Advanced Search >
Help Me Search

Movies

Weekend Box Office
Film Awards & Top 10s By Year
All-Time High Scores
All-Time Low Scores
Best / Worst of the Decade

Wide Releases
Now In Theaters

sort by namesort by score

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Limited Releases
Now In Theaters

sort by namesort by score

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

40 Days and 40 Nights

EMAILPRINTMiramax Films

40 Days and 40 Nights reviews
53
8.7 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 33 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 36 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >

Movie Info

Genre(s): Romance

Written by: Rob Perez

Directed by: Michael Lehmann

Release Date:
Theatrical: March 1, 2002
DVD: September 17, 2002

Running Time: 94 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: R for strong sexual content, nudity and language

Starring Josh Hartnett, Shannyn Sossamon, Monet Mazur, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Keegan Connor Tracy, and Vinessa Shaw

After his latest relationship disaster, Matt, a guy who's never been able to finish anything, decides to go where no man's gone before and make a vow: No sex. Whatsoever. For 40 straight days. (Miramax)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

80

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

It's very funny, terrifically lively and, considering how awful it might have been, surprisingly tender in its portrait of a young guy who learns sensitivity the hard way.

80

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

Can be taken as a mildly risque frothy date movie, but there's serious subtext for those who choose to look beneath surface sheen.

Read Full Review >
80

LA Weekly Paul Malcolm

Hartnett's pitch-perfect sexual panic can be hilariously funny.

Read Full Review >
80

Washington Post Desson Thomson

It's funny! It's not Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" or anything, but it's pretty darned good!

Read Full Review >
80

Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum

This is smooth and at times even sensual -- a well-oiled machine.

Read Full Review >
75

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Hartnett shows here a breezy command of his charming, likable character. It is a reminder of his talent and versatility.

Read Full Review >
75

Miami Herald Charles Savage

The quality writing, delivered by likable Hartnett and his talented co-stars, makes up for the sometimes flat production. A richly humorous background is provided by well-played eccentric minor characters.

Read Full Review >
70

Variety Todd McCarthy

A self-described abstinence comedy that is funny, sexy and silly in equal measure.

Read Full Review >
70

Washington Post Stephen Hunter

The movie is both exhilarating and depressing. The trouble is, I can't figure out which is more important.

Read Full Review >
67

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Ellen A. Kim

Mostly fun to watch, buoyed by some strong dialogue and performances by the supporting cast.

Read Full Review >
67

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

A kinder, gentler teensploitation comedy, but Hartnett's Matt, at least, invites the audience to graduate to something better.

Read Full Review >
63

USA Today Mike Clark

Within a certain narrow range, Hartnett shows some comic flair -- though not enough to carry the picture over its considerable rough spots.

Read Full Review >
63

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

A curious entry in the current wave of raunchy youth comedies. It's refreshingly free of scatological humor, but even while aiming higher, it can't raise its focus above the belt.

60

The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias

Runs more smoothly and stylishly than the average teen comedy.

Read Full Review >
60

Film Threat Tim Merrill

Any romantic comedy that lacks Meg Ryan can’t be faulted too hard.

Read Full Review >
60

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Yup, director Michael Lehmann, far from the glory days of "Heathers," has made a movie about a hard-on, in which he relentlessly pounds a flaccid premise.

Read Full Review >
50

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

Eventually becomes cliched, predictable and crude. And that's a real sin.

50

TV Guide Steve Simels

This is a smart and witty romantic farce that mixes sweet and sexy with surprising aplomb.

Read Full Review >
50

New York Magazine Peter Rainer

Sets out to demonstrate that life is about more than having sex. Inadvertently -- I think -- it ends up showing us just the opposite. As if we didn't already know.

Read Full Review >
50

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

This pretty but witless movie is well-produced, slickly directed -- full of jokes about hot dudes and hot babes pitched right at the "American Pie" crowd.

Read Full Review >
50

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

All this holding back is a bad idea, especially as the subject of an entire movie.

Read Full Review >
50

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

It's rare that a movie is so graceful and so gross.

Read Full Review >
50

San Francisco Chronicle Carla Meyer

Builds up comic force in its first half. But then it blows it, leaving the audience feeling unsatisfied.

Read Full Review >
50

Boston Globe Jay Carr

The film's biggest problem, however, is its naive inability to understand that sex comedies, to amuse, must be about more than sex.

50

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

Strictly for boys -- grown-up boys -- the more boyish and less grown-up the better.

Read Full Review >
50

New Times (L.A.) Luke Y. Thompson

Even Hartnett, designated Next Big Thing last year, seems like he's barely trying.

Read Full Review >
50

ReelViews James Berardinelli

If you're desperate to give something up for Lent, make it movies like this one.

Read Full Review >
40

The New York Times A.O. Scott

Mildly amusing but wholly unnecessary comedy.

Read Full Review >
40

Austin Chronicle Kimberley Jones

Doesn't do much to further distinguish Lehmann's career. As for those of us waiting for the year's first worthwhile date movie, the wait continues.

Read Full Review >
40

Village Voice Dennis Lim

Roughly splits the difference between "Six Days, Seven Nights" and "9 1/2 Weeks." Which is something like the nth-order derivative of an infinite regression.

Read Full Review >
30

The New Yorker David Denby

The sensibility of the movie is naggingly adolescent -- less erotic than squeamish and giggly. [11 Mar 2002, p. 92]

30

Salon.com Charles Taylor

It's too mild to be crass; it's clumsy. Lehmann has made what amounts to an anti-sex sex comedy, the first youth sex comedy made to be enjoyed by those creepy abstinence teens.

Read Full Review >
0

New York Post Lou Lumenick

So eyeball-gougingly awful that you're tempted to give up movies for Lent.

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 36 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Justin W. gave it a 10:
I love this movie. It's very sexy, very sexual, and very funny.

[Anonymous] gave it a 10:
It was da best laugh i had evr had!!! and hartnett is sooo fine.

Kayleigh D. gave it a 10:
It was so great because josh hartnett is absolutley lush and it would be crap without him.

Lydia T. gave it a 10:
I LOVE JOSH HARTNETT im british and he rox!!!!!

John B. gave it a 9:
I thought the the movie was great I also thought vinessa shaw was hot.

Steven V. gave it a 10:
this movie is the best!! outrageous with mature comedy that never stops!

The Incredibly Fat Man gave it an 8:
The movie wasn't bad...but you guys are all dorks...go see a movie like Gladiator or something and give that a 10.

Read more user comments >

Popular on CBS sites: College Signing Day | Olympics | Lost | iPhone | Cell Phones | Video Game Reviews | Free Music

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy (UPDATED) | Terms of Use