In places 40 Days is actually quite witty but one can't help feeling that both Hartnett and Lehmann ... deserve better than this.
40 Days and 40 Nights (2002)
Tomatometer
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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
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Release:
Sep 17, 2002
Reviews for 40 Days and 40 Nights
The movie reminded me of a beer commercial during a football game, with about as much depth but not nearly the wit.
One half is a characteristic sex farce, the other a surprisingly genuine and amiable romance.
A sex comedy starring Josh Hartnett is almost guaranteed a mainstream following. But that hasn’t kept Lehmann from giving 40 Days the look and feel of a spirited, independent comedy.
A slight but enjoyable-in-the-moment cataloging of one guy's battle with libido… [that] never manages -- or, sadly, seems to aspire -- to anything more than breezy diversion.
Hartnett and Sossamon resonate a natural chemistry that infuses this mixed affair with uncommon humanism and sex appeal.
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.
This is a movie that longs to be naughty, but never knows how to go far enough to truly surprise.
'An admittedly raunchy but smart satirical poke at sexual politics in the information age. It's also funnier than we have any right to expect.'
The script boils down to 90 minutes of dirty jokes. Most of them are funny and some are hilarious.
Hartnett may grow into a major film star someday with better material, but this is a one-night stand he’ll want to forget.
Latest News for 40 Days and 40 Nights
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December 07, 2005:
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June 16, 2005:
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