What really matters???

Rating: 9/10 (20 March 2008)

In today's society being a virgin may sound uncommon, especially being a 40-year-old man. Let's face the facts sex sells in American culture, sex is in music, television and as The 40-Year-Old Virgin demonstrates sex sells in movies as well. For Steve Carell's character Andy Stitzer it is easy being a virgin until three of his sex loving co-workers found out he is a virgin and thrust sex into his life. Can Andy wait, even when he finds a woman Catherine Keener's (Trish), that he loves and cannot resist? The 40-Year-Old virgin shows us that sex is not only just for fun, but instead it is love that we should be a looking for as it is what truly matters. Throughout the movie Andy argues with his co-workers on why it is not so bad to be a virgin. Andy's co-workers led by Seth Rogan's character, Cal, want him not to be the geeky virgin that he has been for the last 40 years. They take Andy on some crazy adventures, and even want him to change his appearance and curb his enthusiasm for action figures that line Andy's apartment.
Judd Apatow the director of this film had a scene that took place in Andy's apartment just before his date with Trish. Andy is shown all alone in an empty room with a medium angle shot with high key lighting to show how empty Andy's apartment is and to demonstrate how empty and alone Andy is feeling at this point in time.
As Andy is trying to find out who he truly is, as well as prove to himself that sex is not just for fun but is something that has to be done with the right person reminds me of Josh Hartnett as Matt Sullivan in "40 Days and 40 Nights". Matt was also finding out who he truly was and that sex does not always have to be important, it is more about finding that person who you can love without sex. Every time Matt was faced with a sexual situation he would run from it. Andy and Matt share similar qualities in hiding from what everyone else wants them to be. But in the end they both prove that sex in a relationship does not have to come first.
Sex is very important to a relationship but it should not be the only thing to build a relationship. Instead individuals must build a relationship with another person who is as involved in the relationship as they are themselves. In the end what woman wouldn't want to know that even after 40 years she was the only one to share those special times with her special man???