40-Year-Old Virgin: Movie Analysis

The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a 2005 comedy film directed by Judd Apatow and stars Steve Carell as Andy Stitzer, the titular character who has retained his innocence throughout his entire life. When his co-workers learn about his lack of experience, they make it their personal goal to help Andy “do the deed.” This film was not only responsible for launching Steve Carell to star-status, but it was also the directorial debut of Judd Apatow who later went on to direct other successful comedy films.
Andy Stitzer is a grown man who works in a stockroom at tech store SmartTech and spends his free time collecting action figures, and playing video games. His coworkers David (Paul Rudd), Jay (Romany Malco), and Cal (Seth Rogen) don’t really know him,

Rudd, Malco, and Rogen provide so many gut-busting laughs that the movie can float with them alone. Many of the film’s best moments come from the interactions of these three actors, who also are able to offer some of the most quotable lines of dialogue in the film. In addition to the supporting cast, there are also a great number of cameo appearances from other comedians and stars such as Jonah Hill, David Koechner, and Kevin Hart to name a few.
The worst aspect of this film is the somewhat long running time. It’s just under two hours which isn’t insufferable, but it definitely does make this particular film feel a bit stretched. However, with a script that’s as funny as this film’s, the runtime just feels like a minor inconvenience as opposed to a terrible flaw.
What sets this film apart from other comedies is not only the number of laughs, but the genuinely sweet and interesting moments scattered throughout. There is a lot of heart that was put into this film that seems to be missing from many other comedies, and a great portion of that is due to the undeniable chemistry between the cast members. Despite an overlong runtime, The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a great film that offers laughs, likable characters, and a compelling