Happy 20th anniversary to ‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin’

Remember, it’s better late than never. We’re going to need more wax. And it’s completely okay if you like Coldplay.

Happy 20th anniversary to The 40-Year-Old Virgin. The raunchy comedy classic premiered on Aug. 11, 2005. Judd Apatow’s directorial debut reinvigorated the genre and helped launch a generation of stars. The cast is incredible. It includes Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Mindy Kaling, Kevin Hart, Leslie Mann, Jane Lynch, Kat Dennings, and Jonah Hill.

Yes, like many comedies from that era, not all of the material has aged well. The 40-Year-Old Virgin has some jokes that are homophobic, transphobic, sexist, and racist. It was a different time, a less enlightened time. That’s not all. One of the lesser-known supporting actors was later jailed for attempted murder. There’s no easy way to transition from there. Although you may occasionally cringe during a rewatch, the film’s overall vibe remains undoubtedly humorous.

Written by Carell and Apatow, The 40-Year-Old Virgin was a risky concept. Would people go to the theater to cheer on a guy who easily could have been viewed as weird or flat-out creepy? It’s a testament to Carell’s performance and the careful construction of the character that Andy (played by Carell) comes across as sympathetic and likable. Once the audience bought in on Andy and his quest to lose his virginity, everything else fell into place.

The public votes with its dollars. The 40-Year-Old Virgin was No. 1 at the box office in its opening week, making $20.6 million—almost its entire budget. It ultimately achieved a worldwide gross of $177 million. It was also highly successful in the home video market with $65 million in DVD and VHS sales during its first week of release in December 2005.

This was a phenomenal success for an R-rated comedy led by guys best known for their television careers. In those days, there was a distinct difference between being a star of the little screen and the big screen. And not every famous person on TV could cross over and do movies. One flop could damage careers.

The origin of The 40-Year-Old Virgin is fascinating. In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Carell revealed that the concept came from a sketch comedy idea that never made it into a show. It was a poker scene where guys are talking about sex, but Carell’s character “had no frame of reference, and was trying to lie.” Carell and Apatow had previously collaborated on Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Carell had a memorable supporting role in the 2004 comedy. Apatow had been a producer. Apatow loved Carell’s idea about a tale of a sexually inexperienced character. So did Universal Pictures. The movie got greenlit quickly.

Of all the funny lines, the moment that everyone immediately recalls is the waxing scene. The authenticity made it iconic. That was Carell getting his chest hair waxed. That was Carell screaming in pain.

What made the scene bizarre is that, according to Screen Rant, the wax lady, played by Miki Mia, made mistakes, which led to the experience being more painful than it should have been.

What made the scene hilarious is the sound of Carell’s normally mild-mannered character cursing loudly. And then, out of nowhere, yelling: “Kelly Clarkson!” Much of the dialogue here is improvised, and the reactions by Rudd, Rogen, and Romany Malco are real.

For all of the vulgarity and politically incorrect humor, The 40-Year-Old Virgin succeeded because it had heart. It’s a simple story about how insecurity gets in the way of relationships. Carell’s Andy and Keener’s Trish have wonderful chemistry. That aspect of the story endures even though this 2005 comedy can feel dated.

Today, few people under the age of 40 would understand most of the pop culture references. The 40-Year-Old Virgin debuted two years before the introduction of the first iPhone, which may make it challenging for a younger generation to envision a world devoid of dating apps. Today, Andy’s inability to drive and reliance upon a bicycle wouldn’t be ridiculed. Nor would it be a dating impediment—not with the availability of ride sharing.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin exists now as an artifact. It’s fun to look back on, but it was a product of its time. The world continues to evolve.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin is available for streaming on Prime Video and is scheduled for a re-release in select theaters on Aug. 22.