Screenplay of the Week: The 40-Year Old Virgin

Written by Judd Apatow and Steve Carell

http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/40_year_old_virgin.pdf

With thoughts of “Pineapple Express” coming soon, I thought it appropriate to go over one of the first monster hits from the Apatow machine. The “40-Year Old Virgin” worked as an introduction to how humor would be played out in years to come. It is a formula that Apatow and associates have been following since this film. While not a bad formula, this movie looks more derivative in hindsight then it did at first glance.

Upon first viewing I really liked the movie. I thought that the main characters (specifically Andy and Trish) were well developed and the audience could and would feel for both parties. A virgin and a single mom are two characters that just ask for the sympathy of the crowd. The writers managed to wind these two characters together in a very believable manner and never strayed from the focus on the values of each character. Andy’s tragic flaw of being a virgin is also a strong point for how the story was written. Coming in to the movie, everyone knew the premise of the movie. They all knew what to expect in the form of a couple jokes. What almost no one could predict was that the virgin aspect was never really put on a shelf and made to look at. This virgin-ness was simply a feature to this deeper character. I truly believe that this movie would have still worked whether Andy was a virgin or not. Only a few times did jokes stem directly from this fact. Andy could just have easily been a simple, kind, caring dork that had lost his virginity earlier in life. This helps add a layer to the entire film (something that “Pineapple Express” struggled with, but more on this tomorrow…). Thankfully the writers stayed away from many easy jokes and actually tried harder on the other parts of the characters to develop humor.

Where most of the Apatow films score really strongly are the side characters. Most of the off the cuff jokes and, as a result, the biggest laughs come from the smaller characters. “Virgin” sets the stage for the characters to come in future films. Andy’s co-workers at the electronic store provide a good mix of serious moments and comic relief. These characters allow Andy and Trish to have a more serious, meaningful relationship without worrying about constant laughs. Add in the various odd balls we meet on the journey to sex and Andy never actually needs to be funny (thankfully he is due to the perfect role for Carell, see his next few movies, not the same…). For an example of Apatow characters going wrong, just look at another of his hits, “Knocked Up”. Loved the movie, loved the side characters, but as a writer and notice that the side characters in this film are seriously side characters simply along for the ride to provide comic relief. Get rid of these characters and the story would go on.

“Virgin” loses a few points for winding down and becoming quite a formulaic screenplay. After watching more and more Apatows, it is clear that the formula exists. Just throw a normal guy into a problematic situation, give them a strong supporting comedy cast, sprinkle in a small amount of touching moments, stick to easily followed and expected main story lines and you’ve got yourself a hit!

I really did enjoy this film and its screenplay. It is arguably the Apatows greatest hit up to this point. Hard to argue the writing and the jokes are clever and original. This was the turning point in many careers with Apatow, Rogen, Carell to name a few. Simply because other films are borrowing the formula should not take away from the enjoyment of a good screenplay.

Please click the link above to read the full copy.

-GR McBride

Update

If you look at the top right corner you will see the first issue that is going to be put to a deciding vote. After looking through the comments and reading through the emails, we have narrowed the topic of the project screenplay to four outstanding ideas. As a reminder the only thing that is set is the genre; this screenplay will be a comedy, so keep this in mind when voting. Also notice a few changes and additions to the site. We now have our logo to greet the page, the latest movie news is conveniently located on the sidebar, the films that are currently in theaters are featured in a slideshow in the upper right corner and finally some videos will be airing for your entertainment on the sidebar to the right.

As a request, please continue to comment, email and, now in addition, Digg the page. If you find anything interesting please don’t keep to yourselves, this is a sharing community. Hell you can even act anonymously. So why not?

Moving on to the important issue of the week: the discussion topic!

This week will focus on the main characters of the movie. We will be trying to decide the amount and gender of the characters this week. Your choices will be:

5 characters (all men)
5 characters (4 men, 1 woman)
5 characters (3 men, 2 women)
5 characters (3 women, 3 men)
5 characters (4 women, 1 man)
5 characters (all women)
4 characters (all men)
4 characters (3 men, 1 woman)
4 characters (2 men, 2 women)
4 characters (3 women, 1 man)
4 characters (all women)
3 characters (all men)
3 characters (2 men, 1 women)
3 characters (2 women, 1 man)
3 characters (all women)

The task this week will not be to create the poll question, but rather to debate and convince others to vote in one direction or another. Keep the good ideas coming!

-GR McBride

The Dark Knight's Appeal

-Guest Contributor J. William-

I’m not even going to worry about spoiling the movie for anyone reading since, according to box office reports, the English speaking world has seen this movie an average of three times over. But to be honest, this is not so much about the film as it is about why we love Batman, or my opinion anyway.

I’m also not going to bore anyone lucky enough to stumble on this site with a boring rant about how much I love the symbolism or the idea of white juxtaposed with black, good juxtaposed to evil, and how these representations in the movie tell us that good and evil, right and wrong, are always an ambiguous shade of grey.

I want to talk about the human element to the movie. The actors did an excellent job, and I while I regret deeply that we must now preface his name with ‘the late’ I hope those who appreciate his craft take solace that Heath Ledger plied himself so successfully; and I want to start with something the Joker said in the film.

While Batman is ‘interrogating’ Joker in the MCU, he says “For a minute there I thought you really were Dent,” he’s talking about when Batman dove out a window to save Rachel Dawes. But what is interesting to me is the way Joker says you really were Dent. The connotation is slight, I realize that, but think about it. Joker says what Katie Holmes’ Rachel said at the end of Begins: Batman is the real man. The Joker is trying to find the mask Batman hides behind. Now, for all you batman fans, I’m not telling you anything new. But I propose this to you: this is truly the reason that people enjoy the Batman franchise.

I am guilty of this too, but whenever fans start to argue about why Batman is superior to any of the other superhero, it inevitably comes out that “he’s just an ordinary guy.” Well not really. He’s a billionaire. He has resources and technology that no ordinary person could get their hands on. And he has a hell of a support staff. Just because Bruce Wayne isn’t from another planet, nor was he zapped with radioactive whatever, he is in no way an ordinary man.

The Bruce Wayne/Batman phenomenon illustrates something that everyone does, but won’t admit to: we wear masks. Surely at some point in your life someone has told you to “be yourself,” or “just act natural,” and I would guess that when the majority of you think about whom you really are, you’re left wanting. Is there anything wrong with this? I don’t know.

I am not a professional. I have more questions than answers, though the fact that I have some of the answers does make me more credible than most psychiatrists; maybe. Whether we live our lives as Batman or Bruce Wayne is irrelevant. To that end, a person may have more than a few masks. But it is my belief that this is the real attraction to Batman. By showing audiences that it is okay to find ambiguous escape from identity, we subconsciously feel better about ourselves. Whoever we really may be.

-J. William

(Special thanks to our guest contributor, J. William)