Movie Info
Movie Name: American Pie
Studio: Zide/Perry Productions
Genre(s): Comedy
Release Date(s): July 9, 1999
MPAA Rating: R
Yeah…it had to happen
Jim (Jason Biggs), Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nichols), and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) have made a vow. They have decided that they need to be laid before their graduation and that prom is their best shot. As they try to land their women for their conquest, they’re going to find that sex can be hard.
Directed by Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz, American Pie is a gross-out teen comedy. The movie was a surprise hit and gained a cult following.
It seemed like everyone was talking about American Pie. There were jokes about Band Camp and Stiffler’s mom and the comedy had a ton of buzz. I saw American Pie in the theater and was pretty disappointed.
I bet she laughed and laughed about being secretly broadcast in a private moment.
It isn’t the worst movie, but the movie did not live up to the hype. The movie follows in the line of Porky’s and despite pushing the gross-out factor even farther, the movie doesn’t have the Porky’s charm. There are some clever moments and some decent jokes, but many of the talked about jokes (like the pie scene) really weren’t that funny (ok, Band Camp was pretty funny).
The cast really was hot at the time of the movie (but have since fizzled quite a bit). Jason Biggs and Chris Klein both went on to more big movies, but Eddie Kaye Thomas and Thomas Ian Nicholas both took on smaller roles. Seann William Scott became a breakout hit from the movie, and the movie revived Eugene Levy’s career. The women of the film Mena Suvari, Tara Reid, Alyson Hannigan, Natasha Lyonne, and Shannon Elizabeth (plus Stiffler’s mom Jennifer Coolidge) also benefited from the film. You also have to love the Sherminator Chris Owen. The movie also features cameos from John Cho, Casey Affleck, and Blink-182.
…and this one time at band camp
The movie also does look like a regular comedy. When American Pie came out it seemed that there was a lot of edgier films. The movie feels like a throwback to ’80s comedies in style. That isn’t necessarily a good thing (but Shannon Elizabeth provides the necessary nudity).
American Pie is a modern “classic” by many people’s standards. I think it is just ok. The movie was big at the theaters but even became bigger once on video. It led to multiple sequels and spin-offs…most of which were progressively worse. American Pie was followed by American Pie 2 in 2001.
Related Links:
American Pie Presents: Band Camp (2005)
American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile (2006)
