The 40-Year-Old Virgin

REVIEW
Upon first meeting, Andy (Carell), a 40-year-old clerk at a L.A. electronics store, is the kind of guy who's too square to be hip, too nerdy to be square, and too oblivious to care about either. It doesn't help Andy's self-image that he's a virgin, as well. He likes women, but the opportunities have been either squandered or altogther missed. When his coworkers discover Andy's little secret, and vow to get him laid at any cost, it sets in motion an uproarious comedy that -- like the best of the teen comedies of the '80s and '90s which focused on sexual conquest and/or losing one's virginity -- combines the dumb with the sweet, the raunchy with the romantic. And make no mistake about it, this is a teen comedy, only its hero happened to graduate two decades ago. Carell is a marvel as Andy, wallowing in Andy's lack of social graces one moment, uncovering a gentle side that could melt a heart of stone the next, and then pushing the boundaries of good taste with poise and irreverent glee. It's all PC-bashing good fun, and the laughs (like those in the summer of 2005's other great dumb comedy Wedding Crashers) are frequent, feverish and unforgettable. Andy's boys' club (Rudd, Malco, Rogen) adds just the right tone of camaraderie, hijinks and testosterone, and Keener brings them all down to earth as Andy's newfound girlfriend. Make sure you stick around for the ending: it's so delightful and unexpected you just want it to never end.