| THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN |
 2005 - USADirector: Judd Apatow
- Reviewed by Vickie
A heartwarming sex comedy? ‘Tis true, ladies and gentlemen, and while The 40-Year-Old Virgin has more than its share of crude humor, it also has a sweet, sensitive heart that beats beneath its breast and penis jokes. Steve Carell stars as Andy Stitzer, a lovable nerd, electronics-store employee and action-figure collector who’s never had sex and who’s given up trying to get any. Content to spend his nights painting figurines or watching Survivor with his elderly upstairs neighbors, Andy is living a content, if chaste, life. It’s not until a post-work poker game with his colleagues (including Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen and Romany Malco) that his secret is revealed and he’s forced out of the virginity closet. His pals decide that he needs to be deflowered, and they set out to ensure it happens sooner rather than later. But Andy isn’t so sure. He’s shy, awkward and genuinely skeeved out by the thought of hookers, strippers or really drunk women. Sanctuary comes in the form of Trish (Catherine Keener), a single mother who wanders into Andy’s store one day and steals his heart. But his sexual inexperience becomes the elephant in the middle of the room that he tries desperately to ignore, no matter how many times it raises its trunk and bellows, Part workplace comedy, part sex comedy and part romantic comedy, the film actually serves as a good-natured, inoffensive pro-abstinence project (however subtly). On the one hand, there’s Andy, a happy guy living a fairly content life, save for his one tiny secret. On the other, there’s every other guy in the movie – all of whom have had plenty of sex and all of whom urge Andy to do the same…but all of whom are emotional screw-ups, womanizers or just plain unhappy. Slowly but surely, they begin to realize that maybe their notch-filled bedposts aren’t such a great thing, after all. Carell gets all the credit for making this film work. His Andy is so perfectly naïve and kind and good that you root for him. You get queasy when he’s shoved into uncomfortable situations and, just like him, you want him to wait! Wait for love, Andy! Wait for love! He’s never a subject put up for ridicule or pity, and he actually becomes the hero of the film, rather than its laughed-at loser. Thankfully, Carell gets to go toe to toe with Catherine Keener as his love interest, and she’s never looked better. Trish is a goofy, good-souled gal, who’s completely endearing and lovable. She’s like a stable footing amid the sea of bimbettes Andy’s friends want him to bed. The relationship between Andy and Trish plays out gently, tenderly, sweetly and, most importantly, slowly. It’s wonderfully acted and perfectly paced. The supporting players are equally strong. Rudd is a standout as David, who’s still hung up on a girl who dumped him two years ago, and Jane Lynch adds a dry touch as Andy’s lascivious boss, who’s more than happy to help him with his “problem.” Director Judd Apatow also injects what feels like improvised dialogue into the film that give it a nice sense of realism. Several of the conversations between the characters are so relaxed and natural that I’m certain they were developed on the spot and not on the page. (I could be wrong, but it’s a compliment either way!) He takes what could have been a crass plot device and, instead, turns it on its ear to make it an unexpected feel-good movie. I smiled throughout The 40-Year-Old Virgin, laughed a lot while I watched and left with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. It’s a smart, funny movie that also serves up a heaping dose of affection for its characters and their situations. |
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