From 1980's cheesecake to 1990's apple pie. My favorite teen-comedy-sexploitation-raunchy-crazy-family movie of all-time, and one that still gives me the feels.
1999 was an awful year for any movie that wasn't titled "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace." Any movie coming out that summer either had its box-office debuts suffer or its entire box-office run suffer even worse. This movie's trailer promptly advertised it as "In the list of movies to see after seeing Star Wars".
Four high school seniors make an agreement with each other that they'll lose their virginity before their senior prom; Jim Levenstein (Jason Biggs), Kevin "Kev" Myers (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Chris "Oz" Ostreicher (Chris Klein) and Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas). Each of the four go about their task in their own way, as Kevin also tries to make sure his girlfriend Vicki (Tara Reid) knows that he loves her and that they'll spend their prom night making sweet whoopie. Jim is tasked with attempting ti swoon Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) to the senior prom, but humiliates both him and her with an awkward sex video that gets broadcasted across the internet. He ends up settling for the "flute-toting band geek" Michelle Flaherty (Alyson Hannigan). Finch attempts to spread rumors throughout the entire school that make him look good in an effort to attract girls to asking him out to prom as opposed to him asking them. Finally, Oz decides that going for popular chicks would be too easy and he'd be the first one laid, so he decides to go to choir practice for his high school and hit-on Heather Gardner (Mena Suvari).
...but the one who takes the movie and runs with it is Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott). This is the birth of the "jock douchebag" character that's overly obnoxious and ill-equipped to handle anything with any real love and devotion. He's in it for the sex and only the sex. Stifler has all the quotable lines and even has a mother that everyone lovingly refers to as "MILF"...aww, that's so sweet.The other character that is just downright spectacular is Noah Levenstein, Jim's father, played by Eugene Levy. He, much like Stifler, steals every scene he's in. He's so awkward in explaining sexual things to his son to the point where it becomes laughably uncomfortable. Eugene Levy is also the only character to appear in all eight American Pie films, main series and spin-offs.
There were many teen-comedramas back in the day but this one is the reigning champion of them all. This one, even though its premise sounds epicly ridiculous to base an entire movie off of, it works so well because of the emotion involved and that the kids come to learn that sex isn't everything. Jim has speil at the end that puts it all in perspective as to what high school kids pressure themselves into, even by today's standards. "I haven't even had sex and already I'm tired of talking about it. I hate sex!" The ending to the movie sees the four men rise to the occasion (which may or may not be a pun) and receiving their just-rewards.
Somehow, some way, this movie managed to touch the hearts of millions of people because it somehow spawned three main-series sequels and four spin-off movies (all of which are even more ridiculous). In my book, American Pie is a classic. I love, and you should check it out if you haven't already, but only if you're in for a wild trip back to the mind of a high-school student.
No comments:
Post a Comment