Lehmann and screenwriter Rob Perez milk this idea for everything it's worth.
40 Days and 40 Nights (2002)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:133
Fresh:50
Rotten:83
Average Rating:4.8/10
Consensus: As romantic comedies go, 40 Days and 40 Nights is smutty, sexist, and puerile.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong sexual content, nudity and language
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Mar 1, 2002 Wide
Box Office: $37,885,539
Synopsis: Matt (Josh Hartnett) is having a hard time moving on six months after his relationship with bombshell Nicole (Vinessa Shaw) ended. He finds himself involved in empty physical relationships that are... Matt (Josh Hartnett) is having a hard time moving on six months after his relationship with bombshell Nicole (Vinessa Shaw) ended. He finds himself involved in empty physical relationships that are unfulfilling and ultimately send him fleeing. His solution is to give up sex and anything sexual for the 40 days of Lent. Initially, Matt is empowered by his decision--until he meets stunning Erica (Shannyn Sossamon), the girl of his dreams, at the local laundromat. Erica doesn't know about Matt's vow of abstinence, which impacts their budding relationship. To complicate matters more, Matt's co-workers are determined to literally put their two cents in as well by establishing a betting pool about how long Matt can keep his vow. Hartnett is endearing as the clumsy Matt, who desperately wants to do the right thing. Griffin Dunne stars as Matt's sex-starved boss. Also starring Paulo Costanzo and Maggie Gyllenhaal, the film was produced by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, the team that made NOTTING HILL and BRIDGET JONES' DIARY, and directed by Michael Lehmann (HEATHERS). The city of San Francisco provides a beautiful backdrop to this modern look at love that includes a touch of crude teen-movie humor. [More]
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Shannyn Sossamon, Vinessa Shaw, Monet Mazur
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Shannyn Sossamon, Vinessa Shaw, Monet Mazur, Griffin Dunne, Paulo Costanzo, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Director: Michael Lehmann
Director: Michael Lehmann
Screenwriter: Robert Perez
Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
Studio: Miramax Films
Get This Movie
Rent DVD
Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.
Buy DVD
Release:
Sep 17, 2002
Reviews for 40 Days and 40 Nights
Maybe you'll work up more sympathy than I did for this great-looking kid who encounters no difficulty whatsoever seducing any female he desires.
A smart sex comedy that revels more in the gray matter than the groin.
It's the filmic equivalent of the young men it represents -- guys who think, talk and brag about sex without ever really getting any.
...delightfully surprising freshness and soul where all the hackneyed conventions usually are.
Over and above the charmless subject matter, the movie is ferociously badly made and edited.
A lighthearted romp that delivers laughs, and a thought or two, along the way.
Hartnett may grow into a major film star someday with better material, but this is a one-night stand he’ll want to forget.
So wildly incoherent in tone, ambition and character motivation that it's hard to believe it was ever written out in longhand from start to finish.
... a ridiculously lame film that has absolutely nothing to say about real life or love.
Finds a way to present a light-hearted sexual comic fairy tale, then derails itself with bad romantic comedy fallbacks.
It’s just a shame that someone wasted their fluids creating a number of the people responsible for this absolute mess.
plays like a teen sex comedy filtered through the relative sophistication of urban twentysomething hi-tech workers
Latest News for 40 Days and 40 Nights
February 01, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Keaton and Kids Hope to Score Touchdown
As the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts get ready to rumble at the Super Bowl on Sunday, Hollywood goes into counterprogramming mode and targets female moviegoers with a... More...
April 06, 2006:
Critical Consensus: Take Or Leave This "Lead,: An Odd "Number," "Benchwarmers"
This week at the movies, we explore the joys of dance ("Take the Lead"), mistaken identity ("Lucky Number Slevin"), our national pastime ("The... More...
December 07, 2005:
"So" It Has a Good Cast!
heatGold Circle films is about to get rolling on their ensemble comedy, "Because I Said So," and the cast includes names like Keaton, Moore, Graham, Perabo, and Macht. More...
June 16, 2005:
Stanford, Levine & Several Others Head for the "Hills"
The Hollywood Reporter brings us the full cast list for the upcoming remake of Wes Craven's "The Hills Have Eyes." Filming begins rather soon, and director Alexandre... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 24% 24% | G-Force |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 90% 90% | District 9 |
| 86% 86% | 500 Days of Summer |
| 63% 63% | Extract |
| 06% 06% | All About Steve |
| 78% 78% | It Might Get Loud |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- 40 Days and 40 Nights at Rotten Tomatoes
- 40 Days and 40 Nights at IGN
- 40 Days and 40 Nights at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Last week, MSN gave us their top 09 films. Now see what their favorites of the decade are!

Here's a list of the 50 best movies of 2009, according to the good people over at Moviefone.

Hollywood.com takes a stab at determining who in movies will be on Santa's naughty list in 2009.

TIME chimes in with their own list of the best films released this year.

Click through to see which movies BuzzSugar placed in their Best-of-Decade list!
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic



