American Pie (1999)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Paul Weitz

Writer (WGA):

Adam Herz (written by)

Release Date:

9 July 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

There's something about your first piece.

Plot:

Four teenage boys enter a pact to lose their virginity by prom night.

Plot Keywords:

Prom | Virginity | Prom Night | Friend | Internet

Awards:

9 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Jason Biggs	...	Jim Levenstein
Chris Klein	...	Chris 'Oz' Ostreicher
Thomas Ian Nicholas	...	Kevin Myers
Alyson Hannigan	...	Michelle Flaherty
Shannon Elizabeth	...	Nadia
Tara Reid	...	Victoria 'Vicky' Lathum
Eddie Kaye Thomas	...	Paul Finch
Seann William Scott	...	Steve Stifler (as Seann W. Scott)
Eugene Levy	...	Jim's Dad
Natasha Lyonne	...	Jessica
Mena Suvari	...	Heather
Jennifer Coolidge	...	Stifler's Mom
Chris Owen	...	Chuck Sherman
Eric Lively	...	Albert
Molly Cheek	...	Jim's Mom

Also Known As:

East Great Falls High (USA) (working title)
Great Falls (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality, crude sexual dialogue, language and drinking, all involving teens.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:18PL (cut version) | Malaysia:(Banned) (uncut version) | Finland:K-12 (1999) | Finland:S (2000) (unrated version) | Denmark:A | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Belgium:KT | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (unrated version) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:L (original rating) | Ireland:18 | Israel:16 | Japan:R-15 | Mexico:B15 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #36525) | USA:Unrated (unrated DVD version) | Philippines:R-18

Filming Locations:

402 S. Myrtle, Monrovia, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The song playing when Finch is running to the bathroom is "Walk, Don't Run", by The Ventures.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In a scene where Jim is walking towards Nadia, a C-Stand is visible on the left.

Quotes:

Choir singer: [to himself] Just focus on the music, think melody, let the music be my guide.
Heather: Yeah, that'd be a start.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kathy Griffin: Straight to Hell (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Stranger By The Day

Another reason that the summer of '99 is the Season of Comedy

I laughed so hard I spit out half the bucket-o-pop I was drinking, and finally had to stop sipping from its fine nectar, because so many times I was hooting and bending over in joy.

There are some slower moments to let you catch your breath and allow for moments of sincerity, but only for a minute. The scenes in the previews (the ones you think will ruin the movie for you) are expounded on ten-fold, so there are plenty of surprises.

During the movie I kept saying, "This is me and my friends when we were in high school!" They were almost the same conversations about life, sex and girls; just not as frequently, but it's only a two-hour film. Any guy will appreciate American Pie full tilt, and girls will realize just what hoops guys jump through in order to get their attention, let alone in their pants.

What added to American Pie is that I liked every character, because the filmmakers didn't feel the urge to give us prototypical teen characters. Their personalities are distinctive, and their situations are all different, which leads to a hilarious finale where we see just how their pact plays out on prom night.

As I mentioned before, there are genuine moments on the screen where the guys and gals have revelations of sincerity. It adds a needed depth to a film like this, where it's not just raw, raunchy comedy, but important to the lives of the characters who know more than sex is at stake. Which is another reason to like Pie, there are several slices, and sexual conquest is only one of them.