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The 40-Year-Old Virgin

(2005, Rated R, Comedy, Starring Catherine Keener, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 16.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    A one-joke sex comedy that is not for kids.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 16–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The virgin means well, but he and his friends are crude, lusty, and childish.
  • Violence:

    Bloody violence on video and TV screens, as background; some antic mishaps (car crashes, bike accidents).
  • Sex:

    Relentless and slangy discussion of sex, some comedic activity, including the appearance of a "trannie prostitute." Non-sexual nudity and same-sex kiss.
  • Language:

    Frequent cursing, vulgar references to genitalia and sex.
  • Consumerism:

    Generic electronics, coffee, and drinks; specific toys, action figures, and movie/tv references; t-shirts reference bands (Sonic Youth, Public Enemy).
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Drinking, smoking, and pot-smoking.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The 40-Year-Old Virgin

Parents need to know that this movie is focused on a man's effort to lose his virginity. To that end, it leans heavily on verbal jokes and sight gags related to sex: crude slang for sexual activity, genitals, erections, bodily fluids, breasts, and dildos. By way of example: the first joke has to do with a woman having sex with a horse, though the language is much coarser and repetitive. The virgin and his three male coworkers/friends spend most of their time talking about sex, showing off or complaining about their conquests. They make homophobic remarks, go to bars and parties, ogle women (at one point, they see two girls kiss), play violent video games and watch violent (Dawn of the Dead [1978]) and pornographic movies. Women wear revealing outfits (one shows a nipple during a speed-date conversation), drink, drive badly, and throw up. Characters drink repeatedly, smoke pot, and curse frequently; one smokes cigarettes when he's depressed and another spends long minutes trying to put on a condom. Soundtrack features songs about sex and sexual desire (for instance, Missy Elliot's "Get Ur Freak On").

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about virginity as a "choice." How does the movie make the case that, despite his friends' ribbing and his own embarrassment, the virgin represents a kind of romantic ideal, an earnest, awkward, sensitive man in search of a life partner? Why is it significant that all the different men at the store -- Jewish, black, Pakistani, Caucasian -- behave equally badly around women? How does the movie represent women as peripheral or comic objects in relation to the self-centered but also sympathetic male characters? How does Andy's dilemma serve as a metaphor for other, more often acknowledged forms of insecurity? How does Andy learn to appreciate his difference, even as he tries so hard to "fit in"?

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Our Members Say

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See all 29 member reviews

Most Recent Reviews

  1. I rate this title iffy for age 16 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    Good Movie With Conflicting Messages

    This movie is absolutely hilarious. There are parts of it that are simply laugh-out-loud funny. It's not appropriate for anyone over sixteen and even then it's iffy. (I saw the cut version at fifteen). The virgin stays a virgin until he gets married but everyone else is a very sexually rambunctious person. It's a really good movie overall for some good shallow humor.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Perfect for little kids with big brains

    I think people getting f##ked is a good thing

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 4.0

    It depends if you/your chold is mature enough to handle it or not

  4. I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content

  5. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    Lives in Indiana
    I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content

  6. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Louisiana
    I rate this title iffy for age 16 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    Vulgar comedy delievers huge laughs and a fantastic message

    This film contains relentless sexual humor, 97 uses of f--k and hundreds of uses of other curses such as damn, hell, bitch, c--k, p---y, and discussions including references to disturbing sex acts that most people won't know what they even are. All of that aside, this is a fantastic movie for older teens and adults because of the overall message being that relationships should NOT be built off of sex.

  7. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Louisiana
    I rate this title iffy for age 16 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    Vulgar comedy delievers huge laughs and a fantastic message

    This film contains relentless sexual humor, 97 uses of f--k and hundreds of uses of other curses such as damn, hell, bitch, c--k, p---y, and discussions including references to disturbing sex acts that most people won't know what they even are. All of that aside, this is a fantastic movie for older teens and adults because of the overall message being that relationships should NOT be built off of sex.

  8. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Illinois
    I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Negative message

    ;D

    I saw it when I was 10 and my mom recommended it for me then

  9. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Illinois
    I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Negative message

    I saw it when I was 10 and my mom recommended it for me then

  10. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Florida
    I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message

    Do not take anyone under 18 to see this movie.

    This movie is totally inappropriate for anybody under age 18 in my opinion. The entire movie centers around a man over 40 who has never had sex. Therefore his buddies try to get him 'laid' every chance they get. So...there's a lot of talk about sex. There are some hilarious scenes, but nothing a child or teen should watch.

  11. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in North Carolina
    I rate this title on for age 17 and give it 1.0

    We stopped the DVD

    We figured it would be crude and sophomoric, but rented it because it was listed as one of 25 best comedies. After 15 min., we stopped the DVD. I felt like I needed to go shower to get the stink off me. . . P.S. I had to put 17 as the youngest age, but if I could have put NONE, I would have.

  12. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in Georgia
    I rate this title off for age 2 and give it 4.0

    HAHAHAHAHA

    ok for a second let's put aside all the sex and language and enjoy how funny this movie is, it is hillarious I could not stop laughing although it is highly innapropriate for young teens anyone with a good sense of humor and over 15 needs to see this movie

  13. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Lives in Connecticut
    I rate this title off for age 2 and give it 1.0

    constant cursing and rude humor!!!!

    who wants to watch a movie that talks only about sex? also there is a flashback of the 4 times he had sex all of witch were extramly gross. one of his girlfriends got a bloody nose. blood was everywhere! it was gross. also constant nudty. naked woman everywhere. that movie is very offenceive and stupid!!!!

  14. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Virginia
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 3.0

    This was very funny, but very inappropriate

    F-bombs were dropped EVERYWHERE in this movie. Lots of sex scenes; not appropriate for anyone under 14 or 15.

  15. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 4.0

  16. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Missouri
    I rate this title iffy for age 17 and give it 5.0

    this movie is funny, raunchy and not for kids.

    I loved this movie, It's hilarious. But it's absolutly not for kids.

  17. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in Louisiana
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 3.0

    not bad

    it was good. but not the best movie ever

  18. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in Missouri
    I rate this title off for age 2 and give it 5.0

  19. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 4.0

    i laughed so hard!!!

    wow this movie was great. ya im the younges reviewer on this movie and i wuz actualy 12 when i whatched it but i think that alot of kids 12 and 13 are pretty mature for there age and can take on a movie lyk this and laugh at the adult humor. but it just depends ive met kids my age who u would hav thought were 6 or sumthing becuz they were so immature. it just depends on the level of maturity. but i gotta tell u i loved this movie it was hilarious.

  20. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 17 and give it 5.0

    It was somewhat childish, but I still loved it!

    It was a raunchy, but intelligent comedy about a man coming of age... in a comedic fashion. Steve Carrell is an awesome actor. I wonder why it took so long for him to get discovered.

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