Life As We Know It [M]

After being set up with each other by their best friends, Holly and Messer decide that they simply cannot stand one another. The only thing that they have in common is their dislike for one another and their love for their goddaughter Sophie. But their lives change abruptly when Sophie’s parents die in an accident and they discover that it falls on them to raise Sophie together. Now they are forced to put their differences aside and find some common ground while they live under one roof. 

This was a nice, simple, and heart-warming movie. Two complete opposites forced to live under one roof has comedy written all over it, but what was nice about this movie is that it didn’t overplay the comedy or go for any crude humour or anything like that. It just really simply observed the natural ups and downs of raising a child, the added humour being that neither guardian knows what they’re doing. I rather liked that. 

After being set up on a disastrous first date by their best friends, Holly and Messer decide that the only thing they have in common is their dislike for one another and their love for their goddaughter Sophie. But their lives change abruptly when Sophie’s parents die in an accident and the responsibility of raising her falls upon them. Now they have to try to put their differences aside and find some common ground if they are to live as a family under one roof. 

The story has appeal straight away. Two opposites forced to live with one another’s company. That has comedy written all over it and worked very well for Blades of Glory, Starsky and Hutch, and other such comedies. What was really nice about this movie is that the comedy was completely natural, in that all the humorous elements were real, everyday, problems that a significant proportion of the world’s population have experienced. 

The mixture of the chemistry between the leads and the film’s charming and witty script made for good, heart-warming entertainment. 

As well as the comical element of these two inexperienced guardians taking on the challenge of raising a child and trying to not kill each other, the film had a wonderful romantic story on the side that very nicely played against the comedy, making Life As We Know It, a nice and balanced film. 

Starring Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel, Josh Lucas, Hayes MacArthur, Brynn Clagett, and Alexis Clagett, Life As We Know It was a lovely little movie filled with comedy, romance, the odd bit of drama, and everyday experiences. I don’t think I would add it to the collection, but I did enjoy it.