American Pie

1999 Comedy

It's said that most American men think about sex once every two or three minutes, but this statistic would seriously underestimate the horniness of Jim (Jason Biggs), a high school senior in suburban Michigan. Jim is thoroughly obsessed with sex, a fact of which his parents become aware when they discover him performing the sin of Onan with a gym sock while watching scrambled pay-per-view porn. Jim's buddies Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), and Oz (Chris Klein) are no less anxious to relieve themselves of their virginity, so they all make a pledge: they will go to bed with a woman in the three weeks before senior prom or die trying. Kevin appears to have the advantage, since he already has a girlfriend, Vicky (Tara Reid), but before he ventures into the Final Frontier, Kevin is urged to consult "The Bible," a hand-written how-to manual possessing erotic wisdom passed down through the ages. Oz is a good-looking jock who is actually a nice guy -- which is part of the problem, since he has his heart set on a nice girl, Heather (Mena Suvari), who does not seem the type to leap into bed within 21 days. Finch has no immediate prospects, though Jessica (Natasha Lyonne) is in a position to know if those rumors about him are true. And Jim is a truly hopeless case -- after his attempted seduction of beautiful Czech exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) turns out to be a disaster, he ends up going to the prom with Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), an annoyingly chatty band geek who does, however, have a fascinating story about a flute. American Pie was the directorial debut of Paul Weitz, who, along with his brother Chris Weitz (who served as producer), previously wrote several screenplays, including Antz and Madeline (where they presumably worked all their wholesome ideas out of their system). more..

Director: Paul Weitz

Starring: Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari, Alyson Hannigan, Shannon Elizabeth, Chris Klein

Reviews

  • In addition to being extremely funny, the film has a warm spirit and respect for the characters.

    Mick LaSalle - The San Francisco Chronicle

    29 November 2012

  • Unusual in its ability to mix bodily functions humor with a sincere and unlooked-for sense of decency.

    Kenneth Turan - Los Angeles Times

    29 November 2012

  • It is not inspired, but it's cheerful and hard-working and sometimes funny, and--here's the important thing--it's not mean.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    29 November 2012

  • A lively, disposable hybrid of the sincere and the synthetic.

    Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly

    29 November 2012

  • The presence of "Election's" Chris Klein as the male contingent's most sensitive member only emphasizes how much smarter that high school comedy was.

    Mike Clark - USA Today

    29 November 2012

Awards

  • Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

    American Comedy Awards (2000)

     
  • Favorite Supporting Actor - Comedy

    Blockbuster Entertainment Awards (2000)

  • Bogey Awards, Germany (2000)

  • Best Casting for Feature Film, Comedy

    Casting Society of America (2000)

  • Most Promising Actor

    Chicago Film Critics Association Awards (2000)