40 Year Old Virgin: Discussion

Chelle:  Yeah, it was totally funny as hell.  This may sound strange, as much as I love to laugh, joke, and be silly, I usually don't seek out comedies.  Most comedies are forced upon me.  And I enjoy them, so why don't I sit down and say, "Hey, let's watch a funny movie"?  Weird. 

Rob's preview is loooong.  But if you get through you will realize why we are still married.  Rob may appear shy, reclusive, and oblivious to the world around him, but whenever he writes people sit up and take notice.  Guys are guys for the most part and any woman who thinks one day men will ever be otherwise is deluding herself.  In Apatow's films the males are your average guys.  I've seen this film and Knocked Up (also Super Bad, but with that one Apatow's a producer, not a director) and both leads go on a journey inspired by a woman who needs them to be less of a guy.  A woman who wants to be their peer, not their mommy.  And this is what women want (although to be totally honest, I think very few women understand this and certainly can't express it well; that's why lots of women seem so bitchy).  I've been told by many women how lucky I am to have found Rob 'cause he doesn't act like the typical male pig (guy).  I'm not lucky, just not stupid; I married my best friend.  This is not to say that our relationship is perfect (none are); we fight.  Often I find myself doing a "mumbling Alice" (that phrase has a specific story; perhaps I'll lay it out later) in the basement while angrily shoving laundry into the dryer, and I've slept on the couch on several occasions when just being near him pisses me off.  The arguement at the end of 40 reminds me of those times.  Carell's character is very aware how his virginity is a social oddity and painfully embarrassed, especially with Keener's character.  He truly loves her, but the only other woman he's been that close to (emotionally as well as physically) is his mommy and we don't talk about sex with our mommys (well I do sometimes, but it's different for girls; I don't talk about it with my dad, so there you go).  I suppose I could delve into Freud here, but... I don't want to (and not because I have a tendency to dislike Freud; you know Jung over Freud, Aristotle over Plato... I've derailed).  Keener's character wants a friend whom she can share her life with and she can't do that until he truly becomes her friend, which means complete honesty ("does this make me look fat?", don't even ask that question, if you think you look a little pudgy so does he; the real question is "do you care if this makes me look fat?").  And it's such a beautiful scene after Carell's character goes through the billboard truck.  He confessess the virginity and because Keener's character loves him honestly, she says "that's a good thing" and with her acceptance of this social flaw (I hate to use that word, but I can't think of a more appropriate one) he becomes her friend, lover, and peer (no mommy here); he has become a man.  How cool is that.

Also I just want to say how damn funny the scene with Leslie Mann (Apatow's real-life wife)  is.  I hesitate to say it reminds me of someone I know (out of fear)... but it does!  And that made it so much more hi-lar-ious.  Well done Judd, keep giving us those sexist guys who get grow into men women can call their best friend and mean it.

Hey my entry was looong too.