Why "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" Continues to Resonate 10 Years Later

Left to right: Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd

For the sake of argument, director Judd Apatow's The 40-Year-Old Virgin may be the beginning of the modern comedy. That isn't to say that there were raunchy films beforehand, but what Apatow did was something partially revolutionary and redefined the R-rated comedy. For all of the acclaim that the film had, it launched a plethora of new ideas of how comedy could be done. It was no longer constituted to sight gags or a brief 90 minute running time. It was allowed to suck up rolls of film with improvised scenes and could get by on nonstop conversations. For what it's worth, the film set a precedent and helped to launch majority of the careers that we take for granted nowadays. It may have not been Apatow's first milestone work, but it was the first where society paid attention.

The story follows the journey of Andy Stitzer (Steve Carell), who works in an electronics store and has one secret: he has never had sex. This is the launchpad for the entire film. You wouldn't be wrong for thinking that this was just a sadder attempt at the American Pie formula where misunderstood virgins are the comedic driving force. That much overlaps here with Carell going above and beyond to be both very sad and also very endearing. He may own an action figure of The Six Million Dollar Man's boss, but he also has a sensitive side that is hard to find when he's surrounded by a series of friends who pass time playing video games while spouting the famous "You know how I know you're gay" jokes. Everything from there is Stitzer braving the dating world with one mishap after another.

Probably the film's most noteworthy achievement is also Apatow's biggest criticism. The running time is 116 minutes, which was unheard of for studio comedies in 2005. The argument can be made that he has only gotten worse about it. However, dissect the length issue as it relates to the slow reveals. Yes, there are excellent jokes that benefit from extended scenes, but what about Stitzer's romance in general? Would it have been the same if 20 minutes were cut to fit the formula? So much would be removed that makes the film essentially effective. We'd lose the speed dating scene, the chest waxing moment where he shouts "No Kelly Clarkson," and even Leslie Mann's career best as the reckless drunk driver. There's so much that helps to build the momentum until the romance finally kicks in. It helps the emotional catharsis to feel earned.

But okay, the length is probably the easiest thing to get around because of the comedic forces behind the film. Beyond Carell's sexually insecure perfection, there's the first of many Seth Rogen stereotype roles as Cal: a lazy coworker who likes to get stoned and harass people. There's every man Paul Rudd as David: the man with good intentions, but a better collection of adult videos. To say that there is a worthy plot here is to ignore that the real charisma comes in the comedy, which comes at a dizzying clip that spawned countless catchphrases. Even in terms of the overly sexual nature of the jokes, there's still something intellectual about the, commenting on the era while also emasculating friends in a matter that has become known as both the "bromance" and "manchild" genres of film. The only downside of this type of comedy is that the reference points may in fact date the film badly in another 10 years.

Yet the sentiments will hopefully remain in ways that transcend comedy. Apatow has always been a large admirer of James L. Brooks, whose humor is often spiked with sentimentality. It is what makes the latter half of The 40-Year-Old Virgin so effective. When girlfriend Trish Piedmont (Catherine Keener) enters the picture, it is a gradual unveiling of relationship expectations. We may get condom use humor, but it is the feeling of living up to the societal standards that draws the "manchild" humor into inspired grounds. The desperation to please each other to please ourselves is most evident throughout most of the film, even during the third act when the romance is most in danger of sabotage. By the end when the film becomes a parody of Hair with covers of "The Age of Aquarius" and "Let the Sun Shine," it is both a joke about the intense revelations of having sex and the final acceptance of each other. 

The legacy of the film is obvious because Apatow hasn't gone anywhere. He has been around fueling Hollywood with about a dozen of the biggest films of this decade, most recently with Trainwreck. Even the stars have controlled the comedy genre with Rogen doing the highly controversial The Interview last year. Apatow is such a powerhouse that even other filmmakers have tried to imitate him to varying degrees of success. But the one thing that is missing is that understanding of humor and character. Without both, it simply feels crass and insincere. It is why he remains a singular commodity. It also helps that almost everyone in The 40-Year-Old Virgin has gone on to bigger and better things.

So to say that this is the beginning of modern comedy is something that can be misinterpreted. Comedy evolves with time and this is clearly not the first raunchy comedy in existence. However, so much of what's come to pass as the normative for the genre is present here. From the improvisational manchild humor to the underlying sentiments, it is all evident to what most comedies nowadays strive for. Who knows how much longer this will last or if Apatow will ever have a film that hits the zeitgeist with as much force (Knocked Up came close). What we do know is that even if this film becomes very dated because of its references, it will remain an invaluable film thanks to its ambitious nature to redefine comedy by taking the familiar into new directions.