One is between Alison and her mother (Joanna Kerns), where options about the pregnancy are discussed, and the other is between Ben and his father (Harold Ramis), where Ben is shocked to learn he was the best thing to ever happen to his dad. They aren't necessary to moving the action forward, but it gives a sense of what could be at stake for each of them. There's also some blunt but understandable and sweet honesty from Ben, who has never had any responsibility his entire life, when he tells Alison, "I don't know what I need to do; you can help me by telling me what I can do." The relationship progresses naturally and affectionately here, as they bashfully hold hands while shopping for baby needs and Ben hears a woman say she loves him for the first time.

It's all about Ben finally growing up, and does he ever need to. When Alison meets his friends for the first time, they're discussing intimate matters of personal hygiene. It's not so easy, though, when Ben has Pete telling him that "all your hopes and dreams go out the window" when one has a kid and Alison has Debbie telling her she should listen to Oprah and actively try to change Ben. Plus there's the fact that for all of Ben's good intentions, he doesn't follow through entirely with them. Some of this goes on too much, and there's an entire subplot where Debbie thinks Pete might be cheating on her that ultimately sends both central relationships into a tailspin. Still, Apatow cares about these characters, and as a result, we start to sympathize with the controlling Debbie, who just wants to have some attention from her husband, and to see Pete as a bit of a scoundrel, even if his jaded outlook is appealing. The performances here are spot on, with Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl playing the ups of a new relationship and the downs of an inescapable, life-changing event with true vulnerability.

I have made the film sound sentimental, and while it is, it's also occasionally uproarious and disgusting in the humor department. The cause of pink eye is discussed (Ben's friends are always good for a sick joke), Ben worries about what the baby will see when he and Alison have sex, the difficulties of finding a (sane) gynecologist are explored, and the wonders of childbirth get a close-up. Knocked Up, though, is sweet and disarming in the way it reveals its humanity.