40 Days and 40 Nights (2002)
Average Rating: 4.8/10
Reviews Counted: 134
Fresh: 51 | Rotten: 83
As romantic comedies go, 40 Days and 40 Nights is smutty, sexist, and puerile.
Average Rating: 4.6/10
Critic Reviews: 36
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 26
As romantic comedies go, 40 Days and 40 Nights is smutty, sexist, and puerile.
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Average Rating: 3.1/5
User Ratings: 439,457
My Rating
Movie Info
As an apocalyptic storm spreads plunges the planet into chaos, the public clamors for a coveted spot on a massive military ark, and a devoted microbiologist attempts to salvage the DNA of species that are doomed to extinction. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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Cast
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Josh Hartnett
Matt Sullivan -
Shannyn Sossamon
Erica -
Paulo Costanzo
Ryan -
Stanley Anderson
Father Maher -
Mary Gross
Mom -
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Samantha -
Michael C. Maronna
Bagel Boy -
Barry Newman
Dad -
Adam Trese
John Sullivan -
Griffin Dunne
Jerry -
Susan Bain
Ms. Willow -
Glenn Fitzgerald
Chris -
Monet Mazur
Candy -
Michelle Harrison
Maureen -
Michael Macabebe
Bagel Guy -
Vinessa Shaw
Nicole -
Dylan Neal
David -
Terry Chen
Neil -
Emmanuelle Vaugier
Susie -
Jarrad Paul
Duncan -
Lina Teal
Girl in bed -
Aaron Trainor
Waiter -
Stefanie von Pfetten
Girl in Chinatown -
Keegan Connor Tracy
Mandy -
Lorin Heath
Diana -
Christine Chatelain
Andie -
Kai Lennox
Nick -
Christopher Gauthier
Mikey -
Alan Draven
Computer Nerd -
Reuben Grundy
Computer Nerd #2 -
Jason Low
Merj -
Tracy Kyser
Business Woman -
Nicole Wilder
Anastasia -
Chiara Zanni
Nun
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All Critics (149) | Top Critics (39) | Fresh (55) | Rotten (85) | DVD (17)
Given its drastically contrived nature, the script gets further than I expected.
You may feel like taking a vow of abstinence yourself -- at least from Hollywood youth-sex comedies.
Nothing more than a lame vehicle for teen heartthrob Josh Hartnett.
The material may be lightweight, but it's been shaped into a film that deserves to become a classic in an admittedly lightweight genre.
It has a way of wearing out what's supposed to be knockabout farce.
Squeamishly risqué teen sexcom.
Mildly amusing Josh Hartnett sex comedy.
Testosterone laced and overwhelmingly male in its point of view, the film is high on locker room lewd 'n crude, and excruciatingly, well, pre-climactic for those in the demographic most likely to identify with abstention as a masochistic deed.
Lehmann and screenwriter Rob Perez milk this idea for everything it's worth.
This tedious romantic romp is based on a single idea--a hunk (Josh Hartnet) abstaining from sex for the duration of Lent--extended to the limits of a feature-length picture.
Even by the relatively relaxed standards of teen sex, or no sex, farces, 40 Days and 40 Nights is painful to watch.
They could have easily made yet another gross-out comedy, but instead the laughs are born of clever writing and likable characters.
Finds a way to present a light-hearted sexual comic fairy tale, then derails itself with bad romantic comedy fallbacks.
This movie was about the most excruciating hour and a half I've endured recently.
This film would've been a lot funnier if the filmmaker's had shown the slightest bit of imagination in terms of the plot's comic possibilities.
Audience Reviews for 40 Days and 40 Nights
Josh Hartnett plays young Dot Commer, Matt, who is suffering since his break up 6 months ago from Nicole (a viciously good Vinessa Shaw). Matt has visions of a Black Hole fissuring from the ceiling whenever he is having sex with women which is very often-- poor guy. Matt confides in his brother, John (Adam Trese), a priest completing his probationary period. John is not the tower of strength and inspiration that Matt is looking for. Then by design, divine intervention, or sheer insanity, Matt chooses abstinence for 40 days and nights until Lent. And this is extreme-- no fondling and... no masturbation. No one believes Matt will last 40 days, much less a week. Among the faithless is Matt's roommate, Ryan (Paulo Costanzo), who betrays Matt confidence and tells his co-workers at Matt's Internet company. They start a pool on a website predicting Matt's demise. In the meantime, Matt pursues a relationship with a great girl, Erica (a beautiful Shannyn Sossamon), who he met at the local laundromat. Also by design it just happens that Erica has a history of dating weirdos, and she works for Cyber Nanny, a company that safeguards against porn-sites. Matt also finds out that Nicole is back from Europe and now engaged, and she will not let him forget this. What makes the movie special is that Matt really falls in love with Erica without sleeping with her, and that he remains abstinent, because he said so... This is refreshing. Josh Hartnett is great here. His Matt is a good-looking, charming guy who makes an insane choice and lives with it. Hartnett also comes across as empathetic, as a man thrust in an almost impossible situation where everyone is betting on his failure. He has a quiet strength about him, is very funny, and totally believable. Shannyn Sossamon is stunning-- you can see why Matt falls for her. And when she wonders if Matt is gay, this is hilarious. Sossamon's Erica is smart and compassionate with great humanity. Playing a woman wondering why the guy she is attracted to doesn't want to have sex with her is not an easy role... or natural.
The humor in "40 Days" is raw, though enjoy the ride. Afterall it is a romance, managed well by Lehman, Harnett, and Sossamon. And we don't mind being offended as long as it is done smartly with style, and that we are ultimately touched.
Super Reviewer
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