THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN

US, 2005, 116 minutes, Colour.
Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Romany Malko, Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Leslie Mann, Jane Lynch.
Directed by Jud Appotow.

Steve Carell had a wonderful scene-stealing role in Bruce Almighty as the television anchor whose delivery was ruined by Jim Carrey. He also did a funny turn as a weatherman in Anchorman. Americans have seen him do stand-up comedy and star in the US version of The Office on television. Americans would not be surprised to see his versatility in this film. For non-Americans, it may be a happy surprise.

Audiences with an eye to moral tone might well hold their breath wondering what a sex comedy with this title is going to deliver. It should be said that some of the jokes stretch the envelope, as they say, and have a potential for offending sensibilities. On the other hand, I was taught a long time ago, that everything finite, everything human could be the subject of humour, otherwise we put it on a pedestal and its becomes an idol. Given that proviso about the verbal humour, this film is quite surprising in its values stances.

While his friends who work in the electronics shop with him in the San Fernando Valley, mock his celibate life and are determined to do their best to change the situation as might be expected, the points that the film makes are that celibacy and virginity can be choices, that these choices should be respected, that we certainly struggle in finding authentic love and relationships and many wallow in sex, that ultimately we need to find the right person, commit in love to that person and rejoice in children. Underlying this comedy and its raunchiness are what we call traditional values. It would be a pity to get lost in the superficiality of the sex jokes and so miss the deeper point.

Steve Carell, who co-wrote the screenplay, has the opportunity to play Andy as a somewhat Forrest Gump-like innocent, play the innocent trying to impress and shock the boys at poker, play a sensible man who makes choices – and do a whole lot of impersonations of nice and obnoxious characters along the way. He and his workmates, Paul Rudd, Romany Malco and Seth Rogen, also do some improvising on their journey from lewdness to ordinariness.

Catherine Keener is the middle-aged woman who sees what is true and good in Andy. Along with The Wedding Crashers which also combines the ribald with old-fashioned love, The 40 Year Old Virgin touched a nerve with American audiences who gave them box-office success – and not just for the sex jokes.

1. A successful comedy? The mood of 2005?

2. The title, expectations? Sex comedy, humour? Breaking bounds? Taste?

3. The moral base of the film: that celibacy is okay, that virginity is okay, that there should not be pressure on people? Issues of love versus sex? The search for life, love, meaning? The gross aspects, mistakes? Marriage, children? A moral fable for traditional views?

4. Steve Carell and his skills, serious, his impersonations? The innocent, knowing? Values?

5. Andy and his life, his flashbacks and childhood, the sex encounters, the girl with the bloody nose etc? His collection of toys, not unpacked and valuable? His introversion? His loneliness, at work, slow, slow promotion? His life at home, getting up in the morning, his routines, his breakfast and everything being neat? The flashback to his playing the instrument, the computer games? His house, the neat bed, his clothes? His frustrations – but having found a life and meaning?

6. Expectations of him as regards sex? Moral perspectives or not? His friends and their advice, the jokes? His unable to tell people the truth about himself? Speaking out for Marla at the clinic? His trying to cope? His own sex talk, jokes, laying it on – yet ignorant? The date occasion, Nicky and her drinking, the alcoholic drive? The pornography brought over by David? The advice to ask questions and his going to the shop, asking questions of Beth? The humour of the waxing sequence?

7. His group of friends, their work at the shop, their characters? David, his lamenting his lost love, the poker game, taking Andy – and Andy winning? The Pakistanis and their continued taunts? David and his story, encouraging Andy, taking him out, meals, the five-minute dates? His meeting his former girlfriend and their conversation, going into depression, videoing his bottom? The date with the girl working in the shop? Jay and his promises, his self-image, clothes, suave manner? His relationship with Jill, his infidelity, his being caught, ousted? Jill and her anger to Andy as he repeated Jay’s language? Jill’s pregnancy, his happiness, making everybody watch the scan, boasting about his unborn son? Cal, young, his crass talk about his weekend, obtuse, his advice to Andy, his own behaviour, interviewing the girl for working at the shop? Their place in the shop – especially with Andy’s promotion?

8. Paula, tough, joking about Andy, her own personal offer, her appreciating him?

9. Nicky, her story, the flirting, the drive, wanting Andy to look at her, the crash? Beth, the work in the book store, Andy and his asking the questions, the ambiguities, her response? The girl hired for the shop?

10. Trish, different? Her visit to the shop, the friends leaving Andy with her? The discussions and his explanation about videos and DVDs, leaving her card? Her on-line business and the shopfront? Her age, having children, a grandchild? Andy ringing her at home and hanging up? Seeing her at work in the kitchen? His good call, her decision to go out, coming to get him? The Asian restaurant and the happy birthday? Going back home, his bewilderment with the condoms, the children arriving and their outburst? Going to the fashionable restaurant, Trish proposing abstinence, the twenty dates? His happy compliance with this? Her selling stuff at the shop, Andy’s visit? Her idea about his own business, selling the toys – and his clearing the room and pretending about carpet for her visit? The twentieth date, the clash, his walking out? Angry? Marla and her talk with her mother? Trish ringing, driving, the accident, his telling her the truth and her being happy to accept that?

11. Marla, angry outburst at her mother, going to the clinic after the tantrum in the bathroom, Andy accompanying her, his naïve questions, the range of people at the clinic and the satire on sex? Her accepting him and his telling the truth to her?

12. Andy, his anger, getting drunk, meeting Beth, going home, the bath and her being provocative? His not being able to go through with it?

13. The three friends, their finally talking, the truth, going to help Andy?

14. The reconciliation, his telling her the truth? The plan to marry?

15. The wedding sequence, joyful, the minister and his talking about consummation? The jokes? The consummation – the minute and the two hours?

16. The happy ending, everybody present singing ‘The Age of Aquarius’?

17. Sexuality as a theme that can be joked about? The film and its being provocative, humorous – but overall values in the right place?