Customer Reviews

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (R-Rated Fullscreen Edition)

5 star:		(166)
4 star:		(110)
3 star:		(66)
2 star:		(43)
1 star:		(58)

 

 

This is one of the funniest movies I've had the pleasure of catching at a movie theater in a long time. I thought I was purchasing more laughs for my buck buying the UNRATED version, but much to my disappointment this is definitely a case of MORE is LESS. The added scenes do nothing to enhance the original; in fact, I'd say 90% of these added scenes should have been left as "deleted scenes." They hurt the comedic pacing of the original. If you thoroughly enjoyed the original at the theaters, stay away from this unrated version. In fact, I'm so disappointed in this unrated version, I'm tempted to buy the r-rated "original" version even though it only comes in full screen (why the original is unavailable in the widescreen format is also cause for this fan to roll his eyes in disbelief).

My first viewing of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" was late in its theatrical run. By then it had been banished to the smallest theater in the multiplex, so me and (I assume) the only other middle-aged virgin in town were its sole audience. I wish I'd seen it sooner, because it's now one of my all-time favorite comedies.

Forty-year-old Andy Stitzer lives a comfortably regimented singleton life - similar to the main character from "About a Boy," except chaste, uncool, and with no internal monologue. He works in the service department of Smart Tech, a Circuit City-like electronics store. One day, a couple of coworkers ask him to be the fifth man at a poker party. He accepts, but during the game is outed as a virgin. The rest of the movie revolves around his friends' outrageous attempts to get him hooked up, along with Andy's determined efforts to overcome his fear of women and woo Trish, an attractive customer who owns an online auction store across the street.

This could easily have been another lowbrow copulation comedy. However, it's much better than that. Steve Carell (also a co-writer) does a fine job of making Andy into a sympathetic character. Indeed, I easily identified with his motivations and actions: the bad experiences that led him to forsake dating, his escape into fantasy, and even the mundane activities he uses to fill his solitary life. Andy's friends are also intriguing because they represent flawed approaches to women. David (Paul Rudd) is obsessed with a gal who dumped him years ago, Cal (Seth Rogan) objectifies females, and the serial cheater Jay (Romany Malco) can't commit to his longsuffering girlfriend.

The movie has been lengthened in this DVD edition by 17 minutes with additional and extended scenes. As for DVD extras, this edition is packed with a decent assortment. Deleted scenes like Andy's public karaoke debut added depth to the characters. A series of outtakes include the usual blown lines, gaffes, and laughing fits. The lively commentary contains interesting bits of trivia on the filmmaking process. However, it was a bit too crowded for my taste (just about everybody shows up), and Seth Rogan has a tendency to dominate the proceedings. Unfortunately, Catherine Keener is a glaring absence. Her portrayal of Trish is excellent, and I really wanted to hear her perspective. Finally, the other featurettes, such as the waxing scene "making-of" bit, are stock, but passable.

Although it's somewhat raunchy, as a Christian I have to commend "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" for a single crucial thing: it's the only mainstream movie I know of that makes chastity until marriage look like a grand idea. That alone is enough to recommend it (even if my pastor disagrees). But the humor, story, characters, and performances are also worth the watch - especially if someday, like me, you hope to sing "Age of Aquarius" on your honeymoon.

Surprise, it's a morality tale disguised as a sex comedy.

Imagine you combined a few of the best parts of Something about Mary, 40 days and 40 nights, Sideways and ( as strange as it might sound) an after school special. Now, throw in more profanity than really necessary and imagine that the combination worked.

Plus, unlike the Josh Hartnett film, 40 days and 40 nights, there is some actual thought given to the kind of person who is shown.

It's not Shakespeare. It's not Once Upon a Time In Mexico. And it's not the Usual Suspects, but for what it is it works.

And what it is, is the smartest dumb movie I've seen in a very long time.

Among its many surprises, is you have a peer group of men who actually look out for each other.

You also have an attractive grandmother who is not the standard cookie-cutter grandmother.

These are just two of the many departures from the expected that make this anything but the one-note comedy that the commercials make it seem like.

The 40 year-old is cut from the same cloth as Steve Martin's early masterpiece, the Jerk, and as someone in his thirties, it's refreshing to see a funny movie, where the main character is not a 20-something.

Plus, the soundtrack is a surprising combination of some of the forgotten treasures of pop and broadway.

Perhaps, the best of all, it's nice to be reminded that everyone is running on their own schedule in life.

Raucous humor, outrageous interpersonal situations, potty mouth, and over the top jokes have long been the successful turf of countless summer movies aimed at the teen crowd, films such as the endless American Pie series, Dumb and Dumberer, There's Something About Mary, etc. Now there is a new trend aimed at the thirty to forty something audiences that mimics the earlier teen subjects. THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN falls into this category along with WEDDING CRASHERS et al, but there is a difference with this one: empathy.

The story is slight: an uptight, loner, action heroes collecting, non-driving bicycle-riding punctual worker in a boring firm is now forty years old and is still a virgin - a fact that bothers him deeply but his virginity has developed into a phobia for close encounters of the female kind. His work partners discover his secret over poker and pledge to resolve the problem by getting him laid, in some of the most negative possible of suggestions. After endless trials to resolve his sexual vacuum he meets a forty something grandmother and in a mutually agreed pact they decide to date without sex for 20 dates before they allow physical activity to occur. In the process the friends at work (including the seductive female manager) learn a thing or two about their own life styles and the film ends in a bizarre musical number that pushes it over the top while tapping at the heart.

Steve Carell co-wrote the script (with Director Judd Apatow) and it shows. His 'Andy' may be a nerd but his adaptation to his problematic existence is sweet and charismatic. Likewise, his office entourage (Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Romany Jay, Jane Lynch) gives us three-dimensional characters each of which shows some personal growth of their own during their experiments for Andy. The real glow of the film is due to the presence of Catherine Keener as the 'grandmother' for whom Andy falls. Whenever she is on the screen lights flash and reality sets in. The real problem for this viewer is that the slapstick portion of the film simply goes on too long. Apatow needs to rethink comedy in a way that reminds him that brevity is better: two hours is way too long for this very short story. Though it has redeeming graces, this is a film for a audience tolerant of the silly and the gross who is willing to wade through the first three-fourths of the film to catch the quietly tender social comment the film contains. Grady Harp, January 06

Well what can I say, I thought this film would turn into crap but I was completely wrong. Steve Carell is hillarious as Andy Stitzer the 40 year old virgin he is a laugh riot especialy during the scene where he gets his hairy chest waxed, I was surprised that the film didn't turn out to be as crude or vulgar as people have mentioned I mean there are a couple of scenes that are crude but its not over the top like soul plane or that disgusting Tom Green flick, the film is more of a dumb comedy like something from the farreley brothers. There is a message in the film which was pretty obvious but don't look for a deeper meaning its kind of stupid but very funny, the film has plenty of laugh out loud moments and there is a bit of romance when Catherine Keener's character gets romanticly involved with Andy. The story is about Andy Stitzer who at work gets invited by his co-workers for a game of poker one of them thinks hes a serial killer because of his strange behaviour, then it is found out that he has never done it with a woman in his entire life so they help him out and lots of hilarious incidents happen there is also an old foul-mouthed indian guy who say the funniest lines. Overall this is a great comedy not to be taken seriously you might enjoy it after all, its one of the funniest comedies I've seen in years.

The story's not too complicated. Steve Carell plays Andy, a nice, but shy and geeky guy who in 40 years hasn't managed to have sex with a woman. The guys he works with at the electronics store find out and make it their mission to get him laid. They give him bad advice and yet he still manages to have a few close calls but all he gets is embarrassed, scared and thrown up on. All on his own, Andy manages to start dating a woman who he really likes, but she wants to take it slow, so no sex at first and besides, he can't figure out how to tell her he's a virgin.

This was a funny movie. It's crude humor, but what would you expect from a movie called The 40 Year Old Virgin. What pushes it a cut above say a teen trying-to-get-laid movie is the relationship between Carell and Catherine Keener as they actually fall in love. Carell's Andy has his geeky tendencies but is also very human in his emotions and the way he deals with life. Paul Rudd was very funny as a salesman at the store who is still pining for a lost girlfriend 2 years later. His deterioration as the movie progresses was hilarious.

Coming out of a strict religion in my 20s (and having adhered to the more important parts of its moral code), I was able to identify with Andy Stitzer. The personal verisimilitude made the movie all the more fun to watch, but also at times made me extremely uncomfortable. Certain scenes reminded me so much of my personal experiences that I had difficulty even watching them alone, and was unable to bear watching them with my wife. I commiserate with Andy's attempt in the restaurant to tell Trish he's a "v." I have a not-hazy-enough recollection of a similar conversation with a beautiful brown-haired Elizabeth I- in Oslo of all places, and a scene in her hotel room that bore striking similarities to Andy's first encounter with Trish. It's one of those things you don't want to remember but can't forget no matter how hard you try.

But enough of true confessions. Thank God I'm writing under a pseudonym. Anyhow, the movie has much to commend it in general. One thing I really, really liked about it, which Joe Morgenstern also picked out in his WSJ review, is the fact that Andy's friends really do care about him, and each other, and want what's best for him. I haven't seen so much male bonding since the "Lethal Weapon" movies. Another thing I liked about the movie was the frequent, but judicious, use of profanity, as well as the constant bantering of Andy's co-workers about each others', uh, "orientation." That's some more verisimilitude for `ya there. Combined with the inherent humor of Steve Carell engaged in street talk, you've got lots of great dialogue and many humorous scenes.

I do have some objections to the movie, however. I found some of the humor to be over the top, and raunchy instead of funny. Vomit in the face just doesn't tickle me like it used to I guess. But overall, this is definitely a great movie to watch and own, and deserves a place close behind "Office Space" and "Old School" in the comedic film pantheon.

Based on a skit he wrote years ago at Second City, Carell plays Andy Stitzer who lives a serene existence amongst his collection of unopened toys (an obvious metaphor which takes on greater significance as the story progresses) and working in the repair department of an electronics store. Since he keeps to himself, his co-workers assume he may be keeping heads in the fridge, but David (Paul Rudd) invites him to a late night poker game with Cal (Seth Rogen) and Jay (Romany Malco) and when it comes time to share sex stories, Andy gives his inexperience away.

Shocked by how a grown man could go forty years without even doing it by accident, his fellow workers are amused but probably deep down grateful that they now have a project to distract them from their own problem-plagued existence. All the advice in the world can't ease a man who has already found his comfort zone and isn't even sure anymore if sex is such a big deal. That is until Trish (Catherine Keener) walks into the store, a mother-of-three who went through her wild phase years ago and isn't exactly looking for a man, but senses a kindness about Andy that immediately gets him digits.

To describe a film like this solely on a plot structure is to suck the deafening laughs right out of it. But to go further into depth would be to ruin one gut-busting dialogue sequence or set piece after another. As quotable films go, The 40-Year Old Virgin boasts four characters who behave and talk like the atypical male. Not exemplified like the teet-lovin' pigs women talk about nor the pussified versions that romantic comedies use to suck women into the theater. These are men. Real men. Funny, flawed, horny and lovingly identifiable to both sexes.

It was nearly ten years ago since we had characters as perfectly realized as Andy, David, Cal and Jay when 1996 brought us both Beautiful Girls and Swingers. Beyond their reaction to and faux knowledge of the opposite sex, you could watch the video game scene in Swingers and know this was happening somewhere in town, maybe with even guys we know. That small moment of brilliance is eclipsed in 2005 when David & Cal engage in a discussion over how each knows the other is gay which Cal puts the capper on by using his game warrior to provide the exclamation point. It is asides like this in The 40-Year Old Virgin which catapult it past posers like Wedding Crashers and will endure it as a comedy classic.

If Apatow continues to churn out brilliance like this, his repertoire will soon be inheriting the accolades that Christopher Guest's receive on their feature-length improvs. (Jane Lynch has been borrowed from Guest and her unforced oddness gets us anticipating laughs which she pays off beautifully.) Apatow has brought with him folks from two of the most unjustly cancelled creations in TV history (Freaks and Geeks & Undeclared), most notably Rogen who, in my eye, is one of the funniest talents on the planet who should be finding steady work along the lines of Vince Vaughn and Jeremy Piven. Carell's Anchorman partner-in-crime, Paul Rudd, also continues to come into his own as one of the great untapped comic talents. His steady decline from stable nice guy to the wounded forsaken who has finally given up produces laughs even while we're concentrating on other laughs. And I had never seen Romany Malco before, but to come out of the blue and hold his own with the likes of this cast is a praise beyond measure. Special props is also due to the Elizabeth Banks who enhances her scenes with Carell by playing the good sport and trying to match his unbeknownst come-ons with a extra dose of sexiness.

Carell for the past five years has been stealing major laughs away from Jon Stewart, Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell and recently took on the uneviable task of updating one of the best television series I have ever seen (Ricky Gervais' The Office) and turning it into a worthy successor. The brash, occasionally screaming Carell could wear thin over the years, but in Andy he finds not the naivety of a child that would be the easy way out for an actor to approach this role, but a sweetness bridging innocence and pestered solitude. Never do we doubt his plight or how he fell into it and we completely accept Keener's interest in him and the approach she takes to their relationship transforming him slowly from a boy in flux into a man with a different kind of happy ending. It's so great to see Keener not forced into her typical bitch role and allowed the chance to play a mature, sexy woman.

Maturity comes with the playing field as Apatow and players have crafted an adult comedy worthy of the definition beyond MPAA age limits. It's not above the occasional cheap joke but counters it with some of the smartest and most off-the-wall pop cultural riffs in its dialogue that even those of us who identify them immediately still must blink twice that we actually heard someone in a mainstream comedy speak them. Comedies of this caliber don't come along too often. We're so desperate for them that we'll support wannabes like Wedding Crashers simply because they seem close enough to the real thing. In a world where films like The 40-Year Old Virgin is the great bizarro world version of garbage like Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, Wedding Crashers isn't much more than the cinematic equivalent of the Chicago Cubs. On paper it looks good and a lot of people dish out big money day-in and day-out when at the end of the day, it's just not very good. Wedding Crashers is going to gross close to $200 million by the end of its run and if that's the playing field comedy fans want to set, then The 40-Year Old Virgin deserves to outgross Titanic. Let's make it happen.

Steve Carell and cast gave me what I had hoped for with this movie. After having seen Anchorman, also directed by Judd Apatow, I was expecting great things when I heard that Carell was reuniting with Apatow and Paul Rudd for this movie. I thought their work on Anchorman was memorable and hilarious, although I realize it was one of those movies that you either "got" or you didn't. I loved it and have been quoting it ever since.

In Anchorman, Steve Carell was very limited in his role as mentally handicapped weatherman Brick Tamland. This was also the case with his minor supporting role in Bruce Almighty. It was great to see him step out into leading man status with this movie. I feel he did a tremendous job with this performance - one that will ensure him other big roles in the near future. Carell is a fearless performer which, I believe, is an essential component for successful comedy. He lets it all hang out in this, his first leading role - and he scores big...

This movie supplies plenty of quotable lines and memorable characters. Who can forget Mooj's sexual advice, the "you know how I know you're gay?" skit or the chest waxing scene? Ripe with sexual humor and way-out-there comedic delivery, The 40-Year-Old Virgin provides a wealth of laughs.

Highly recommended for fans of filthy humor!

An interesting combination of sappy (You've Got Mail) melodrama and raunchy humor. It's also interesting to learn that "f---" has replaced "the" as the most commonly used word in the English language. Not that I mind it's use when appropriate but the film could have been 10 minutes shorter had the "F word" not been used as a noun, adjective, verb, adverb, etc. in most every sentence. We didn't like this film nearly as much as the "experts" but it does have some funny moments and Steve Carell was excellent as was the rest of the cast.

The single point of getting Andy "laid" was carried way too far, in my opinion. We liked it but could have loved it had it taken a somewhat higher ground.