Common Sense Media Review
A one-joke sex comedy that is not for kids.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 17 parent reviews
Parents say this film is a raunchy comedy laden with inappropriate content, making it unsuitable for younger viewers. However, many find it funny and appreciate its deeper message regarding relationships, despite the overwhelming focus on sexual humor.
- inappropriate content
- funny moments
- deeper message
- strong performances
- not for kids
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 34 kid reviews
What's the Story?
Embarrassed that he's still a virgin at 40, nerdy Andy (Steve Carell) only confesses to his electronics store co-workers -- David (Paul Rudd), Jay (Weeds' Romany Malco), and Cal (Seth Rogen) -- when they guess the (obvious) truth during a late-night card game. As all share boastful stories about their sexual experiences, he lets slip his unfamiliarity with female body parts and they make it their mission to help him "get laid." They're soon joined by other Smart Tech employees, including Mooj (Gerry Bednob) and Haziz (Shelley Malil), vehicles for ethnic stereotype jokes.
Is It Any Good?
A one-joke movie, THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN follows the tedious pattern of other recent boy-man movies: crude comedy leads to quaint romantic resolution. (This resolution has the cast performing numbers from Hair, layering sardonic and psychedelic onto quaint.)
For all its raunchiness, however, the movie (like Wedding Crashers, like Adam Sandler's work) ultimately and predictably endorses very traditional values, even suggesting that boy-men embody such values in themselves (and really, bungling men just need to be nurtured by accommodating, self-sacrificing women). Andy's really a nice guy waiting to be found out. And poor Trish (and Marla) only have to figure out how to service him.
Talk to Your Kids 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"?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 19, 2005
- On DVD or streaming : December 13, 2005
- Cast : Catherine Keener , Paul Rudd , Steve Carell
- Director : Judd Apatow
- Inclusion Information : Middle Eastern/North African Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 116 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : pervasive sexual content, language and some drug use
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate