The 40 Year Old Virgin

The 40 Year Old Virgin (no hyphens originally)
August 19, 2005
Universal
Comedy, Romance
DVD
B-

I went back and forth between a B and a B- on this, because when the movie is good, it's very good, as in the Hair tribute at the end.  And I didn't want to be overly influenced by hindsight, that the Judd Apatow weaknesses which would be more obvious in subsequent films, from Knocked Up to Trainwreck, are evident here, in his first theatrical release.  But the truth is, the crude humor has not aged well, that what was shocking but funny a decade ago is now just gross and at best mildly amusing.  Also, far too much time is spent with the male bonding and the false leads that the title character (played by Steve Carell) faces in his search to no longer be a virgin, and not enough on the genuinely sweet romance between Carell and Catherine Keener.

And I do have to say that the main Apatow weakness is a tendency to contrast "bad behavior" with personally conservative behavior and have the latter win out, but only after we've sat through a lot of swearing, drinking, dope-smoking, homophobia, and women being treated as bitches and ho's.  In this case, the virgin loses his virginity on his wedding night.  (In Knocked Up, an unplanned pregnancy between two incompatible strangers leads to marriage, while in Trainwreck what would've once been called a party girl learns the error of her wicked ways and of course embraces monogamy.)  If you want to make an old-fashioned story, fine, but this isn't the 1920s and I get tired of the morality plays where the audience is shown the worst of wildness and then we get a Hays Code ending, like these are the only two possibilities.  That said, it's not as bad here, and the virgin does end up with a "hot grandma" who brings out the best in him, not exactly the usual Hollywood ending, in the 20th or 21st centuries.

And the male bonding does have chemistry of a different sort (even if the guys, even "sensitive" David, played by Paul Rudd) keep gay-baiting each other.  (And not that this is never funny.  The "spinach dip in a loaf of sourdough bread" line is still golden.)  Carell, Rudd, Romany Malco (who would be Oscar in Baby Mama), and Seth Rogen play off of each other well.  And Jane Lynch, as their boss, also has some great lines, mostly improv apparently.  Overall, the movie is still worth watching but I don't know that I would buy it again, given the choice.

Marilyn Dodds Frank was Alison's Mom in High Fidelity and is Woman Who Bought Television here.  Wayne Federman was an Admissions Guy in Legally Blonde and is a Smart Tech Customer here.  Carla Gallo is Toe-Sucking Girl here and would be Zooey's Friend in I Love You, Man.  Joseph A. Nuñez is Man Buffing Floor here and would be Oscar the Security Guard in Bridesmaids, while Nancy Carell is Health Clinic Counselor here and would be Helen's Tennis Partner there.