Here lies another woefully tragic case of rugged boy meets plaid-skirted girl meets the baby that will bring them all together.
The synopsis of this movie sounds more like a pitch for a dated sitcom: Holly “Control Freak” Berenson (Katherine Heigl) and Eric “Manchild” Messer (Josh Duhamel) are two bickering friends-of-friends who, after a disastrous blind date, vow to disdain each other for all of eternity. But after a horrendous car accident leaves the couple best-friendless and little Sophie “She’s-Your-Child-Now” Novak orphaned, hijinks ensue.
You can already see where this is going, can’t you?
For some reason unbeknownst to logic or sense, the deceased parents decide it’s best to leave adorable baby Sophie in the care of her godparents: two incompatible sworn enemies.
Okay, okay … so it turns out to be a miraculous coming together of Holly and Messer, a cornucopia of beauty, family and lessons learned…but therein lies the rub. Holly and Messer never actually hated each other.
Holly is a bakery manager and caterer, ever distracted with her job and her nonexistent love life. Heigl, slipping comfortably back into safe and easy territory, offers little to no difference in this role as she does in “Knocked Up,” “27 Dresses” or “The Ugly Truth”. Again she plunges headfirst into a pretty-but-not-too-pretty, intelligent, stylish, relatable-but-not, semi-successful firecracker.
Messer, on the other hand, is a fun-loving playboy who, when not taking reckless rides on his Harley, enjoys a flourishing career as a TV sports technical director. He’s coarse, childish and sexist, but this is all forgivable due to his good looks and sensitive side.
Do you see what the writers did there?
The “total opposites” and “odd couple” gag is a tired one, and if not done just right, should not be done at all. Holly and Messer’s relationship takes a stab at satisfyingly frustrating love-hate tension, but without witticism or bite.
The pair never once believably loathe each other. From the beginning the audience is left to count down the minutes before the protagonists finally lock lips. Their “blossoming” love is not only already there but obviously so.
Heigl and Duhamel have the petulant chemistry of two lovestruck teenagers, but lack the mystery required for a proper romantic comedy. Their silliness is admittedly entertaining but does little to convince the viewer of a tangible clash between them.
It’s safe to say that the best actor in this movie was baby Sophie. She brings truth and ingenuity to this cliché tale by just being her sweet self, and the expressions she delivers are worth the ticket price. Because let’s face it: Sophie is the glue that keeps this film from falling to bits, just as she holds fast to Holly and Messer.
To counter such sentiments, the film is underwhelming and ridiculous. On the whole, “Life As We Know It” isn’t too bad for a two-hour-long romantic comedy based solely on a will-they-won’t-they (of-course-they-will) romance.
Grade: C