The 40-Year Old Virgin

As the title suggests, The 40 Year-Old Virgin is about a closeted virgin middle-aged man and his journeys towards his "first time". Sounds exciting, right? Sex comedies regarding first times and curiosities about sex almost always feature adolescents and teenagers. Thanks to Steve Carrell for coming up with the genuis idea (used in his comedy skits) and Universal Pictures for producing the movie!

The movie stars Andy (Carell) as a 40-year old guy who was contented wth being a virgin. At his age, he has become complacent about it. Instead of making a big deal out of it, he has sheltered himself with the things that he loves doing like collecting action figures and playing video games to the point of obssessing over them. However, his life suddenly turned upside down when he was invited by his co-workers for a night of poker game. After the game, the night turned into talks about sex. When it was his time to relate his most unforgettable sexual story, he could not describe it well. That was when his co-workers realized that he was still a virgin and obliged themselves to help him fulfill his manhood in any way they can!

David (Paul Rudd), Jay (Romany Malco), and Cal (Seth Rogen) gave Andy suggestions and took him to places where he could hook up with women. Each guy has their own experiences with women and they impart to him whatever knowledge they have gained about them. David is a heartbroken guy who is still in love with his ex-girlfriend. Jay, yet already committed, still practices being a ladies' man. Meanwhile, Cal is a guy who believes in being "practical" about dates and women. However, whatever they do or say, it was futile. It has to be in Andy's way on Andy's time.

Along the teachings and advices came Trish (Catherine Keener). She is the woman whom Andy falls in love with. It poses another problem for Andy. Not only that he had to come out of his shell but he had to share a part of himself with a woman for the first time in his life.

Apart from the goofiness and sometimes slapstick jokes of the film, The 40 Year-Old Virgin boasts a witty script and funny dialogues. It manages to avoid racial jokes, refuses to make caricatures out of its ethnic characters, and is devoid of prejudices re virgin and gays. It is a breath of fresh air amongst the sex comedies that came out during the past years. The movie didn't end as another sex comedy but it was above par the rest of them! It had something more to offer than laughs and giggles. It was insightful and had three-dimensional characters.

As for Andy, on the surface, it may sound as if he was idealistic and values chastity. He would say that he had high respect for women or holding out for "the one". Not that there's anything wrong with both! In fact, the film had clearly (yet subtly) tried to state that we should respect women (by asking what's wrong with "putting the pussy on the pedestal"?) or not have sex just for the sake of having it (by waiting for the "right" time which of course, would really depend on you!). But in the end, you would realized that Andy held on that long because he was scared shitless about his first time! Who wouldn't want their first experience to be special, right? He was so scared that he ended up shielding himself with his obssessions. These obssessions may have protected him with whatever his first time might bring but they retarded his "growth"! It was only when he learned to let go of them that he realized that it was time to grow up.

His being a virgin was also a manifestation of how he runs his life. Even at work, he always takes the backseat. Afraid to deal with customers face to face. Only when his boss took the initiative to make him a sales person that he realized his true potential. In life, there's no room for people who are scared. One has to make bold steps order to succeed!

As for his friends, they may be keen on giving Andy his first sexual experience but it was more than that. They became his best buddies whom he never had when he was growing up. Even Cal who seemed to be so full of himself learns to sacrifice his desires by helping him get the girl he wants or employing a hottie yet stupid girl just so he could hook her up with the depressed David. Jay may be two-timing his girlfriend but it was all because of his insecurities about himself. When his girl has proven how much she is willing to give him, he felt secured and stopped fooling around.

The 40 Year-Old Virgin has to a lot to offer. Audience would have a heck of a time laughing at the green jokes and sexual situations but would also learn a thing or two regarding the things that are most scared in life: friendships, love, and relationships. I hope that teenagers would take home with them not just the jokes but the subtle advices the movie gives.