CriticSociety- film reviews

Review

American Pie

Director

Chris Weitz

Paul Weitz

Year

1999

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Tuesday, July 08, 2003

Four years have passed since American Pie was released and created a stir so big that from then on countless movies have followed the same formula in order to attract audiences, and that’s including its two sequels. Not since Porky’s had a movie so raunchy and aimed for teenagers hit theaters with seamless effort and it was the perfect moment to bring that genre back to the game. The movie ain’t a classic, that’s for sure, but credit should be given to whom credit deserves.

Four friends make a pact that before prom night they will lose their virginity. Jim (Jason Biggs) is a dorky-ish guy who hasn’t had much experience and is a lot into self-pleasure. Chris (Chris Klein) is trying to win Heather (Mena Suvari) over at whatever cost. Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) and Vicky (Tara Reid) haven’t been able to get to the next step in their relationship. And Paul (Eddie Kaye Thomas) has rather bizarre ways to court women.

So what exactly is American Pie? I’d say it is a gross-out comedy with a heart. That’s how I would describe it. The movie got a lot of hype because of certain scenes depicting rather raunchy behavior such as the infamous apple pie one. Audiences were more than ready for that kind of comedy and so was I. The movie, after all, is juvenile and silly, and if you go with it you can have a lot of fun, that’s for sure. Jason Biggs gets the most awkward scenes, but Seann William Scott as Stifler and Alyson Hannigan as Michelle also get their share of hilarious moments.

Surprisingly enough there are also a lot of sweet moments, including an entire sequence at the end of the movie that leaves you with a rather pleasant feeling. It’s not all as stupid as it seems… or is it? Well, I guess there’s something for everyone.

American Pie belongs to Jason Biggs, who became a sensation overnight by turning a really funny performance. But the entire cast is as good. Only Thomas Ian Nicholas and Chris Klein seem a little bit out of place at times, but nothing preoccupying. Shannon Elizabeth also appears as a foreign student and certainly gets all the attention. Eugene Levy, as Jim’s father, steals the movie by appearing in only a couple of scenes. Absolutely hilarious!

An old-fashioned movie with a modern flavor.

“It’s not a space shuttle launch, it’s sex!”

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