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AWARDS PROFILE: "KNOCKED UP"

Will AMPAS honor Judd Apatow's edgy humor with a Screenplay nomination?

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By Joey Magidson

When it comes to comedies, it’s safe to say that the Academy tends to prefer a bit more “class” to its humor. When Woody Allen makes a real good comedy, they’ve rewarded him in the past. When Judd Apatow made “The 40 Year Old Virgin”, it opened to rave reviews and quickly became a sleeper hit, yet failed to be recognized. So what does that mean for Apatow’s latest offering “Knocked Up”?

The film itself benefits from the strong performances of Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, and Leslie Mann. All have impeccable comedic timing and bring a real heart to characters that many people will have no trouble identifying with. The script is also pitch perfect, mixing together bawdy, outrageous humor and a surprising sweetness. Best Original Screenplay might be the most likely reward for the film, and for evidence, look no further than what movie won last year (Little Miss Sunshine).

If placed into the Supporting Actress category instead of Lead (as comedy fares better historically in the supporting realm), Heigl has a legit shot at being recognized. Rogen, Rudd, and Mann are “Virgin” veterans (pardon the pun) and their work may be seen as more a celebration of improv than a genuine performance. Heigl, on the other hand, might be in the perfect situation to get recognized. She has a hit show on television to increase her visibility (ala Felicity Huffman recently), is relatively new to filmgoers (worked well for Abigail Breslin and Jennifer Hudson last year), and really shines in a role that could have fallen into the shadow of Rogen’s humor. She allows the film to be as much about her character as Rogen’s.

Overall, the film itself might be too light for the Academy to embrace (they ignored “Virgin”, despite a small campaign for it to be nominated, including a For Your Consideration spot in Entertainment Weekly’s Oscar Issue), but depending on how the year goes, it is not out of the question at all to discuss Apatow’s script and Heigl’s performance as award worthy.

Possible Nominations:

Best Supporting Actress

Best Original Screenplay

Is Knocked Up a serious awards contender? Talk about it here!

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