40 Days and 40 Nights is a 2002 romantic comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann, written by Rob Perez, and starring Josh Hartnett, Shannyn Sossamon, and Paulo Costanzo.

The film depicts Matt Sullivan, a San Francisco web designer who has chosen to abstain from any sexual contact for the duration of Lent.

They share an emotional connection, and Matt takes Erica on a date riding the city bus, but awkwardly avoids kissing her.

Fighting to contain himself, Matt has Ryan handcuff him to his bed, and awakens from an erotic dream to find Nicole has raped him while he was asleep, just before midnight.

Determined to win Erica back, Matt gives her a box of moments they had shared; he finds her at the laundromat, and they finally kiss.

This included an influx of money at the studio from a new partnership; their recent films had been hits; young comedies like mine were connecting at the time; a few bankable actors in the age range wanted to play the lead; the executive(s) happened to like (or at least think it was commercial) the concept/script; and that the producer was hungry enough that when he hit road blocks, he found other ways to keep moving forward.

He praised director Michael Lehmann for raising the film above the level of sexual sitcom, through his sympathy for his characters and use of humor to examine human nature.

Not wanting to reveal too much, Ebert explained he was dissatisfied with the ending, writing: "Nicole's entire participation is offensive and unnecessary, and that there was a sweeter and funnier way to resolve everything".

[8] Variety's Todd McCarthy called it: "A self-described abstinence comedy that is funny, sexy and silly in equal measure" but notes "had tried to deepen the film’s potentially serious themes as often as they make light of them, they might have come up with something more than the disposable farce at hand.

"[4] Peter Travers called it "a one-joke sex farce," and complained: "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.