Afternoon Baseball

Recommended? Highly.

EDIT: Bumfromjersey agrees with my recommendation, and touches on something I did not mention in the movie's appeal:

What I liked about this movie was that it was not predictable. While Carrell's character was a virgin he wasn't the stereotypical one. He seemed well adjusted and he was not a virgin because of religious beliefs. What also worked were the characters. They seemed to fit like a puzzle and what guy can't say he does not have a couple of friends like the one Carrell has in the movie.

He cites the movie's originality, as well as that of "Wedding Crashers," in their success. I think that's a big part of it. Now, technically, sex comedies are not original thoughts, but Steve Carell's character certainly is, and the idea of not just mocking Carell's character is original, and "Wedding Crashers" takes an idea that might have been only a subplot in a less-daring filmmaker and makes it the whole picture.
Beyond that, the "R" rating is huge. It allows for movies to take chances and be as funny as they can. That added guarantee of laughter will more than offset the few people who won't see it because it's rated "R."'
Back to the original post.

First, as a copy editor, it's noteworthy that they've added the hyphen between the "40" and the "year" in the title. The promos when the movie came out mistakenly omitted that first hyphen, causing panic among publications nationwide. Yes, that's sad, but it shows the attention some people still pay to the English language.

Anyways, the DVD adds a whopping 17 minutes to the film you saw in theaters. Nearly all of it is still funny, and there's still enough material for a wide variety of special features and a few deleted scences. The special features include several commentaries and alternate takes on scenes or jokes in the film. Luckily, the funniest takes are almost always the ones that made the final cut.
The best, however, are the rambling points where the actors are basically left to their own devices. The "Know How I Know You're Gay" bit lasts about five extra minutes this way, and there's some great watercooler chat between Cal and the Smart Tech manager that never made the film.

The DVD should have given the option to watch the film the way it was presented in theaters. "Wedding Crashers" does this, although the 8 or so minutes added to that flick don't add much of anything to an already hilarious picture. A longer gag reel would have been good, but from the extras you can see that the actors are capable of taking scenes for minutes at a time. The short gag reel may just be a testament to their capabilities.
Otherwise, not much to complain about. We're talking about, in many ways, the smartest comedy of the year. Not the flat-out funniest -- "Wedding Crashers" -- but the best mix of comedy, acting, and a real story that actually makes you feel good. Plus, some realistic casting.

If you aren't going to buy the DVD (I got it during the post-Christmas sale because I'm cheap), then at least watch "The Office" on NBC. That's Steve Carell's show, based on the British version, and it needs some help. Unlike "Arrested Development," the other "smart" but star-crossed comedy, it's being promoted, placed in a good time slot and didn't take a stumble by completely misusing Charlize Theron for five freaking episodes. But "The Office" still needs more viewers.