American Pie

I had the good fortune to see a sneak preview of this film in England, a couple of weeks before release - and I was very impressed indeed. Hurrah - a comedy that is laugh-out-loud funny, enough to make you cringe at the embarrassing bits (of which there are many), and smile at the sentiment, which isn't corny in the slightest. This coming-of-age tale of four boys who make a pact to become men by losing their virginity by prom night is the perfect movie to go the cinema with your buddies to see, but probably not with your family. Having said that, I saw a family (son, mother, father and grandmother) coming out of the cinema, and they had a great time. The grandmother couldn't stop laughing, and saying how true it all was. Which is interesting, if a little embarrassing.

Part of the success of this movie is due to the fact that we've all had to contemplate how we feel about sex, and losing your virginity is something which (no matter how fraught with peril it is) bonds us all because it is a very frightening experience. It's also a topic which has so much comic potential, and I'm glad that cast and crew don't throw any of the opportunities away. Here's the thing: if you're going to make a movie that is probably going to offend a few people no matter what you do, and is a very near-the-knuckle affair, why stop at only half-gags? Go the whole hog, push the boat out, thrust it in their faces. And that's what "American Pie" does.

The performances are all great, if a little clichéd (are all you Americans really either:

a) jocks

b) geeks

c) sweet, loveable square-jawed heroes/long haired, intelligent heroines? ...gosh, I hope so, that would be so funny for us Brits to watch). There is yet another high school prom (jealousy sets in once more - see "Never Been Kissed"), which causes much consternation for all concerned. There are marvellous scenes between concerned father and embarrassed child, quite the highlight of the movie. I'll be interested to see how the careers of all of the stars fare after this film. I wish them all well, but I find it hard to see them all thriving outside a high-school environment (which is good, because it indicates that they all play their roles with a great deal of endearing believability).

It'll certainly give you something to talk about with your mates, and it'll make you think about things, too. It'll make you check what's in your beer, it'll make you think about apple pie, and it'll make you think more about your relationships. All of which is good stuff. The soundtrack is good (although doesn't contain any Don McLean), the lighting is also very good in places, the direction adequate, the editing fine, the . But at the end of the day, this is the kid's movie, and they make an excellent job of an excellent script and situation, so fair play to them. This movie deserves to succeed, and I hope it receives a good welcome from us Brits, who should enjoy it a lot. (Incidentally, this film got a fifteen rating, which I think is about right for it - eighteen would be too prohibitive (after all, isn't this film aimed at people aged fifteen?)). Take a piece of advice, though - if you are embarrassed easily, don't watch it with members of your family. But do watch it.

I have to say that the most fun I had at the movies this summer was when I saw American Pie, the funniest picture I've seen since last summer's There's Something About Mary. This movie has taken the classic teenage boy film (Porky's, Revenge of the Nerds) and spruced it up for the 90's. It is hilarious from start to finish. If you like physical comedy, gross out comedy, sexual comedy, American Pie has it all. A great ensemble cast of likeable young actors makes this a joy to watch.

I think this year's breakout star has to be Chris Klein. He was phenomenal in Election and he is even better here as a jock who tries to soften his image to score before prom. I have a feeling Klein is going to be Hollywood's next big thing and I hope he has a chance to flex his acting muscles in some different movies (I can definitely see this guy in an action film).

Also very good is Jason Biggs who plays the sympathetic Jim character, the guy who is least likely to lose his virginity. His antics are very funny to follow and he gets the lion share of the laughs. Finally a huge ovation for Eugene Levy, who gets major laughs as the Jim's dad.

If you are a person easily offended by a film dedicated primarily to the glory of teen sex, you may well view "American Pie" as yet another in a long line of cinematic harbingers of the collapse of western civilization. If, however, you remember adolescence as essentially a period of unending coitus interruptus, you may well find yourself engrossed by this amusing, though admittedly crude, series of sexual and scatalogical gags woven around a plot involving the desperate attempts of a quartet of last semester seniors to lose their virginity on the fast approaching sexual armageddon known as "prom night."

"American Pie" gleans most of its comic energy from its outrageous examination of the crazy and innovative extremes desperately horny teens will go to in order to experience the thrill of sex in lieu of the real thing. An attractive, game cast helps to mitigate the crudity of many of their actions and the filmmakers' lighthearted tone encompasses the characters in such a cloak of affection that the audience identifies with, rather than condemns, their antics.

As meager compensation for the moralists among us, the film does heavily promote the use of condoms and comes up with even more creative prophylactics for those times when a partner is not available.

"American Pie" is certainly not for every taste and there are those who would argue that it serves a less than salutary purpose as a guide for already sex-obsessed teenagers. Be that as it may, the film provides a fair number of hearty chuckles for those of us who can find humor in a group of backward youngsters experiencing the frustration and desperation we have all, at one time, experienced.

I do have one troubling question though: why do none of these characters, whenever they are involved in a potentially compromising position, ever lock a door? The answer, I suppose, is obvious for, if they did, at least half the film's biggest laughs would become impossible to achieve. For this film, at least, such a suspension of disbelief may be a prerequisite.

Be forewarned but enjoy!

American Pie starts right off with shock value, and while the film relies heavily on it, there's plenty of story and exceptional performances to hold your interest. I attended a sneak preview of what I was told was a rough cut of the film, although there was only one scene that looked unfinished. The underlying story here is that of four high school senior buddies who have made a pact with each other to get laid before they graduate, specifically at the prom. The problem is, only one of them has a serious girlfriend, and she can't decide if she's ready for sex. But where the film really makes an impact is in it's numerous masturbation related scenes. There is one scene particularly early in the film that should test your stomach for the rest of the film's humor. Now while the film may not sound like it has good morals, there is one repeated underlying message, and that is to do what you like and not what you feel pressured to do. Unfortunately, this is NOT the kind of film its target audience should be seeing. At times it makes getting laid seem like the most important part of high school. The strength of the film lies in the fact that everyone who went to a public high school can relate to some aspect portayed here, and in the strong and well-timed performances of the talented cast. If you're mature enough to appreciate the film for its sheer comical performances, then you should really enjoy it. But if you don't like "toilet humor", then you might not find anything appealing with this one. Definitely not a date movie.

I will say this for American Pie, it's not full out of completely gross out humor like Van Wilder (2002). It's got a couple of scenes based on crude humor, but I was glad to see that for the most part, the movie steered clear of over the top disgusting humor. The characters are good hearted boys that think they just want sex, and for a couple of the characters that turns out to be true, but for a couple other of them, it turns out that just "getting laid" isn't the most important thing. I liked that the characters actually ended up to have a deeper want and that they actually end up having better connections with girls that yes may involve sex, but that's not all that it's based upon. Now this movie isn't all love and good hearted stuff, it's got plenty and I do mean plenty of raunchy/dirty humor. Humor that involves male and female masturbation in different ways, premature ejaculation, and very descriptive talk of all kinds of sexual activities. Just FYI in case any of that offends you. There is some truly funny material in the film, I laughed at several scenes in the movie. I didn't think it was laugh out loud hilarious, but some parts were funny. The parts I wasn't laughing at, I was feeling for the characters. I loved the acting from all the cast members. Tara Reid was really good as Vicky. Jason Biggs was a perfect choice for Jim. Thomas Nicholas is great as Kevin. Chris Klein is very good as Oz. And the rest of the cast is good too, but Kevin, Vicky, Oz, and Jim are the biggest characters here. I loved how Oz and Kevin were so adorable and were actually good hearted guys. I really like American Pie because not only is it funny but it's also good hearted and filled with good characters. 8/10.