but he does it. And in a sweet line at the end, when he’s holding his daughter, he recounts how she was accidentally conceived and says: And I’m so glad I did, because if not, I wouldn’t have you here.

So my point? God is in hard and easy changes in life, as people grow up, become a little less self centered and devote themselves to the wellbeing of others (of course, not to the levels of self-deprecation… but that’s another story). And the ultimate symbol of that is Ben Stone’s utter devotion to his daughter at the end. The movie closes with a song that says: “thats my daughter in the water. everything she’s got, i bought her.”

Ok – is that good enough? Did I do it right? Give me the book!