Barnes & Noble

Comedian Steve Carell has quickly gone from a correspondent’s slot on Comedy Central's Daily Show to an ace-in-the-hole scene-stealer in such hits as Bruce Almighty, Anchorman, and Bewitched. But few saw him as a leading man, at least until this winning comedy became a surprise box-office smash. The film's title tells you the basic premise: Carell plays Andy Spitzer, a nice guy who never quite got around to getting it on, and who has filled that void in his life with video games and collectible '70s action figures. He works in the stock room of an electronics megastore, where his co-workers (Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, and Romany Malco) view him as "the quiet type." But when the guys find out that Andy's sexual history is a blank slate, it becomes their mission to change his course. This involves a series of hilarious bad dates and some of the worst relationship advice ever heard. (At one point, Rogen's character tells Andy, "Be stoic; like David Caruso in Jade.”) He also meets a sweet single mom (Catherine Keener) who may be The One. The most infamous scene, however, is when the guys take Andy to get his chest waxed -- which Carell actually endured on-camera -- and the stream of vulgarities unleashed from his mouth during it rivals that of anything heard in Scarface. Actually, the whole of The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a no-holds-barred raunch-fest that makes such R-rated comedies as The Wedding Crashers or even There's Something About Mary seem tame by comparison. But the screenplay, co-written by Carrell and director Judd Apatow (Freaks and Geeks), never forgets that filthy isn't automatically funny. You need real jokes, which Virgin has in spades, rivaling Wedding Crashers as 2005's funniest film. Apatow and Carrell also understand that it doesn’t hurt to have likable characters, a generous dose of heart, or an out-of-the-blue musical number. You'll laugh -- a lot. You may even cry. But won't go running to get a wax job any time soon. Bill Pearis

All Movie Guide

One man nervously ventures forth into the final frontier in this comedy starring comic actor Steve Carell. Andy Stitzer (Carell) is a cheerfully geeky guy who is settling into middle age with his large collection of comic books, action figures, and collectable models. Andy works in an electronics store, and seems reasonably happy with his life. However, one day his friends and co-workers David (Paul Rudd), Jay (Romany Malco), and Cal (Seth Rogen) discover that Andy has a secret -- due to his rather severe jitters around women, Andy is still a virgin. Andy's pals are appalled at this state of affairs, and set out to find a woman who'd be willing to get horizontal with him. After a number of disastrous dates, everyone thinks Andy has finally struck gold when he meets Trish (Catherine Keener), an attractive single mother who takes an immediate liking to him. What the other guys don't know is that Trish has just gotten out of a bad relationship, and has informed Andy she isn't ready to be intimate with him just yet. The 40-Year-Old Virgin was the first feature film directed by Judd Apatow, who previously served as a writer and producer for the well-regarded television shows Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, and The Larry Sanders Show. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 025192028229
• Source: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
• Time: 1:56:00

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Ultimate Unrated Comedy Collection
• Ultimate Unrated Comedy Collection