The 40-Year-old Virgin
★★★★
Coming back to The 40-Year-Old Virgin—a film that, for a time, revolutionized comedies in the early 2000s—was an interesting experience. From the moment I saw it in theaters, I was immediately drawn to Judd Apatow’s unique blend of crude humor and sweetness. He manages to strike a balance between the absurd and the heartfelt, creating characters and stories that, while often ridiculous, always carry a nugget of humanity that feels relatable.
Much of the film's success comes from Steve Carell's outstanding performance, supported by an equally stellar ensemble cast. Despite this being his first leading role, Carell fits perfectly as Andy, portraying him with such earnestness that we never find ourselves laughing at him. Instead, like his newfound friends, we’re rooting for him from the start. While the idea of a 40-year-old virgin might seem far-fetched, Carell makes it believable through his nuanced performance.
Revisiting the film, I could clearly see the hallmarks of Apatow’s early directorial style. His improvisational approach was innovative at the time, but visually, the film feels a bit rough around the edges. Some of the sets look as though they were pulled from an SNL sketch, and while this doesn’t detract from the film's enjoyment, it highlights how far Apatow has come as a filmmaker since.
From a romantic comedy perspective, this film was also an unexpected revisit. I’d always thought of it purely as a comedy, not a rom-com, but there is a romantic subplot with Catherine Keener’s character, Trish. As great as Keener is, we never really get to know Trish in the way we understand Andy, which stands out as a flaw. Apatow has often been criticized for his limited ability to write fully developed female characters, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin could be exhibit A in that case. I wonder how the story might have fared if it had been told from both Andy and Trish’s perspectives. The chemistry between Carell and the ensemble cast—Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Leslie Mann and Jane Lynch—is so strong that you miss them when they’re off-screen, even if some of their antics border on cringe-worthy.
This was a breakthrough film for Apatow and many of the cast members, and while there are some rough edges, it remains one of the best comedies of its decade It’s like your favorite band’s debut album—not perfect, but one you'll keep coming back to.
