American Pie

A fairly interminable teen comedy, American Pie follows four high school buddies (Jason Biggs’ Jim, Chris Klein’s Oz, Thomas Ian Nicholas’ Kevin, and Eddie Kaye Thomas’ Finch) as they vow to lose their respective virginities by prom night – with the film detailing the foursome’s expectedly flamboyant and over-the-top efforts at accomplishing this feat. Filmmaker Paul Weitz, working from Adam Herz’s screenplay, has infused American Pie with a low-key and surprisingly down-to-earth sensibility that proves instrumental at initially capturing the viewer’s interest, with the perfectly watchable atmosphere heightened by the affable work from the various performers. (As likable as the four leads are, however, there’s little doubt that the movie’s MVP is Seann William Scott, with the actor’s frequently hilarious turn as the raunchy Steve Stifler standing as a consistent highlight within the proceedings.) It’s only as time progresses that American Pie slowly-but-surely morphs into a distressingly tedious piece of work, as Weitz’s ongoing emphasis on aggressively unfunny comedic interludes (eg Jim’s infamous encounter with a fresh apple pie) drains one’s interest on an increasingly pronounced basis. The meandering midsection, which seems to consist primarily of time-wasting subplots (eg Finch’s difficulties using public toilets), eventually leads to a hopelessly sentimental third act that is, to put it mildly, somewhat anticlimactic, which effectively (and ultimately) cements American Pie‘s place as a disappointingly tame and conventional bit of mainstream filmmaking.

*1/2 out of ****