Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home Culture

40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS

by Staff writers
24 December 2000 - Updated on 25 March 2021
Reading Time: 1 min read
A A

Starring: Josh Hartnett
Director: Michael Lehmann
Rated: M15+

40 DAYS and 40 Nights hinges around the Lenten feast.

It’s not about giving up traditional lollies and chocolates, but not having sex.

Matt Sullivan (Josh Hartnett) is not recovering well from the break up with his latest girlfriend. Despairing of the dead-end relationship in which he seems to specialise, Matt is told by Ryan (Pavio Costanzo), his flat mate, to go for more ‘sex therapy’.

While visiting his seminarian brother John (Adam Trese), Matt decides to abstain from intercourse for the duration of Lent. His flatmate and work colleagues take bets as to how long Matt’s celibacy will last and set about making sure they win.

The entire premise of this film is that sexual abstinence, at any age or stage, is weird, unnatural or ‘for losers’. Those in 40 Days and 40 Nights who are publicly celibate are seen as frauds.

For example, we discover that John is having an affair with a nun. Fr Maher, the parish priest, thinks Matt’s vow is a great folly. Even Matt’s parents don’t encourage him in his Lenten observance.

In one of the most stupid set-ups seen in a film for a while, Matt twice visits his seminarian brother, who is out on a pastoral placement in a parish, in the confessional.

The only consolation we can take from this charmless rubbish is that it is lacking in any real humour. It is also pushing it to get to 95 minutes with Harnett using a strange guttural ‘take me seriously’ voice to stumble through a clumsy script.

Related Stories

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a time to celebrate the joy of God’s gift to humanity in Mary

St Ambrose and the conversion of St Augustine

Tips on how to prepare your littles ones to welcome Jesus

Previous Post

CHICKEN RUN

Next Post

Church Bells Ring Out

Staff writers

Related Posts

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a time to celebrate the joy of God’s gift to humanity in Mary
Faith

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a time to celebrate the joy of God’s gift to humanity in Mary

8 December 2023
St Ambrose and the conversion of St Augustine
Faith

St Ambrose and the conversion of St Augustine

7 December 2023
10 Bible quotes for the season of Advent
Family

Tips on how to prepare your littles ones to welcome Jesus

6 December 2023
Next Post

Church Bells Ring Out

Stand United

Court Clears Cardinal of Embezzlement

Popular News

  • The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a time to celebrate the joy of God’s gift to humanity in Mary

    The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a time to celebrate the joy of God’s gift to humanity in Mary

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • St Ambrose and the conversion of St Augustine

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Government urged to help return Bali Nine prisoners from Indonesia

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Eleven saint quotes on the Eucharist for Corpus Christi Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Why do we pray to St Anthony when we want to find something?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping