 Starring: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Romany Malco and JANE LYNCH
Director: Judd Apatow
Year Of Release: 2005
Plot: Andy Stitzer is a 40-year-old man who’s never had a girlfriend and never had sex, instead satisfying himself with a buttoned up life of geeky pursuits, such as videogames, collecting action figures and becoming a yo-yo master. When his colleagues at the store he works at discover he’s still a virgin, they become determined to help him, and after a few false starts and a lot of awkwardness, he meets Trish, who may be his perfect match. |
Every time I watch The 40-Year-Old Virgin, I can’t help but wish Jane Lynch was in it a lot more. She pops up every so often as the manager of Smart-Tech, where the titular virgin, Andy, works, but other than an occasional bit of dry wit and being the figure of authority for the man-children who work in the store, it’s just a waste of a great talent. Even so, she still manages to stand out, especially when she’s trying to convince Andy to become her fuck buddy.
She’s one of those people where you probably know her face, but have no idea what she’s called, but in my opinions she’s one of the best comic actresses in the world, and also one of the least appreciated. In Hollywood she has a great reputation, as evidenced by the fact that in the last 20 years, IMDB lists her as appearing in over 130 films and TV shows.
She’s become a mainstay of Christopher Guest’s films, and has been hilarious in Best In Show, For Your Consideration and A Mighty Wind. She’s also given memorable turns in everything from Talladega Nights and Alvin And The Chipmunks, to Walk Hard and the recent Julie & Julia. Anyone who’s watched a lot of American TV will also recognise her from her great recurring guest spots on The L Word, Two And A Half Men, Criminal Minds and Boston Legal, amongst others.
Yet despite all of that, most people still don’t know who she is. It’s a tremendous shame, as she’s utterly superb, and one of the few actresses who’s incredibly funny while also being an excellent dramatic actress. If it sounds like I’m gushing, that’s because I am, as I just think she’s brilliant, and one of the few people who can consistently make me laugh out loud just by the way she delivers her lines. As the ex-porn actress turned folk singer, Terry Bohmer, in A Mighty Wind, who tries to inform the world about her and her husband’s utterly bizarre New Age beliefs, I think she gives one of the funniest performances of the past 10 years.
Sadly, as in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, she’s mainly stuck in a world of cameos and guest spots, with Hollywood using her whenever they need someone who can hold an audience’s attention, bring genuine emotional depth and be effortlessly funny, yet she never gets the lead role, probably because she’s a bit older (and at 6ft, taller) than the women who normally get to play the lead in Hollywood movies.
I have a sad feeling Jane will never become a true star, but if this article can just bring her talents to the attention of just a few people and get them to notice her, then it’s worth writing.
TIM ISAAC
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