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Life as We Know It
User Score
5.4 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 37 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 37
  3. Negative: 8 out of 37

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  1. Shiira
    Oct 12, 2010
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The rich are different, but not this different, not this cheeky. We can only hope that life doesn't imitate art, since romantic comedies as we know it, are growing more bizarre with each new entry in a dying genre whose modern-day practitioners have butchered so many hearts on celluloid, we stopped counting, and this latest entry, "Life as We Know It", is just one more rom-com that seems less concerned with the mysteries of love than the plot machinations which tears love apart before it even has a chance to coalesce. The rich can't be this twisted, can they? With friends like the Novaks(Hayes McArthur and Christina Hendricks), who needs any enemies? Messer(Josh Duchamel) and Holly(Katherine Heigl) have the worst friends ever, friends that on some level, must resent their single lives and the liberties that goes along with it, especially the liberty which retains them the right to pursue dreams, unencumbered by baggage. He wants to direct NBA basketball telecasts; she wants to expand her bakery into a restaurant, but after Peter and Alison, all too conveniently, die on cue, their baby, the baby of discontent, seemingly, throws a monkey wrench into the career trajectories of Sophie's legal guardians, who are probably the least qualified people for the job: two emotional idiots, too self-centered for child rearing, and too stupid to realize they've been "punk'd" from beyond the graves. Why don't they object more fervently to the conditions? Strangest of all, the Novaks have a stipulation in the will that Holly and Messer should live in their house with Sophie, like an arranged marriage, complete with child, which makes "Life as We Know It", a rom-com with accidental Indian undertones. If Heigl sang(as she performed "Bennie and the Jets" in Anne Fletcher's "27 Dresses"), then the film would have the makings of an accidental Bollywood musical. Doomed from the outset, the set-up, singles being so gung ho about moving in together with somebody else's baby, is so hard to accept, since their first date went so horribly wrong. It's not emotional blackmail, the need to fulfill dead friends' wishes, that keeps them together, it's the contrivances set forth by a narrative which isn't altogether different from John Landis' "Trading Places". Like Mortimer(Don Ameche) and Randolph Duke(Ralph Bellamy), who both allow somebody equally unqualified(a con-man named Billy Ray Valentine(Eddie Murphy), a financial naif) to take care of their business, their "baby", a wager must also have been the inspiration for Peter and Alison's idea to bestow full custody of Sophie to such incompetent parental candidates like Holly and Messer. Life, as "we" know it, real life, that is, not the diegetical life which sometimes breed convincing human simulacrum, but more often than not, plays as a backdrop for conceptual "people", would entail that some family member from the deceased pair step forward and claim the Novak baby. But "Life as We Know It" doesn't want anything to infringe on the supposed hilarious domestic hijinks of first-time parents, or the supposed heartbreak of first-time parents breaking up, and then the poignant reconciliation, again, at an airport, of first-time parents kissing.… Expand
  2. imho
    Oct 11, 2010
    10
    I think the critics got it wrong. This movie is really charming, funny, entertaining, and surprisingly not overly sentimental for its tearjerker moments. Heigl and Duhamel are perfectly cast with no false notes. I think it's the best thing Heigl's done in film. The script is great, the direction is solid and even all the minor characters do a fantastic job. But the biggest surprise is Duhamel who is pitch perfect in the role. This is a pretty darn good film.… Expand
  3. emmamazing
    Oct 21, 2010
    6
    Better than average. Worse than I thought it would be. Two polar opposites stuck to raise a child. Together. After their mutual friends are killed in a car accident, they're the only option. What else happens is not only predictable, but almost inevitable. I hate to say this, because I love Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel, but the script is pretty run of the mill. While the relationship with the child is well-thought out, and though unoriginal, fun to watch, the relationship between Messer and Holly was too quick. You don't go on a date and fall in love. This isn't a Nicholas Sparks novel. Their relationship was too rushed. I'm not sure who to blame here - the writers or the director, for editing out good moments between the pairing. This is aimed at for hopeless romantics (myself included) so maybe it would've been smarter to focus a little more on the couple.… Expand
  4. BHBarry
    Oct 22, 2010
    10
    “Life As We Know It” stars Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel in this drama/comedy directed by Greg Berlanti. A straight formula movie that we went to see strictly because we were in the mood for something light and easy to watch. This film is all of that with a little bit more due to some fine writing and an interesting plot. This is a perfect fill-in film in the event your prime choice is sold out or is playing at an inconvenient time. I give the film 70 and certainly a better rating than most of the critics who perhaps were looking for much more but didn’t realize that there was still something of value on the screen.… Expand
  5. ClemRusty
    Nov 28, 2010
    8
    i watched the film yesterday, its hilarious and good enough romance. and the lead actors performance is very good, but katherine heigl needs more training too, but josh duhamel is perfect. i like the plot very much...nice rom-com overall
  6. BamaFalstaff
    May 28, 2011
    2
    The movie can be summed up in one sentence: Moments of fun surrounded by great gaps of boredom. Oftentimes, one wished the story would just move along.
  7. AttackZach
    Oct 29, 2011
    5
    While it begins charming and fairly clever, it quickly devolves into a messy bitter sweet wallow through the ilk of parenting. Sometimes it still retains some comic fun, but the rest is a frankly uninteresting hour long argument. At least there's a cute baby.
  8. heyitsmegrif4
    Jan 28, 2012
    5
    Life as We Know it means well and it features surprisingly good performances from Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel who have excellent chemistry. The film does generate some laughs but falls for the basic Romantic Comedy formula instead of the hopeful premise we had in mind. I give this film 58%.
  9. RegOz
    Jan 24, 2012
    7
    What can I say? I did enjoy it. This is just a simple, comedy...it is not in the category of 'smart comedy' and the situation is not very credible, but it is still fun! It is definitely a movie made to 'entertain you', so don't try to find any moral lessons or 'depth' on it .It is merely a movie to watch if you want to relax, lie back, and just forget about things. Over criticism is never good because it is easy to find flaws in something if one really wants to do it. My advice: go and watch it expecting fun...if you don't enjoy it, then is okey, but at least start from a fresh perspective...you may be surprised..… Expand
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
39 out of 100

Generally unfavorable - based on 31 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 31
  3. Negative: 9 out of 31
  1. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Michael O'Sullivan
    Oct 21, 2010
    25
    At nearly two hours, the movie feels bloated. It could easily lose 30 minutes, give or take, and live. It would still not, however, live up to its title.
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  2. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Keith Phipps
    42
    Pity any poor kid stuck in a house like that. Pity, too, anyone who has to stop by for a visit.
    Read full review
  3. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    40
    The sisters who play Sophie are adorable. And if you happen to be a sleep-deprived parent yourself, there are worse ways to catch a two-hour nap.
    Read full review
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