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'The 40 Year-Old Virgin' has something for everyone

Much like "The Wedding Crashers," Steve Carell's new movie "The 40 Year-Old Virgin" uses its raunchy R-rated surface to mask a gooey marshmallow heart.

And what good goo it is. For all its often hilarious misogynistic posturing and idiotic, Spike TV-style homophobia, this sweet romantic comedy could pass for a certified chick flick. That's the key to its appeal: something for everyone.

Universal Pictures 'The 40 Year-Old Virgin' B The verdict: Crude, sophomoric, funny and very, very sweet. Director: Judd Apatow Starring: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Romany Malco Release date: August 19, 2005 Rating: R for pervasive sexual content, language and some drug use. See showtimes On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime Rate "The 40 Year-Old Virgin"   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

Andy (Carell) is a nice-enough looking guy who lives in a modest but nice-enough apartment and has a nice-enough job at Smart Tech, an electronics store.

But he's a bit of a loner. He collects mint-condition action figures and has a store of video games worthy, as someone says, of "a teenage Asian kid." When his disinterested co-workers ask, by rote, what he did over the weekend, he describes the ordeal he went through making a perfect egg-salad sandwich.

And no, he's not gay. He's not a serial killer, either. Or a pervert. Nor does he have Mom's body stashed away, a la Norman Bates. He's just a regular guy who, after years of missed or fumbled opportunities, just stopped trying.

Andy inadvertently "outs" himself at a poker game with three of his Smart Tech colleagues — David (Paul Rudd), Jay (Romany Malco) and Cal (Seth Rogen). Desperate for a warm body to fill an empty seat, they reluctantly invite the egg-salad guy. When the talk turns to down-and-dirty sexcapades, Andy offers breasts that felt like sand bags.

Sand bags?

His new-found best pals immediately grasp the situation and set out to remedy it. They're all genuinely sympathetic and pathetically ill-equipped. David still pines for a woman who dumped him two years ago. Jay is still cheating on his pregnant wife. And Cal, well, you get the feeling his apartment looks a lot like Andy's.

Things get more complicated when Andy falls for Trish (the invaluable Catherine Keener), a beautiful, smart, lovably quirky single mom. Despite early problems with her kids and his condoms, the relationship survives a first date.

"The 40 Year-Old Virgin" isn't as much about getting Andy in bed with someone as it is about getting him to shake off an old self he settled for too soon. It's the de-nerding of a nice guy.

A good 20 minutes could've been cut, and some scenes are more slapped-together than thought through. Still, this character-driven comedy, with its excellent cast and let's-get-nutty finale featuring songs from "Hair," is well worth your time. Think Steve Martin's "The Lonely Guy," not "American Pie," and you'll get what this winning movie is all about.

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