Judd Apatow makes it a family affair in 'This is 40'

Q: This project was a family affair. Was it important to have your wife and kids involved?

A: "Yes. The key for me was that 3/4 of the family was a real family so when they looked at each other, you could tell they love each other or they're hating each other and the emotions are very real. I have a pet peeve about kids in movies in that it's very rare that they seem like a family. I knew that if I did my process with my family and my children, something really alive would come out of it."

Q: You're 45 years old and your wife is 40. You probably could not have explored these themes earlier, right?

A: "I did this movie right when it was happening in my life. In a lot of ways, I'm just tracking my life. I did (the TV show) 'Freaks and Geeks' while I still remembered high school. And in a lot of ways, 'Knocked Up' is that period right after college of people not being sure what to do and dealing with how mature or immature they want to be."

Q: Would you say this movie is your most mature film to date?

A: "I don't know. I never think of it in those terms. I think in a lot of ways, nobody wants to be mature. I go visit my grandmother in a nursing home - she's 90 - and they all have the same issues: who sits where in the cafeteria, the cool people at one table ... The whole idea that anyone is mature, I think is a lie. Anyone who puts that facade of having their act together, I find is the first person who gets in trouble doing something in secret."

Q: Your wife has appeared in many of your films, but this is her largest on-screen contribution. Do you cast her because it's convenient, or because she's the best for the role?