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93-469: Knocked Up is a 2007 American romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by Judd Apatow , and starring Seth Rogen , Katherine Heigl , Paul Rudd , Leslie Mann , Jay Baruchel , Jonah Hill , Jason Segel and Martin Starr . It follows the repercussions of a drunken one-night stand between a slacker and a recently promoted media personality that results in an unintended pregnancy . The film

186-482: A Hip Mother-to-Be , which was released in the U.S. in March 2005. She pursued legal action against Apatow and Universal Pictures on the basis of copyright infringement. In a public statement, Apatow said, "Anyone who reads the book and sees the movie will instantly know that they are two very different stories about a common experience." Another Canadian author, Patricia Pearson , also publicly claimed similarities between

279-555: A Jewish topic to mark their coming of age, learn a book of Tanakh , recite verses from the Book of Esther or the Book of Psalms , or say prayers from the siddur . In some Modern Orthodox circles, bat mitzvah girls will read from the Torah and lead prayer services in a women's tefillah . Rabbi Moshe Feinstein , a prominent Orthodox posek , described the bat mitzvah celebration as "meaningless", and of no greater halakhic significance than

372-405: A birthday party. However, he reluctantly permitted it in homes, but not synagogues, as the latter would be construed as imitating Reform and Conservative customs; in any case, they do not have the status of seudat mitzvah . Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef holds that it is a seudat mitzvah. There were occasional attempts to recognize a girl's coming of age in eastern Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries,

465-544: A brief nationwide discussion in which movie-goers would see the film "so they can join the debate if only to say it wasn't that good." Mike White (longtime associate of Judd Apatow and screenwriter for School of Rock , Freaks and Geeks , Orange County , and Nacho Libre ) is said to have been "disenchanted" by Apatow's later films, "objecting to the treatment of women and gay men in Apatow's recent movies", saying of Knocked Up , "At some point, it starts feeling like

558-548: A call saying she was sorry, that she was tired, and then the call never comes." In August 2016, Rogen again spoke to Howard Stern about how he had felt hurt and somewhat betrayed back then by Heigl's comments. He went on to talk about what a great rapport they'd had on set while working together, and that at the time he had even envisioned making many more movies with her. Though Rogen wishes she would have apologized to him personally as opposed to publicly, he affirmed that he still really liked her, and that he never would have wanted

651-510: A certain age, the parents are responsible for their child's actions. Once Jewish children reach that age, they are said to "become" b'nai mitzvah , at which point they begin to be held accountable for their own actions. Traditionally, the father of a bar or bat mitzvah offers thanks to God that he is no longer punished for his child's sins. In Orthodox communities, boys become bar mitzvah at 13 and girls become bat mitzvah at 12. In most Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative communities,

744-467: A comedy of the bullies, rather than the bullied." In early reviews, both Slate 's Dana Stevens and the Los Angeles Times ' Carina Chocano wrote articles claiming the film propagated sexist attitudes, a topic which was the primary focus of a Slate magazine podcast in which New York editor Emily Nussbaum said: "Alison [Heigl's character] made basically zero sense. She

837-605: A dog's coming of age , as in the Jewish traditional bar and bat mitzvahs. The term has been in use since at least 1958, when Beverly Hills couple Janet and Sonny Salter held a bark mitzvah for their 13 year old dog, Windy. Bark mitzvahs are sometimes held as an adjunct to the festival of Purim . Bar or bat mitzvah celebrations have become an occasion to give the celebrant a commemorative gift. Traditionally, common gifts include books with religious or educational value, religious items, writing implements, savings bonds (to be used for

930-400: A girl potentially giving a d'var Torah at the end of the service. Some Modern Orthodox girls give aliyot at women's services, with fewer than ten men (so as not to constitute a minyan ). In Orthodox circles, the occasion is sometimes celebrated during a weekday service that includes reading from the Torah, such as a Monday or Thursday morning service. Some communities or families may delay

1023-488: A good editor. But the laughs are plentiful, and it's the rare movie these days where one doesn't feel guilty about finding the whole thing funny." Variety magazine, while calling the film predictable, said that Knocked Up was "explosively funny." On the television show Ebert & Roeper , Richard Roeper and guest critic David Edelstein gave Knocked Up a "two big thumbs up" rating, with Roeper calling it "likable and real," noting that although "at times things drag

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1116-410: A hard time enjoying the film itself, calling it "a little sexist" and claiming that the film "paints the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight, and it paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys." In response, Apatow did not deny the validity of her accusations, saying, "I'm just shocked she [Heigl] used the word shrew . I mean, what is this, the 1600s?" Apatow also said that the characters in

1209-409: A joyous seudat mitzvah , a celebratory meal with family, friends, and members of the community, the bar mitzvah boy delivering on this occasion a learned discourse or oration at the table before the invited guests, who offer him presents, while the rabbi or teacher gives him his blessing, accompanying it at times with an address. Some Jews celebrate in other ways such as taking the bat or bar mitzvah on

1302-484: A little bit.... still Knocked Up earns its sentimental moments." A more critical review in Time magazine noted that, although a typical Hollywood-style comedic farce, the unexpected short-term success of the film may be more attributable to a sociological phenomenon rather than the quality or uniqueness of the film per se , positing that the movie's shock value, sexual humor, and historically taboo themes may have created

1395-511: A more enlightened and appropriate ceremony for modern Jews. Yet the enduring popularity of bar/bat mitzvah prevailed and today, in our communities, bar/bat mitzvah is 'virtually universally observed' by Reform Jews." In 2012, concern about the high post-bar/bat mitzvah drop-out rate led the Union for Reform Judaism to launch the B'nai Mitzvah Revolution, an effort to shift Reform congregations away from "the long-held assumption that religious school

1488-499: A more traditional bar mitzvah celebration. Among some Jews, a man who has reached the age of 83 will celebrate a second bar mitzvah, under the logic that in the Hebrew Bible it says that a normal lifespan is 70 years, so that an 83-year-old can be considered 13 in a second lifetime. This ritual is becoming more common as people live longer, healthier lives. A bark mitzvah is a pseudo-traditional observance and celebration of

1581-441: A new film written and directed by Apatow, titled This Is 40 . Apatow had stated that it would not be a sequel or prequel to Knocked Up , but a spin-off, focusing on Pete and Debbie, the couple played by Rudd and Mann. The film was shot in the summer of 2011, and was released on December 21, 2012. In March 2022, Apatow was announced to be in early development of writing a third film, set 10 years after This Is 40 and titled This

1674-524: A new life together. Several of the major cast members return from previous Judd Apatow projects: Seth Rogen , Martin Starr , Jason Segel , and James Franco all starred in the television series Freaks and Geeks which Apatow produced. From the Apatow-created Undeclared (which also featured Rogen, Segel and Starr) there are Jay Baruchel and Loudon Wainwright III . Paul Feig , who co-created Freaks and Geeks , starred in

1767-427: A profane voicemail . During labor, Alison apologizes for questioning Ben's priorities. When Debbie and Pete arrive at the hospital, Ben refuses to allow Debbie to be at Alison's side, insisting that it is his place. Debbie is both incredulous and thankful that he took charge of the situation and begins to change her formerly negative opinion of him. The couple welcomes a baby girl (a boy in the alternate ending) and starts

1860-809: A sense of awkwardness between the two potential partners by depicting an initial clash of personalities or beliefs, an embarrassing situation, or by introducing a comical misunderstanding or mistaken identity situation. Sometimes, the term is used without a hyphen (a "meet cute"), or as a verb ("to meet cute"). Roger Ebert describes the "concept of a Meet Cute" as "when boy meets girl in a cute way." As an example, he cites "The Meet Cute in Lost and Found [which] has Jackson and Segal running their cars into each other in Switzerland. Once recovered, they Meet Cute again when they run into each other while on skis. Eventually, they fall in love." In many romantic comedies,

1953-584: A special trip or organizing some special event in the celebrant's honour. In many communities, the celebrant is given a certificate. In some times and places, local Jewish leaders have officially limited the size and elaborateness of mitzvahs. For example, only ten men were permitted to attend the party in 1730 in Berlin , and music was banned at these parties in 1767 in Prague . These rules were usually meant to avoid offending non-Jewish neighbours, and to maintain

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2046-609: A talent scout for rock bands, but leaves at strange hours in the night, making her suspect he is having an affair. Upon investigating, she learns that he is actually part of a fantasy baseball draft and that he has been doing other activities such as going to the movies on his own, which he explains he does to be free from Debbie's manipulative manner. As a result, they separate, and when Ben expresses pride in Pete's deception, it leads to an argument with Alison as they drive to her doctor. Furious, she ejects him from her car, abandoning him in

2139-462: A talk with his father, Ben decides to take responsibility and makes a great effort to mature, including obtaining his own apartment, getting an office job as a web designer, and reading pregnancy books. When Alison goes into labor and is unable to contact her doctor, she calls Ben, as Debbie and Pete are out of town. After he discovers that Alison's gynecologist is at a Bar Mitzvah (despite emphatically insisting he never took vacations), Ben leaves him

2232-469: A two-disc "Extended and Unrated" collector's edition, and an HD DVD "Unrated and Unprotected" version. On November 7, 2008, Knocked Up was released on Blu-ray following the discontinuation of HD DVD, along with other Apatow comedies The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Forgetting Sarah Marshall . Variety reported in January 2011 that Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann would reprise their Knocked Up roles for

2325-464: Is 50 . Romantic comedy The basic plot of a romantic comedy is that two characters meet , part ways due to an argument or other obstacle, then ultimately, realize their love for one another and reunite. Sometimes the two leads meet and become involved initially, then must confront challenges to their union. Sometimes they are hesitant to become romantically involved because they believe they do not like each other. This could be because one of

2418-421: Is a hilarious, poignant and refreshing look at the rigors of courtship and child-rearing, with a sometimes raunchy, yet savvy script that is ably acted and directed." On Metacritic , the film has a score of 85 out of 100, based on reviews from 38 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. The Los Angeles Times praised

2511-472: Is about preparing kids for their bar/bat mitzvah" and focus instead on teaching them how to become committed and involved members of the Jewish community. The widespread practice is that shortly after a boy turns 13, they are called up for an aliyah , the ceremony of reading a portion of the Torah section of the day. On the Sabbath, there are seven main sections, plus an eighth, known as maftir, which

2604-400: Is also connected to the reading of that day's haftorah section. It is most common to give the child the maftir reading. In most synagogues, a designated officiant, the ba'al korei , reads all of the Torah portions, and the people receiving each aliyah only say the blessings before and after their portion is read. A bar mitzvah boy may learn to act as the ba'al korei , either for

2697-706: Is an immature and wise-cracking Jewish Canadian slacker who lives off injury compensation funds and sparsely works on a celebrity pornographic website with his stoner roommates. While celebrating her promotion, Alison meets Ben at a local nightclub. After a night of heavy drinking, Ben and Alison have a one-night stand , and due to a miscommunication, Ben does not wear a condom. The following morning, they learn over breakfast that they have nothing in common so they go their separate ways, leaving Ben feeling disappointed. Eight weeks later, Alison experiences morning sickness while interviewing James Franco , and she realizes she could be pregnant. She takes multiple pregnancy tests and

2790-536: Is closer to tragicomedy ." It was not until the development of the literary tradition of romantic love in the western European medieval period, though, that "romance" came to refer to "romantic love" situations. They were previously referred to as the heroic adventures of medieval Romance . Those adventures traditionally focused on a knight's feats on behalf of a lady, so the modern themes of love were quickly woven into them, as in Chrétien de Troyes 's Lancelot,

2883-430: Is for the bar mitzvah boy to begin putting on tefillin one to three months before his bar mitzvah. This way, by the time he is obligated in the commandment, he will already know how to fulfill it properly. As the first mention of a party associated with a synagogue bar mitzvah was in the 13th century, hosting some sort of party is traditional and frequently considered necessary. Bar mitzvah festivities typically include

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2976-456: Is married to Apatow and their two daughters play her children in the movie. Anne Hathaway was originally cast in the role of Alison in the film, but dropped out due to creative reasons that Apatow attributed to Hathaway's disagreement with plans to use real footage of a woman giving birth. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Kate Bosworth auditioned for the part after Hathaway dropped out, but ended up losing out to Katherine Heigl . Christina Aguilera

3069-431: Is shocked to discover that she is pregnant. She contacts Ben for the first time since their one-night stand to tell him. Although abrasive at first, he says he will support her. While Ben is still unsure about being a parent, his father is overjoyed. Alison's mother tries to persuade her to have an abortion, but she decides to keep the child. After spending more time getting to know one another, Alison and Ben decide to give

3162-448: The 613 laws of the Torah and keep the halakha ; and the capacity to testify as a witness in a beth din (rabbinical court) case. Many congregations require pre-bar mitzvah children to attend a minimum number of Shabbat prayer services at the synagogue, study at a Hebrew school , take on a charity or community service project and maintain membership in good standing with the synagogue. In addition to study and preparation offered through

3255-701: The Scriptures , at ten years for the Mishnah, at 13 for the commandments..." Elsewhere, the Mishnah lists the ages (13 for boys and 12 for girls) at which a vow is considered automatically valid; the Talmud explains this as a result of the 13-year-old being a "man", as required in Numbers 6:2 . (For one year before this age, the vows are conditionally valid, depending on whether the boy or girl has signs of physical maturity. ) Other sources also list thirteen as

3348-518: The film ends on a happy note . Even though it is implied that they live happily ever after, it does not always state what that happy ending will be. The couple does not necessarily get married for it to be a "happily ever after". The conclusion of a romantic comedy is meant to affirm the primary importance of the love relationship in the protagonists' lives, even if they physically separate in the end (e.g., Shakespeare in Love , Roman Holiday ). Most of

3441-569: The synagogue and Hebrew schools, bar mitzvah tutors may be hired to prepare the child through the study of Hebrew, Torah cantillation and basic Jewish concepts. According to Rabbi Mark Washofsky, "The Reform Movement in North America has struggled over the bar/bat mitzvah. At one time, this ceremony was on the verge of extinction in Reform congregations. Most of them preferred to replace bar/bat mitzvah with confirmation, which they considered

3534-609: The 1950s, Rabbi Harold Saperstein of New York described them as too often being "more bar than mitzvah". Rabbi Shmuley Boteach says that over-the-top bar mitzvah parties were already common when he was growing up in Miami in the 1970s. In 1979, the Responsa Committee of the Central Conference of American Rabbis addressed the Reform attitude toward bat/bar mitzvah: "Every effort should be exerted to maintain

3627-770: The 19th century in Iraq. However, it was the American rabbi Mordecai M. Kaplan held the first public celebration of a bat mitzvah as we understand it in modern times for his daughter on March 18, 1922, at the Society for the Advancement of Judaism , his synagogue in New York City. Kaplan was unaware of the earlier Italian precedent and learned of them several months later, while on holiday in Italy. Judith Kaplan recited

3720-793: The Apatow-written movie Heavyweights and directed the Apatow-produced Bridesmaids also makes a brief cameo as the Fantasy Baseball Guy. Steve Carell , who makes a cameo appearance as himself, played the main role in Apatow's The 40-Year-Old Virgin which also starred Rogen and Rudd, as well as appearing in the Apatow-produced Anchorman . Finally, Leslie Mann , who also appeared in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Freaks and Geeks ,

3813-612: The Boston Bubble, called the film "a better, raunchy, modern version of Some Like it Hot ." Early on the film was deemed the best-reviewed wide release of 2007 by the Rotten Tomatoes website. The film appeared on many critics' top-ten lists of the best films of 2007. On December 16, 2007, the film was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of the ten best movies of the year . It was one of

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3906-559: The Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations and The Workers Circle —encourage the youngsters to select any topic that interests them and relates to the Jewish part of their identities. The kibbutz movement in Israel also encouraged the celebration of the bar mitzvah. All those coming of age in the community for that year would take on a project and research in a topic of Jewish or Zionist interest. Today many kibbutz children are opting for

3999-611: The Director" in which he is allegedly hired by the studio to supervise Apatow's work. However, he only interferes with it, eventually leading the two into a fist fight . The film opened at No. 2 at the U.S. box office, grossing $ 30,690,990 in its opening weekend, behind Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ' s second weekend. The film grossed $ 148,768,917 domestically and $ 70,307,601 in foreign territories, totaling $ 219,076,518. The film also spent eight weeks in

4092-556: The Knight of the Cart . The contemporary romantic comedy genre was shaped by 18th-century Restoration comedy and 19th-century romantic melodrama . Restoration comedies were typically comedies of manners that relied on knowledge of the complex social rules of high society, particularly related to navigating the marriage-market, an inherent feature of the plot in many of these plays, such as William Wycherley 's The Country Wife . While

4185-526: The Union for Reform Judaism), the synagogue arm of the Reform Movement, unanimously passed a resolution decrying "excesses of wasteful consumption...glitzy theme events, sophisticated entertainment...and expensive party favors", calling instead for "family cohesion, authentic friendship, acts of tzedakah (righteous giving), and parties suitable for children." The cost of the party depends upon what

4278-506: The age at which a boy becomes a legal adult; however, the celebration of this occasion is not mentioned until the Middle Ages (from approximately 500 CE to 1500 CE; see Post-classical history ). Some late midrashic sources, and some medieval sources refer to a synagogue ceremony performed upon the boy's reaching age thirteen: Later on are references to a festive celebration on this occasion: The Bible does not explicitly specify

4371-480: The age of 13. Passages in the books of Exodus and Numbers note the age of majority for army service as twenty. Machzor Vitri notes that Genesis 34:25 refers to Levi as a "man", when a calculation from other verses suggests that Levi was aged 13 at the time. The age of thirteen is mentioned in the Mishnah as the time one is obligated to observe the Torah's commandments : "At five years old one should study

4464-458: The age of bar or bat mitzvah signifies becoming a full-fledged member of the Jewish community with the responsibilities that come with it. These include moral responsibility for one's own actions; eligibility to be called to read from the Torah and lead or participate in a minyan ; the right to possess personal property and to legally marry on one's own according to Jewish law ; the duty to follow

4557-443: The age of majority with respect to following the commandments of the Torah, including: The term "bar mitzvah" appears first in the Talmud , meaning "one who is subject to the law", though it does not refer to age. The term "bar mitzvah", in reference to age, cannot be clearly traced earlier than the 14th century, the older rabbinical term being "gadol" (adult) or "bar 'onshin" (one legally responsible for own misdoings). Reaching

4650-419: The bar and bat mitzvah. Many b'nai mitzvah also receive their first tallit from their parents to be used for the occasion and tefillin where this is appropriate. Jewelry is a common gift for girls at a bat mitzvah celebration. Another gift for the bat mitzvah girl is Shabbat candlesticks because it is the duty and honor of the woman to light the candles. While the traditional age to hold a bar or bat mitzvah

4743-458: The box office top ten, the longest streak amongst May–June openers in 2007. A company that specializes in tracking responses to advertising spanning multiple types of media attributed the film's unexpected financial success to the use of radio and television ads in combination. On Rotten Tomatoes , Knocked Up has an approval rating of 89%, based on 253 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, " Knocked Up

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4836-401: The celebration for reasons such as availability of a Shabbat during which no other celebration has been scheduled, or to allow family members to travel to the event. However, this does not delay the onset of rights and responsibilities of being a Jewish adult which comes about strictly by virtue of age. The obligation to lay tefillin begins when a boy reaches bar mitzvah age. The common custom

4929-471: The characters already has a partner or because of social pressures. However, the screenwriters leave clues that suggest that the characters are attracted to each other and that they would be a good love match. The characters often split or seek time apart in order to sort out their emotions or deal with external obstacles to being together, which they eventually overcome. While the two protagonists are separated, one or both of them usually realizes that they love

5022-471: The child's college education), gift certificates, or money. Gifts of cash have become commonplace in recent times. As with charity and all other gifts, it has become common to give in multiples of 18, since the gematria , or numerical equivalent of the Hebrew word for "life", (" chai "), is the number 18. Monetary gifts in multiples of 18 are considered to be particularly auspicious and have become common for

5115-552: The culminating artifact in what had become 'the dominant romantic-comedy trend of the past several years—the slovenly hipster and the female straight arrow. ' " The Guardian noted that Heigl's comments "provoked quite a backlash, and Heigl was described as ungrateful and a traitor". In the wake of mounting accusations of sexism, director Judd Apatow discussed ways he might develop more authentic female characters. In July 2009, while promoting their film Funny People Apatow and Rogen appeared on The Howard Stern Show and defended

5208-717: The decades. We can see this through the screwball comedy in response to the censorship of the Hays Code in the 1920s–1930s, the career woman comedy (such as George Stevens' Woman of the Year , starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy ) post-WWII, and the sex comedy made popular by Rock Hudson and Doris Day in the 1950s–1960s. Over the years, romantic comedies have slowly been becoming more popular to both men and women. They have begun to spread out of their conventional and traditional structure into other territory, and to explore more complex topics. These films still follow

5301-562: The entire service, for just his aliyah, or any range in-between. He may also be ba'al korei for the haftorah portion if he receives the maftir, or may only be ba'al korei for the haftorah, without reading from the Torah at all. Any of these undertakings involves a steep learning curve and much practice, possibly taking a year of study, and is an impressive accomplishment. Girls may have an aliyah in Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative Jewish synagogues. In Orthodox synagogues, aliyot were and typically still are restricted to boys, with

5394-468: The fact that these films are still romantic comedies. One of the conventions of romantic comedy films is the entertainment factor in a contrived encounter of two potential romantic partners in unusual or comic circumstances, which film critics such as Roger Ebert or the Associated Press's Christy Lemire have called a " meet-cute " situation. During a "meet-cute", scriptwriters often create

5487-445: The family festivities in the religious mood at the bar/bat mitzvah. Some of the efforts of early Reform in favor of confirmation [and] against bar mitzvah were prompted by the extravagant celebration of bar mitzvah, which had removed its primary religious significance. We vigorously oppose such excesses, as they destroy the meaning of bar/bat mitzvah." In May, 1992, the board of trustees of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now

5580-479: The family is willing and able to spend. Some families spend tens, or even hundreds, of thousands of dollars on the party. Generally speaking, these celebrations are less costly and elaborate than a wedding in that family. In addition to food and drink for the guests, the money at an elaborate party is mostly spent on renting and decorating a venue and hiring staff, from the catering team to emcees , DJs , entertainers, and dancers (also called "motivators") to encourage

5673-457: The film Knocked Up "are sexist at times... but it's really about immature people who are afraid of women and relationships and learn to grow up." Heigl's comments spurred a widespread reaction in the media, including a Huffington Post article in which she was labeled "an assertive, impatient go-getter who quickly tired of waiting for her boyfriend to propose". Heigl clarified her initial comments to People magazine, stating that, "My motive

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5766-473: The film and her novel, Playing House . She declined to sue and declared Eckler's lawsuit to be frivolous. The film made the top-ten list of the jury for the 2007 AFI Awards as well as the top-ten lists of several well-known critics, with the AFI jury calling it the "funniest, freshest comedy of this generation" and a film that "stretches the boundaries of romantic comedies." John Newman, a respected film critic for

5859-411: The film's humor despite its plot inconsistencies, noting that, "probably because the central story doesn't quite gel, it's the loony, incidental throwaway moments that really make an impression." Chris Kaltenbach of The Baltimore Sun acknowledged the comic value of the film in spite of its shortcomings, saying, "Yes, the storyline meanders and too many scenes drone on; Knocked Up is in serious need of

5952-436: The follies and misunderstandings of young lovers, in a light‐hearted and happily concluded manner which usually avoids serious satire". This reference states that the "best‐known examples are Shakespeare's comedies of the late 1590s, A Midsummer Night's Dream , Twelfth Night , and As You Like It being the most purely romantic, while Much Ado About Nothing approaches the comedy of manners and The Merchant of Venice

6045-511: The former in Warsaw (1843) and the latter in Lemberg (1902). The occasion was marked by a party without any ritual in the synagogue. There are documents that record an Italian rite for becoming bat mitzvah, known as an "entrance into the minyan" ceremony, in which boys of thirteen and girls of twelve recited a blessing, since the mid-19th century. There were also some bat mitzvah rituals held in

6138-735: The gender role that society has imposed upon them, as seen in Forgetting Sarah Marshall , in which the male protagonist is especially in touch with his emotions. It can also be seen in Made of Honor , in which the female bridesmaids are shown in a negative and somewhat masculine light in order to advance the likability of the male lead. Other remakes of romantic comedies involve similar elements, but they explore more adult themes such as marriage, responsibility, or even disability. Two films by Judd Apatow , This Is 40 and Knocked Up , deal with these issues. This Is 40 chronicles

6231-449: The guests to dance or play games. Today many non-Orthodox Jews celebrate a girl's bat mitzvah in the same way as a boy's bar mitzvah. All Reform and Reconstructionist , and most Conservative synagogues have egalitarian participation, in which women read from the Torah and lead services. In Orthodox communities, a bat mitzvah is celebrated when a girl reaches the age of 12. The majority of Orthodox and some Conservative Jews reject

6324-484: The idea of a bat mitzvah ceremony. As the ceremony became accepted for females as well as males, many women chose to celebrate the ceremony even though they were much older, as a way of formalizing and celebrating their place in the adult Jewish community. Instead of reading from the Torah, some Humanist Jews prefer a research paper on a topic in Jewish history to mark their coming of age. Secular Jewish Sunday schools and communities—including those affiliated with

6417-446: The idea that a woman can publicly read from the Torah or lead prayer services whenever there is a minyan ( quorum of 10 males) available to do so. However, the public celebration of a girl becoming bat mitzvah in other ways has made strong inroads into Modern Orthodox Judaism and also into some elements of Haredi Judaism . In these congregations, women do not read from the Torah or lead prayer services, but they occasionally lecture on

6510-468: The incident to hurt her career. Heigl responded that Rogen had "handled that so beautifully," and that she felt nothing but "love and respect" for him. "It was so long ago at this point, I just wish him so much goodness, and I felt that from him, too," she said. Canadian author Rebecca Eckler wrote in Maclean's magazine about the similarities between the movie and her book, Knocked Up: Confessions of

6603-567: The melodramas of the Romantic period had little to do with comedy, they were hybrids incorporating elements of domestic and sentimental tragedies, pantomime "with an emphasis on gesture, on the body, and the thrill of the chase," and other genres of expression such as songs and folk tales. In the 20th century, as Hollywood grew, the romantic comedy in America mirrored other aspects of society in its rapid changes, developing many sub-genres through

6696-429: The mid-life crisis of a couple entering their 40s, and Knocked Up addresses unintended pregnancy and the ensuing assuming of responsibility. Silver Linings Playbook deals with mental illness and the courage to start a new relationship. All of these go against the stereotype of what romantic comedy has become as a genre. Yet, the genre of romantic comedy is simply a structure, and all of these elements do not negate

6789-863: The middle of a busy street. He tracks her down at her appointment and they have another argument, leading to their breakup. Ben and Pete go on a road trip to Las Vegas . Under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms , they realize their loss and decide to try and save their relationships. Simultaneously, Debbie drags a nervous Alison out partying with her, but they are refused admission to a nightclub by its sympathetic bouncer on account of Debbie's age and Alison's pregnancy. This leads to Debbie's tearful laments about her life and desire to have Pete back. They reconcile at their daughter's birthday party, but when Ben tries to work things out with Alison, she refuses to get back together. Alison's boss finds out about her pregnancy and sees an opportunity to boost ratings with female viewers by having her interview pregnant celebrities. After

6882-480: The milestone is 13 regardless of gender. After this point, children are also held responsible for knowing Jewish ritual law, tradition, and ethics, and are able to participate in all areas of Jewish community life to the same extent as adults. In some Jewish communities, men's and women's roles differ in certain respects. For example, in Orthodox Judaism, once a boy turns 13, it is permitted to count him for

6975-672: The onset of puberty . The bar / bat mitzvah ceremony is usually held on the first Shabbat after the birthday on which the child reaches the eligible age. Bar ( בַּר ‎) is a Jewish Babylonian Aramaic word meaning 'son' ( בֵּן ‎, ben in Hebrew), while bat ( בַּת ‎), in Hebrew, means 'daughter'. Mitzvah ( מִצְוָה ‎) is Hebrew for 'commandment' or 'law'. Thus, bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah literally translate to 'son of commandment' and 'daughter of commandment', respectively. However, in rabbinical usage,

7068-436: The other person. Then, one character makes some extravagant effort (sometimes called a grand gesture ) to find the other character and declare their love. However, this is not always the case; sometimes, there is a coincidental encounter where the two characters meet again. Alternatively, one character plans a romantic gesture to show that they still care. Then, with some comic friction, they declare their love for each other, and

7161-528: The other zombies and even starts to cure them. With the zombie cure, the two main characters can now be together since they do not have a barrier between them anymore. Another strange set of circumstances is in Zack and Miri Make a Porno where the two protagonists are building a relationship while trying to make a pornographic film together. Both these films take the typical story arc and then add strange circumstances to add originality. Other romantic comedies flip

7254-539: The potential couple comprises polar opposites, two people of different temperaments, situations, social statuses, or all three ( It Happened One Night ), who would not meet or talk under normal circumstances, and the meet cute's contrived situation provides the opportunity for these two people to meet. Bar Mitzvah A bar mitzvah ( masc. ), or bat mitzvah ( fem. ) is a coming of age ritual in Judaism . According to Jewish law , before children reach

7347-523: The preliminary blessing, read a portion of that week's Torah portion in Hebrew and English, and then intoned the closing blessing. Mordecai Kaplan, an Orthodox rabbi who joined Conservative Judaism and then became the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism , influenced Jews from all branches of non-Orthodox Judaism, through his position at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America . At the time, most Orthodox rabbis strongly rejected

7440-421: The purpose of determining whether there is a prayer quorum , and he may lead prayer and other religious services in the family and the community. Bar mitzvah is mentioned in the Mishnah and the Talmud . Some classic sources identify the age at which children must begin to participate in the ritual of fasting on Yom Kippur as 13 for boys and 12 for girls. The age of b'nai mitzvah roughly coincides with

7533-550: The relationship a chance. They become closer and prepare for their baby to arrive. Ben proposes with an empty ring box and promises to get Alison a ring someday. Alison thinks it is too early to think about marriage, as she is more concerned with hiding the pregnancy from her bosses, fearing they will fire her if they find out. Alison is increasingly worried about Ben's lack of support and understanding and doubts about their relationship's longevity. These thoughts are due to her sister's loveless marriage. Debbie's husband, Pete, works as

7626-468: The rule that it be a smaller celebration than a wedding. Bar and bat mitzvah parties among wealthy Jewish families in North America are often lavish affairs held at hotels and country clubs with hundreds of guests. The trend has been mocked, most notably in the movie Keeping Up with the Steins . These lavish parties were also heavily featured in the film You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah . In

7719-469: The standard conventions of the romantic comedy genre. In films like 500 Days of Summer , the two main interests do not end up together, leaving the protagonist somewhat distraught. Other films, like Adam, have the two main interests end up separated but still content and pursuing other goals and love interests. Some romantic comedies use reversal of gender roles to add comedic effect. These films contain characters who possess qualities that diverge from

7812-401: The time the ending gives the audience a sense that if it is true love, it will always prevail, no matter what the two characters have to overcome. Comedies, rooted in the fertility rites and satyr plays of ancient Greece , have often incorporated sexual or social elements. The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms defines romantic comedy as "a general term for comedies that deal mainly with

7905-638: The two pregnancy comedies on the list ( Juno being the other). E! News praised the film's success with the AFI, saying that, "The unplanned pregnancy comedy, shut out of the Golden Globes and passed over by the L.A. and New York critics, was one of 10 films selected Sunday for the American Film Institute's year-end honors." Strange Weirdos: Music From and Inspired by the Film Knocked Up , an original soundtrack album,

7998-468: The typical plot of "a light and humorous movie, play, etc., whose central plot is a happy love story" but with more complexity. Some romantic comedies have adopted special circumstances for the main characters, as in Warm Bodies where the protagonist is a zombie who falls in love with a human girl after eating her boyfriend. The effect of their love towards each other is that it starts spreading to

8091-475: The word bar means 'under the category of' or 'subject to'. Bar mitzvah therefore translates to '[one] who is subject to the law'. Although the term is commonly used to refer to the ritual itself, the phrase originally refers to the person. The modern method of celebrating becoming a bar mitzvah did not exist in the time of the Hebrew Bible , Mishnah , or Talmud . Early rabbinic sources specify 13 as

8184-488: The work in Knocked Up , disagreeing with the position Heigl had stated. Rogen pointed to Heigl's work in the film The Ugly Truth to illustrate his point. Rogen said: "I hear there's a scene where she's wearing underwear with a vibrator in it, so I'd have to see if that is uplifting for women." Apatow remarked on Heigl's criticisms, stating that he had expected an apology from Heigl. "You would think at some point I'd get

8277-437: Was a contender for the main role but decided to turn it down because she was promoting her album Back to Basics at the time. The closing credits roll over cast members' baby photos. The image of Joanna Kerns as a young mother was previously famous from its use in the opening credits of Growing Pains ' first few seasons. Bennett Miller , the director of Capote , appears in a mockumentary DVD feature called "Directing

8370-627: Was composed for the film by folk singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III and Joe Henry . However, the movie's lead song "Daughter" was written by Peter Blegvad . In addition to Wainwright's tracks, there were approximately 40 songs featured in the motion picture that were not included on the official soundtrack on Concord Records. Some of the songs featured in Knocked Up are: Several separate Region 1 DVD versions were released on September 25, 2007. The theatrical R-rated version (128 minutes), an "Unrated and Unprotected" version (133 minutes) (separate fullscreen and widescreen editions available),

8463-513: Was just a completely inconsistent character.... she was this pleasant, blandly hot, peculiarly tolerant, yet oddly blank nice girl. She seemed to have no actual needs or desires of her own...." A. O. Scott of The New York Times explicitly compared Knocked Up to Juno , calling the latter a "feminist, girl-powered rejoinder and complement to Knocked Up. " In a later Vanity Fair interview, lead actress Katherine Heigl admitted that though she enjoyed working with Apatow and Rogen, she had

8556-428: Was released on June 1, 2007, to box office success, grossing $ 219 million worldwide, and acclaim from critics. This Is 40 , a " sort-of sequel" focused on Rudd's and Mann's characters with Apatow returning as writer/director, was released on December 21, 2012. Ambitious Los Angeles reporter Alison Scott lives with her sister Debbie and her family and has just been promoted to an on-air role with E! . Ben Stone

8649-471: Was to encourage other women like myself to not take that element of the movie too seriously and to remember that it's a broad comedy," adding that, "Although I stand behind my opinion, I'm disheartened that it has become the focus of my experience with the movie." Meghan O'Rourke of Slate called Heigl's comments unsurprising, noting " Knocked Up was, as David Denby put it in The New Yorker ,

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