LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (2010)

Life As We Know It could refer to just about anything. Readers of my reviews know I have a problem with nondescript titles like this because I can never remember them, or which movie they refer to. In this case, the film in question is about as forgettable as its title. You've probably seen trailers for this movie; it's the one with Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel in which their characters, Holly and Eric, inherit a baby from their best friends who die in a car accident. Naturally, they dislike each other immensely, though they are pretty much forced to share their friends' home in order to raise the one-year-old in a familiar environment. Naturally, the situation brings them together in spite of other love interests and many arguments, and they fall in love. I'm giving away nothing to clue you in on this oh-so special plot.

Their characters, Holly and Eric, inherit a baby from their best friends who die in a car accident. Naturally, they dislike each other immensely, though they are pretty much forced to share their friends' home in order to raise the one-year-old in a familiar environment. But, you say, at least both main characters are attractive, (Duhamel is sexy in his skivvies) and the baby is cute. Well, yes, in theory. However, Duhamel doesn't do it for me. I don't go for that all-American squared-jawed ideal. And I won't even comment on the acting - it's passable. I always enjoy Heigl, but she's got to start doing meatier parts. When she was on Grey's Anatomy she had so many opportunities to shine, was so much more than a pretty face. Now, she's just another rom-com queen. Finally, and this is all that really stood out for me in relation to Life As We Know It, I don't appreciate children being treated badly on film. There's always the disclaimer about animals not being mistreated in movies, but you never see it for children. That's because it's up to their parents to decide how far they are willing to let the filmmaker go. My husband and I were outraged at the scene that they kept showing in the trailers where the baby stands up to take her first steps, Eric pushes her right back down because Holly isn't there to see it yet, and the baby starts to cry. There were no cutaways, no special effects, just a baby being pushed down and crying. It's not funny and they shouldn't have done it. That said, the baby, Sophie, was played by three different triplets, Brooke, Brynn and Alexis Clagett. Here is an excerpt from their bio on IMDB (the same one for all three, by the way, as if they're completely interchangeable): "Spending 11 weeks in Atlanta filming Life As We Know It was definitely an adventure for Brynn (and Brooke and Alexis) and she loved every minute of it. So many new friends - actors, producers, costumers, production assistants, drivers and many others - showered her with affection and attention. She loved going to the set and it showed in her comfort in front of the cameras." - Erin Clagett. I wonder which one of them got to be pushed down? Maybe I'm just being cranky. Life As We Know It is certainly not the worst film I've ever seen, but if it weren't for worrying about the wellbeing of the babies involved, I'd have already pretty much forgotten about it.

Movie reviewed by Georgina Young-Ellis

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