Friday, April 6, 2012

A-Z Challenge: Forty Year-Old Virgin

I'm cheating a bit on the title by spelling out Forty (it's officially 40 in the movie title), but quite honestly I don't care.  The 40-Year-Old Virgin is hands-down one of the best comedies ever made.  Not only is it laugh-out-loud funny from beginning to end, it has heart.

It's not just that Steve Carrell plays Andy perfectly, or that Paul Rudd, Seth Rogan, Jayne Lynch, and the rest of the supporting cast are able to earn honest laughs, too...What makes this movie work is that they all play it natural and actually make the characters feel real, not like the overblown caricatures they are.

I am tempted right now to go pop this DVD in, watch the movie twice, and then finish writing this.  Unfortunately I don't have time to do that.  I'll have to settle for reminiscing about my three favorite moments from the film:

- The car ride with Leslie Mann (the hottie from the bachelorette party).  Her epic drunken rant, from wishing for her period and French toast to the surprise collision ("That fucker came out of nowhere!") actually gets funnier each time I see it.

- When Andy tells Cal (Seth Rogan) that his girlfriend is actually a grandmother, Cal lets out a string of one-liners about grandma sex, including "Fuck her and have her send you a check for twelve dollars on your birthday."  Normally sex with a grandma jokes would not be very funny, but in context they are freaking hysterical.

- When Any's boss (Jayne Lynch) finds out he's a virgin and offers a discreet relationship that "will haunt your dreams."  Specifically, her tale of losing her virginity to their gardener when she was a teen, up to and including her Guatemalan love song (NOTE: I think it was Guatemalan.  I told you I don't have time to watch the movie right now, so I can't be sure).  The ultimate play-it-straight moment is when she sings.  She totally sells that scene.

My next favorite part is the entire rest of the movie.

#

10 comments:

A Daft Scots Lass said...

I love this film.

Annalisa Crawford said...

I've only seen this film once, which means I'm not qualified to comment - appallingly bad memory means I have to watch a film at least three times before I can quote particular scenes :-(

a.eye said...

I love the scene when the two workers are arguing over who had the girl first in the shop. And the Asian man says that he is from Brooklyn... that he has a Brooklyn accent. So hilarious! And then it is over and they make up and all is well.

Johanna Garth said...

Those grandma jokes were funny in the worst possible way!

Matthew MacNish said...

Totally agree. This film really was underrated, and launched a great career for Steve Carrell.

D.G. Hudson said...

I think you just like to laugh, Rick. Humour is good.

Rick Daley said...

DG- You're probably right. Sometimes I'm too generous with what I consider funny, but there are worse character flaws than that I suppose...

Christine Rains said...

It's such a fun film!

Red said...

This is one which got such mixed reviews I never did see it. My daughter swears it is as funny as you claim it is. Perhaps, it is one to find its way to the need to see list.
Red.

Sattakingin said...

Right Steps play bazaar websites new creating ideas satta king going to your way.