The movie Life As We Know It is a rather typical romantic comedy.  Because of the setup, the rest of the plot and the eventual outcome is predictable.  It stars Katherine Heigl as Holly Berenson and Josh Duhamel as Eric Messer.  They are mutual best friends of a couple with a baby named Sophie.  When the unthinkable happens, for Holly and “Messer,” life as they know it is over.  They are named as Sophie’s guardians, and have to raise her together.

Heigl seems type-cast as the perfectionist, borderline obsessive, worrier Holly.  She plays roles like this often, but it’s not surprising she’s cast in them since she does it so well.  However, the movie would have been a little stagnant–because of the predictable plot and Heigl playing a typical part–if not for Duhamel as Messer, who is Holly’s opposite in everything except his devotion to Sophie.

Duhamel brought an interesting dimension to the movie.  His acting was believable, and he brought a real pathos not just to the character, but to the movie as a whole.  The combination seemed to work well, even given the expected baby poo type of humor.  And the baby is adorable!