The 40-Year-Old Virgin

The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a 2005 American sex comedy film directed by Judd Apatow in his directorial debut.[2] The film stars Steve Carell (who co-wrote the film's screenplay with Apatow) as the titular 40-year-old virgin Andy, a clerk at an electronic goods store, whose colleagues resolve to help him lose his virginity. Catherine Keener and Paul Rudd also star. The screenplay features a great deal of improvised dialogue.[3] The film was released theatrically in North America on August 19, 2005. It received positive reviews from critics and grossed $177 million worldwide.

Not to be confused with The 40-Year-Old Version.
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJudd Apatow
Produced by
Written by
Starring
Music byLyle Workman
CinematographyJack Green
Edited byBrent White
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • February 11, 2005 (2005-02-11) (Los Angeles)
  • August 19, 2005 (2005-08-19) (United States)
Running time
116 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$26 million[1]
Box office$177.4 million[1]

Plot

40-year-old Andy Stitzer is an employee of electronics store Smart Tech and lives alone in his apartment with his collection of action figures and video games. When a conversation at a poker game with his co-workers David, Cal, and Jay turns to past sexual exploits, they learn that Andy is still a virgin and resolve to help him lose his virginity.

Andy's co-workers give Andy various, often contradictory pieces of advice on his appearance and how to interact with women. Jay drags Andy to various social events, books a painful waxing appointment, and sets him up with a transvestite prostitute, but all end with embarrassing results. Cal advises Andy to simply be confident and "ask questions," which he practices on attractive bookstore clerk Beth, who quickly becomes intrigued by him. David gives Andy his porn collection, encouraging him to masturbate.

Andy eventually lands a date with Trish Piedmont, a woman he meets on the sales floor. At the end of Andy and Trish's first date, they almost have sex but are interrupted by Trish's teenage daughter Marla. Trish suggests that they postpone having sex, and Andy enthusiastically agrees; they agree to abstain for twenty dates. Andy and Trish's relationship flourishes over the following weeks. Trish encourages Andy's dream of starting a business, suggesting they fund it by selling his collectibles. After Marla argues with Trish over wanting birth control, Andy takes her to a group information session at a sexual health clinic, where she is demeaned as a virgin. Andy admits his own virginity to defend her, earning him Marla's respect.

Meanwhile, David suffers an emotional breakdown at work over his obsession with his ex-girlfriend, Amy, and takes a vow of celibacy. Concerned for David, Cal hires an attractive woman named Bernadette to work at the store hoping to match her with him. Jay's girlfriend breaks up with him due to his infidelity, and after getting in a fight with a customer, Jay concedes to Andy that sex can ruin a relationship. Jay and his girlfriend eventually reconcile, and he invites Andy and the others to a nightclub to celebrate his girlfriend's pregnancy.

On Trish and Andy's twentieth date, Trish tries to initiate sex, but Andy remains awkward and resistant, which upsets her. The two argue, and Andy leaves to meet his friends at a nightclub. He gets drunk and leaves with Beth to have sex at her apartment. Cal gets David and Bernadette to hook up, while Marla convinces Trish to make up with Andy. At Beth's, Andy sobers up and decides to leave just as his friends arrive and encourage him to go back to Trish.

Andy returns to his apartment to find Trish waiting for him. She has found David's porn collection; Andy tries to explain, but she flees in alarm and disgust, fearing Andy may be a sexual deviant. Andy pursues Trish on his bike but collides with her car and flies through the side of a billboard truck. Trish rushes to his side, and Andy finally confesses that he is a virgin. Trish is relieved and accepting, and the couple profess their love for each another.

Andy and Trish eventually marry in a lavish ceremony with everyone in attendance, with a sidelong mention that Andy's action figures sold for over half a million dollars. The couple then consummates the marriage. The film ends with a musical sequence where all the characters sing and dance to "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In".

Cast

In addition, Jonah Hill, Kevin Hart and Wayne Federman appear as eBay and Smart Tech customers, respectively. Mindy Kaling plays David's ex at the speed dating event, where WCW wrestler Kimberly Page exposes her breast. Gillian Vigman and Page play Woman Speed Daters. Stormy Daniels has a cameo as herself. Nancy Carell, Steve's wife, plays the health clinic counselor. Cedric Yarbrough and David Koechner appear as Dads at Health Clinic, Steve Bannos plays Father at Restaurant and Jenna Fischer plays Woman #1.

Production

The film is based on a sketch Carell created while performing with the improv comedy troupe Second City. Carell did many versions of the sketch, trying out different scenarios where the 40-year-old man is hiding a "big secret."[4][5] Apatow had difficulty coming up with the ending for the film. Garry Shandling suggested it was important to show that Andy was having better sex because he was in love, and instead of directly showing the sex they decided to have Andy sing and have a musical number.[6][7] Apatow started casting the film early in the development process and having no preconceptions about the friends and workers in the store was able to tailor the script to the strengths of the actors.[8] Catherine Keener was the first choice for the female lead.[8][9]

Production started on January 17, 2005,[10] and wrapped on April 1, 2005. Production on the film was halted by Universal Pictures after the first week, due to concerns that the physical appearance of Carell's character resembled that of a serial killer, and that the early footage was not funny.[11] Paul Rudd was criticized for being overweight and the studio was unhappy with how Apatow was "lighting [the film] like an indie".[12][13] Universal had also refused to allow Apatow to cast Jason Segel in the film.[14]

The chest waxing scene was done for real, with five cameras set up to capture the moment.[15][16] The production used over a million feet of film, a milestone reached on the last day of filming and recognized with free champagne by Technicolor.[17][18] Using the conversion of 90 feet of film per minute, this means that the shooting ratio for the film is 96:1 (96 feet shot for each foot used in the release after editing) for the theatrical version (84:1 for the unrated version).

The American Humane Association withheld its "no animals were harmed..." disclaimer due to the accidental deaths of several tropical fish used in the film.[19][20]

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 85% based on 190 reviews, with an average rating of 7.23/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Steve Carell's first star turn scores big with a tender treatment of its titular underdog, using raunchy but realistically funny comedy to connect with adult audiences."[21] Rotten Tomatoes declared it the "Best Reviewed Comedy of 2005."[22] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 73 out of 100 based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[23] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale.[24]

Ebert and Roeper gave the film a "two thumbs up" rating. Roger Ebert said, "I was surprised by how funny, how sweet, and how wise the movie really is" and "the more you think about it, the better The 40-Year-Old Virgin gets."[25][26] The pair gave minor criticisms, with Ebert describing "the way she (Catherine Keener as 'Trish') empathizes with Andy" as "almost too sweet to be funny" and Richard Roeper saying that the film was too long, and at times extremely frustrating.[25] Roeper later chose the film as the tenth best of 2005.[27] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the movie an A-, saying that Carell "plays him [Andy] in the funniest and most surprising way possible: as a credible human being."[28] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times called the film a "charmingly bent comedy," noting that Carell conveys a "sheer likability" and a "range as an actor" that was "crucial to making this film work as well as it does."[29] Emanuel Levy gave the film a B+ grade calling it "Raunchier and funnier than Wedding Crashers, this is an R-rated comedy that despite crude surface and foul lingo has a generous heart and a sweet, almost naive center."[30]

Brian Lowry of Variety wrote: "Crude, sophomorically homophobic but frequently funny, pic also overstays its welcome a bit and indulges in some juvenile excesses. All told, though, The 40 Year Old Virgin delivers enough belly laughs."[31] Lou Lumenick of the New York Post gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, and called it "A calculating crowd-pleaser aimed squarely at the under-25 crowd, who can feel free to add a star or two to my rating."[32] Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post is critical of the film but praised Carell for his performance: "the most surprising thing about 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' may be that despite the flagrantly exploitative and gratuitous efforts of his friends, Andy remains steadfastly chaste and genuinely humane. [...] Carell has succeeded in creating a character of old-fashioned decency in a movie that otherwise flouts it at every turn."[33]

The film was criticized by Harry Forbes of Catholic News Service for promoting "the false premise that there's something intrinsically wrong with an unmarried man being sexually inexperienced,"[34] and by political columnist Cal Thomas for being an example of societal decline in regards to "self-control or what was once known as purity."[35]

Box office

The film was a summer hit, and opened at No. 1 at the box office, grossing $21,422,815 during its opening weekend, and stayed at No. 1 the following weekend. The film grossed a total of $109,449,237 at the domestic market, and $67,929,408 internationally, for a total of $177,378,645. The film was 25th in global gross, and 19th in the United States that year.[1] The film was released in the United Kingdom on September 2, 2005, and topped the country's box office that weekend.[36]

Accolades

In December 2005, the film was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of the ten best movies of the year, the only comedy film to be so recognized (though the comedy-drama The Squid and the Whale was also chosen). The film was also ranked No. 30 on Bravo's 100 Funniest Movies.

Association Award Recipient Result
American Film Institute Awards Movie of the Year Won
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Top Box Office Films Lyle Workman Won
Award Circuit Community Awards Best Original Screenplay Judd Apatow
Steve Carell		 Nominated
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards Best Supporting Actress Catherine Keener Won
Critics Choice Awards Best Comedy Movie Won
Gold Derby Awards Best Original Screenplay Judd Apatow
Steve Carell		 Nominated
Golden Schmoes Awards Best Comedy of the Year Won
Best Surprise of the Year Won
Best Breakthrough Performance of the Year Steve Carell Won
Best Line of the Year ("You know how I know you're gay?") Won
Best Screenplay of the Year Judd Apatow
Steve Carell		 Nominated
Favorite Movie Poster of the Year Nominated
Most Memorable Scene in a Movie (Chest waxing scene) Nominated
International Online Cinema Awards Best Original Screenplay Judd Apatow
Steve Carell		 Nominated
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards Best Supporting Actress Catherine Keener Won
MTV Movie Awards Best Movie Nominated
Best Breakthrough Performance Romany Malco Nominated
Best Male Performance Steve Carell Nominated
Best Comedic Performance Won
Best On-Screen Team Steve Carell
Paul Rudd
Seth Rogen
Romany Malco		 Nominated
National Society of Film Critics Awards Best Supporting Actress Catherine Keener Nominated
New York Film Critics Circle Awards Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Online Film & Television Association Awards Best First Feature Judd Apatow Nominated
Best Breakthrough Performance - Male Steve Carell Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Judd Apatow
Steve Carell		 Nominated
Online Film Critics Society Awards Best Breakthrough Filmmaker Judd Apatow Nominated
St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards Best Animated, Musical, or Comedy Film Nominated
The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards Most Overrated Film Nominated
Writers Guild Awards Best Original Screenplay Judd Apatow
Steve Carell		 Nominated

Home media

On home video, the film was released with an additional 17 minutes under the banner "unrated".[37] For the 100th Anniversary of Universal the theatrical edition was released on Blu-ray. This version also had a similar banner of "unrated".

See also

References
  1. "The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)". Box Office Mojo.
  2. "Judd Apatow." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 15 Aug. 2015.
  3. Commentary track for the unrated DVD version of the film.
  4. "The 40-Year Old Virgin Production Notes". 2005 Movie Releases. Universal Pictures.
  5. Pincus-Roth, Zachary (2 February 2006). "Judd Apatow and Steve Carell, 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin'". Variety.
  6. Rodrick, Stephen (27 May 2007). "Judd Apatow - Motion Pictures - Knocked Up - 40-Year-Old Virgin". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2017-06-13. You have to make us understand that Andy’s sex is better than everybody else’s sex in the movie — because he’s in love.
  7. Eric Eisenberg (17 April 2015). "The 40-Year-Old Virgin Ending: Judd Apatow Tells Us Why He Went Out On A Musical Note". Cinemablend.
  8. Evan Jacobs (13 December 2005). "MovieWeb Gets Personal With 'The 40 Year Old Virgin' Director Judd Apatow". Movieweb. I think that there's no way that you could have a sequel. I think the deed has been done.
  9. "Judd Apatow, Seth Rogan and Romany Malco Talk 'The 40 Year Old Virgin'". Movieweb. 18 August 2005.
  10. "The 40-Year-Old Virgin(2005)Filming & Production". imdb.com. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  11. Steve Carell: Universal Pulled The Plug On “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”. CONAN on TBS. 12 January 2016 – via YouTube.
  12. Lynch, John (Jun 19, 2015). "'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' was shut down 2 days into production for a ridiculous reason". Business Insider.
  13. Rodrick, Stephen (27 May 2007). "Judd Apatow - Motion Pictures - Knocked Up - 40-Year-Old Virgin". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2017-06-13. Instead, he incorporated the first note into the film by having Andy’s friends riff on his resemblance to a serial killer.
  14. Itzkoff, Dave (13 April 2008). "Jason Segel of 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' Is a Young Actor With Nothing to Hide". The New York Times. Mr. Apatow also sought Mr. Segel for a supporting role in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” as a friend of the title character, portrayed by Steve Carell, but was refused by Universal Pictures.
  15. Rebecca Murray (18 December 2005). "40 Year Old Virgin - Steve Carell Interview on 40 Year Old Virgin Movie". Archived from the original on 2005-12-18.
  16. Evan Jacobs (13 December 2005). "MovieWeb Gets Waxed by 'The 40 Year Old Virgin's' Miki Mia [Exclusive]". Movieweb.
  17. Jeff Otto (16 August 2005). "Interview: Steve Carrell and Paul Rudd". IGN. Archived from the original on 2012-04-11.
  18. "Steve Carell has become 'The 40 Year Old Virgin'!". Movieweb. 15 August 2005. We had a million feet of film. This is a true thing, I never realized this. If you shoot a million feet of film the film company will buy champagne for the cast and crew. (laughter) They do.
  19. "The 40-Year-Old Virgin-Rating:Monitored, unacceptable". American Humane Association.
  20. Roger Cormier (19 August 2015). "17 Things You Might Not Know About The 40-Year-Old Virgin". Mental Floss.
  21. "The 40-Year-Old Virgin". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  22. "Best Reviewed Comedy of 2005". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 2006-07-20.
  23. "The 40-Year-Old Virgin Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
  24. "Cinemascore". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on 2018-12-20.
  25. Review on Ebert & Roeper. Archived from the original (MP3) on 2006-01-06.
  26. Ebert, Roger. "The 40-Year-Old Virgin movie review (2005)". Chicago Sun-Times.
  27. "Ebert & Roeper, The Best of 2005". Archived from the original on 2006-01-14.
  28. Owen Gleiberman (August 26, 2005). "40-Year-Old Virgin". Entertainment Weekly.
  29. Manohla Dargis (August 19, 2005). "Losing His Innocence, Not a Minute Too Soon". The New York Times.
  30. Emanuel Levy (August 12, 2005). "40-Year-Old Virgin: Apatow Funny, Raunchy Comedy, Starring Steve Carell".
  31. Lowry, Brian (12 August 2005). "Film Review: 'The 40 Year Old Virgin'". Variety.
  32. Lumenick, Lou (19 August 2005). "NOTHING TO CELIBATE". New York Post.
  33. Hornaday, Ann (19 August 2005). "Despite Plenty Of Potential, 'Virgin' Just Doesn't Do It". Washington Post.
  34. "Catholic News Service". Archived from the original on 2009-10-05.
  35. Cal Thomas (Aug 17, 2005). "When gas was cheap and people were valuable".
  36. "Weekend box office 2nd September 2005 - 4th September 2005". www.25thframe.co.uk. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  37. "The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Unrated) [Blu-ray]: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Leslie Mann, Jane Lynch, Kat Dennings, Judd Apatow: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
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