by Tiffany Willson, Feature/Entertainment Editor
Trending on Netflix this last week, “Life as We Know It”, a 2010 release directed by Robert Luketic, draws the eyes of audiences and future viewers. Just as it draws eyes of viewers everywhere, my roommate and I were sucked into their world of cheesy romantic comedies like everyone else.
The premise of the story is simple. Two people, Eric Messer (Josh Duhamel) and Holly Berenson (Katherine Heigl), become parents of a young 1 ½ year old girl when their mutual friends die in an accident. What this movie very nicely sets up for viewers at the beginning of the movie is a look at the two several years before attempting a first date that goes rather poorly. The two do not hit it off and come out of this date with a pretty strong hatred for each other. With their best friends being married though, they see an obnoxious amount of each other at parties and get-togethers.
As with classic romantic comedies, the audience can tell at this point that the two will end up happily in love. However, this is a long time coming and they go through several challenges along the way with Messer eventually walking out. It is unsure at this point whether he would end up coming back, as Holly has found a nicer, more stable man to raise Sophie with.
The acting in this movie showed a strong chemistry between Duhamel and Heigl. Their on-screen romance is fueled by goofy moments, deathly sarcasm, and feelings they chose to ignore early on. The pressure of raising a child that is not theirs, for their friends who have passed tragically, seem to be too much for the pair. Unable to understand their friends wishes for their daughter, the pair never consider that their best friends had their best interests at heart.
Throughout the movie we see several appearances of Janine Groff (Sarah Burns), Sophie’s case worker, as she determines if the pair are fit to be parents. After the first visit, it is clear to the audience that Burns character is intended as a comedic piece to the commentary. With several obstacles standing in the way of their guardianship of Sophie, including pot brownies, the case worker, nonetheless, seems intent on helping the two become a family.
This movie is no more than a rom com, feel good movie, but it does a fabulous job of filling that roll. With great chemistry, hysterical dialogue, and quirky characters, I can see why “Life as We Know It” is trending ten years after it’s release. My only advice to future viewers, do not watch this movie if you already have a case of baby fever! It will do nothing but fuel it!