The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Review by Peter T. Chattaway | posted 8/05/2005
 1 of 4
In our oversexed culture, people who choose to go without sex are inevitably regarded as a little freakish. Three years ago, Josh Hartnett starred in 40 Days and 40 Nights, a comedy about a hot young stud who shocks his friends by giving up sex, or at least the fullest expression of it, for Lent; but instead of a celebration of chastity, his newfound interest in abstinence becomes just another way to find newer, more exotic forms of physical pleasure. If mainstream culture finds it impossible to go without sex for a little more than a month, then just imagine what it would make of a man who has somehow made it to his 40th year—a full generation, biblically speaking—without ever touching a naked woman.
Steve Carell plays Andy, a 40-year-old geek and the title character
There are lots of stereotypes about grown-up virgins, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin—about a man whose co-workers conspire to hook him up, so to speak, after they discover he has never done the deed—plays on every single one of them. But in its own peculiar way, the film stands these stereotypes on their head, so much so that, by the end, our protagonist seems like the sanest character of the bunch. This is as much a function of the film's casting as anything else. Andy Stitzer, the virgin in question, is played by Steve Carell, a brilliant scene-stealer who may be best known for the dweeby broadcasters he played in Bruce Almighty and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Carell's character here is still something of a dork, but as the leading man, Carell has an opportunity to flesh him out and to make him more human. What's more, almost all the other characters have peculiar traits of their own, and since we identify with Andy, this makes him, in some sense, the straight man.
At first, The 40-Year-Old Virgin may seem like a film without any straight men whatsoever. When we first meet Andy, he is a pastiche of jokes just waiting to be told, and the film seems to regard his virginity as just one of many indicators that he has not yet grown up. He is awfully shy; he collects comic-book figurines and Six Million Dollar Man dolls (remember those?); he plays video games in a specially equipped chair rigged with joysticks and speakers; and he rides a bicycle (with rear-view mirrors!) instead of driving a car. I happened to see the film with a few bicycling enthusiasts, and they were rather miffed to see their personal lifestyle choice portrayed as a sign of Andy's social ineptitude. As one who was a virgin myself until recently, I wanted to say, "Now you know how I feel."
Andy's pals David (Paul Rudd), Jay (Romany Malco) and Cal (Seth Rogen) try to get him a date … fast!
Full disclosure: I got married six months ago at the age of 34—not quite as old as Andy, but close enough—and over the years I have written a few articles on media portrayals of virginity and, in the process, "outed" myself as an adult virgin. I would like to be able to express some indignation and say this film gets us (ex-)virgins wrong and it doesn't match my experience, etc., except, well, I do have boxes filled with comic books, and I used to collect some toys, too. (Fortunately, my wife is also a comics buff.) And, while this film's raunchy humor goes way over the top, some moments do have the ring of truth.
Browse More Movies
CT Movies Home Page | Now Showing | New on Video | All Reviews
Coming Soon | Discussion Guides | Interviews | Commentary
News & Misc. | Special Sections | About Us
Your Feedback | About Us | CT Mag Home Page
| |
|
