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Note the cleverness in title's combination of two standout movies.  I really enjoyed both, and while one certainly received more laughs than the other, I ultimately found the other to be more emotionally satisfying than raunchy and overrated.

I hope you're not having trouble figuring out which is which.  I'll begin with Knocked Up, since its been hyped as the "funniest movie of the summer/year/decade/ever" by every major publication.  But first, a little back ground to set the mood right.  I remember similar reviews for Old School some years back, and I think I was the only college sophomore who wasn't enamored by what I saw as a funny, but gimmicky and ridiculous collection of gags.  On the other hand, I actually loved , The 40-Year-Old Virgin (this director's first movie)-- feel free to insert your jokes with possible hints of truth to them.  So perhaps you should take this with a grain of salt or something:  I wasn't impressed with Knocked Up.  Don't get me wrong, there are tons of hilarious lines and scenes that make you cringe (in a good way).  The freaks and geeks of the central character's entourage accomplish their one task of non-stop gross-out comedy, but I think the writers were trying way too hard to be funny.  Paul Rudd does a great job as the sort of counterpart to the central character (Seth Rogen), even though I could have lived without the whole Vegas/shrooms/chairs episode.  In fact, I think the two-hour-nine-minute movie would have been better off sans about 40 minutes, as it gets stale and drags towards the end.  I also struggled to accept why a woman as beautiful and successful as the E! correspondent played by Katherine Heigl would choose to not only sleep with such an immature douche, but then practically beg for his commitment.  Yeah, he's a sweet and caring guy, but is that the best she can do?  Okay, maybe that's some of my jealousy creeping in, but it still didn't work for me, along with other cheap movie tricks that allow everything life to be simple, straight-forward, and perfect in the end. 

Final grade: B

I won't go into as much detail on Waitress since this is already a long enough post.  Actually, it's because I doubt even a quarter as many people have seen it.  I wasn't sure if I was going to go myself, since I didn't hear all that much about it.  But when my friend and his girlfriend invited me along, I couldn't pass up the awkwardness of being the third wheel.  And I'm glad I didn't.  Honestly, it's probably more of a chick flick, so my appreciation shouldn't come as a surprise.  It's a beautiful story about relationships and finding your true path in life, overcoming your insecurities and becoming comfortable with yourself.  The movie is almost flawless, and while there are certain standard, predictable elements, you will not be disappointed at the end.  Then again, no one will listen to me, especially after I just bashed Knocked Up. 

Final grade: A-