Recently I had the opportunity to screen This is 40, the sort-of sequel to Knocked Up and from start to finish, this movie had me in hysterics.
This is 40 picks up 5 years after the events of Knocked Up with Pete and Debbie, now on the verge of their 40th birthdays. The movie is a realistic portrayal of a marriage that has both a lot of love and a lot of problems from Pete’s struggling record label, communication break downs and the challenges of raising a teenager. Through all the ups and downs, the family keeps a sense of humor and keeps the audience laughing from start to finish. As a matter of fact, the audience at my screening was laughing so hard at several parts, I feel the need to watch the movie again just to hear the jokes that were covered by the audience’s laughter.
Leslie Mann gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Debbie who faces her 40th birthday with trepidation and uses her fear to spur her to make positive changes in her and her family’s lives, with comedic results. Judd Apatow’s writing combined with Leslie Mann’s fantastic acting chops keep the character of Debbie relatable and likable rather than making her a caricature of a person.
In addition to the relatable hilarity throughout, one of the things that gives this movie a little bit of extra something is the genuine maternal dynamic that Mann shares with her on-screen family, not surprising since Mann’s onscreen children are played by her and Apatow’s real life daughters, Maude and Iris Apatow.
This is 40, written by Judd Apatow features an amazing cast full of recognizable faces including: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, John Lithgow, Megan Fox, Maude Apatow, Iris Apatow, Chris O’Dowd, Jason Segel, Melissa McCarthy, Graham Parker, Lena Dunham, Annie Mumolo, Robert Smigel, Charlyne Yi, Lisa Darr and Albert Brooks. Wow!
If you are headed to the theaters looking for a laugh this holiday season, This is 40 is a must see!
Check out This is 40 in theaters now!
Vera Sweeney is a mom of two beautiful children and the founder of 
