.gif)
American Pie (film)
Encyclopedia
American Pie is a 1999 teen comedy film
written by Adam Herz
. American Pie was the directorial film debut of brothers Paul
and Chris Weitz
, and the first film in the American Pie film series. The film was a box-office hit and spawned two direct sequel
s: American Pie 2
(2001) and American Wedding
(2003).
The film concentrates on four boys who make a pact
to lose their virginity
before their high school
graduation
. The title is borrowed from the folk song of the same name and refers to a scene in the film, in which the lead character is caught masturbating
with a pie
after being previously told that third base
feels like "warm apple pie
".
Since the conclusion of the American Pie trilogy, featuring the courtship and marriage of the characters Jim Levenstein and Michelle Flaherty, the American Pie name has gone on to be used as an entity similar to the National Lampoon film series. American Pie has spawned four direct-to-DVD
spin-off
films bearing the title American Pie Presents: Band Camp (2005), The Naked Mile (2006), Beta House
(2007) and The Book of Love (December 2009).
Another theatrical release, the fourth in the series and tentatively entitled American Reunion
, was recently announced as being in pre-production for a 2012 release.
, high school senior
s, Kevin Myers (Thomas Ian Nicholas
), a confident student with a girlfriend named Vicky (Tara Reid
); Chris "Oz" Ostreicher (Chris Klein
), a member of the high school lacrosse
team; Jim Levenstein (Jason Biggs
), an awkward and sexually naïve character whose dad (Eugene Levy
) attempts to offer sexual advice including purchasing and giving him pornography; and Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas
), a cappuccino-drinking sophisticate, make a pact, at Kevin's initiation, to lose their virginity before their high school graduation after a dorky classmate, Chuck Sherman (Chris Owen
), claims to have done so at a party hosted by fellow classmate and lacrosse player Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott
).
Vicky later accuses Kevin of being with her only for sex, and he must try and repair his relationship with her before the upcoming prom night, when the four plan to lose their virginity. He eventually succeeds. Oz, meanwhile, joins the jazz choir in an effort to lose his reputation as an insensitive jock and find a girlfriend there. He soon wins the attention of Heather (Mena Suvari
), a girl in the choir. However, he runs into problems when Heather comes to learn about Oz's reputation and subsequently breaks up with him, although he later manages to regain some of her trust, and later most of it when he leaves the lacrosse championship to perform a duet with her in a choir competition. Jim, meanwhile, attempts to pursue Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth
), an exchange student
from Czechoslovakia
. Stifler persuades him to set up a webcam in his room so that they can all watch it together. The plan suffers a hiccup, though, when Nadia discovers Jim's pornography collection and sits half-naked on his bed to read it. Jim is persuaded to return to his room, where he joins Nadia, unaware that he accidentally sent the weblink to the entire school directory. As Nadia is preparing to have sex with him, he prematurely ejaculates
twice, humiliating himself live in front of the entire school. Shortly afterwards Nadia leaves school and goes back home now leaving Jim completely dateless for prom and his likeliness of losing his virginity before high school is over. In his desperation, Jim asks band geek Michelle Flanerty (Alyson Hannigan
) to the senior prom as she is apparently the only girl at his school who did not see what happened. Finch, meanwhile, pays Vicky's friend, Jessica (Natasha Lyonne
), $200 to spread rumors around the school of his sexual prowess, hoping that it will increase his chances of success. Unfortunately, he runs into trouble when Stifler, angry that a girl turned him down for the prom because she was waiting for Finch to ask her, puts a laxative
into Finch's cappuccino. Finch, being paranoid about the lack of cleanliness in the school restrooms, and unable to go home to use the toilet as he usually does, is tricked by Stifler into using the girls' restroom. Afterward, he emerges before many other fellow students, humiliated and is left dateless.
At the prom, everything seems hopeless for the four boys until Vicky asks the girl that Chuck Sherman claimed to have bedded about her "first time." She proclaims to everyone at the prom that she and Sherman did not have sex at Stifler's party, leaving Sherman embarrassed and making him wet himself. The revelation takes the pressure off of Jim, Kevin, Oz and Finch, and they head to the post-prom party with new hope. At the after-party at Stifler's house, all four boys fulfill their pledge. Kevin and Vicky have sex in an upstairs bedroom. Vicky breaks up with Kevin afterwards on the grounds that they will drift apart when they go to college, with him attending the University of Michigan
and her at Cornell University
; he tries to persuade her otherwise but quickly realizes that the distance between the two schools will be too much of a burden. Oz confesses the pact to Heather, and renounces it, saying that just by them being together makes him a winner. They reconcile and wind up making love together on the dock. Oz, honoring his newfound sensitivity, never confesses to what they did. Jim and Michelle have sex after he finds out that she is actually not as much of a band geek as she let on and she saw the "Nadia Incident" after all. She accepted his offer to be his date because of it, knowing he was a "sure thing," but she makes him wear two condoms to combat his earlier "problem" with Nadia. Jim is surprised to discover that Michelle behaves unexpectedly aggressively in bed. In the morning he wakes up to find her gone and realizes that she had used him for a one-night stand
, which Jim thinks is "cool." Dateless, Finch strays downstairs to the basement recreation room where he meets Stifler's mother, Jeanine (Jennifer Coolidge
). She is aroused by his precociousness, and they have sex on the pool table. In the morning, Stifler enters the room, realizes that his mom has had sex with Finch and faints, unable to believe that his mom and "Shit Break" are together. The morning after the prom Jim, Kevin, Oz, and Finch eat breakfast at their favorite restaurant - with the fitting nostalgic name, "Dog Years" - where they toast to "the next step."
The film ends with Nadia watching Jim stripping on his webcam. His dad walks in but walks out and starts dancing like Jim.
Cameos
Nominations
, an upper class suburb of Grand Rapids, Michigan
.
In the film, the town is called "East Great Falls", and the high school sports the same school colors — blue and yellow — along with a similar mascot — the Trailblazers instead of the Pioneers. The restaurant hangout, "Dog Years", is based on Yesterdog, a popular hot dog restaurant in the nearby Eastown neighborhood of Grand Rapids. The "Central Chicks" and "Central" Lacrosse team that East Great Falls plays against is an amalgam of nearby Forest Hills Central High School
and Grand Rapids Central High School.
The film was actually shot in Southern California, most notably in Long Beach
using Long Beach Unified School District area high schools. Robert A. Millikan High School whose school colors are blue and gold were used for exterior shots and Long Beach Polytechnic High School
was used for interior shots, (Los Cerritos, Long Beach, California
both schools are located within five miles of the Virginia Country Club and Los Cerritos Neighborhood where Ferris Bueller's Day Off
and Donnie Darko
were filmed).
In home video rentals, the film currently has grossed $109,577,352 worldwide, with $56,408,552 of that coming from sales in the US.
of The New York Times
felt American Pie was "one of the shallowest and the most prurient teen films." Robert Horton of Film.com wrote that American Pie "had a few amusing bits, however the audience should strongly note that the movie is really awful, and that it was not worthy of guilty pleasure status." Jim Sullivan of The Boston Globe
wrote that American Pie is a "gross and tasteless high school romp with sentimental mush." However, Roger Ebert
was more supportive, awarding it three out of four stars. He noted that "[i]t is not inspired, but it's cheerful and hard-working and sometimes funny, and--here's the important thing--it's not mean. Its characters are sort of sweet and lovable." American Pie holds a 60% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes
and a score of 58/100 ("mixed or average reviews") from Metacritic
.
Teen film
Teen films is a film genre targeted at teenagers and young adults in which the plot is based upon the special interests of teenagers, such as coming of age, first love, rebellion, conflict with parents, teen angst, and alienation...
written by Adam Herz
Adam Herz
Adam Herz is an American screenwriter and producer. He founded the production company Terra Firma Films in 2003 with a first-look deal at Universal Studios....
. American Pie was the directorial film debut of brothers Paul
Paul Weitz (filmmaker)
Paul John Weitz is an American film producer, screenwriter, actor, and film director.-Personal life:Weitz was born in New York City, New York, the son of the actress Susan Kohner and novelist/fashion designer John Weitz, and the grandson of producer Paul Kohner and Mexican actress Lupita...
and Chris Weitz
Chris Weitz
Christopher John "Chris" Weitz is an American producer, writer, director and actor. He is best known for his work with his brother, Paul Weitz, on the comedy films American Pie and About a Boy, as well as directing the film adaptation of the novel The Golden Compass and the film adaptation of New...
, and the first film in the American Pie film series. The film was a box-office hit and spawned two direct sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
s: American Pie 2
American Pie 2
American Pie 2 is a 2001 comedy film and sequel to American Pie and is the second film in the American Pie film series. It was written by Adam Herz and David H. Steinberg, and directed by J. B. Rogers. The film picks up the story of the four friends from the first film as they reunite during the...
(2001) and American Wedding
American Wedding
American Wedding is a 2003 comedy film that is a sequel to American Pie and American Pie 2 as part of the American Pie series. It was written by Adam Herz and directed by Jesse Dylan...
(2003).
The film concentrates on four boys who make a pact
Pact
A pact is a formal agreement.Pact, The Pact or PACT may also refer to:-PACT as an acronym:* Protein ACTivator of the interferon-induced protein kinase, a protein that activates protein kinase R...
to lose their virginity
Virginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
before their high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
graduation
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
. The title is borrowed from the folk song of the same name and refers to a scene in the film, in which the lead character is caught masturbating
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
with a pie
Pie
A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients....
after being previously told that third base
Baseball metaphors for sex
In the culture of American adolescents, the game of baseball is often used as a euphemistic metaphor for the degree of sexual intimacy achieved in intimate encounters or relationships...
feels like "warm apple pie
Apple pie
An apple pie is a fruit pie in which the principal filling ingredient is apples. It is sometimes served with whipped cream or ice cream on top...
".
Since the conclusion of the American Pie trilogy, featuring the courtship and marriage of the characters Jim Levenstein and Michelle Flaherty, the American Pie name has gone on to be used as an entity similar to the National Lampoon film series. American Pie has spawned four direct-to-DVD
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
films bearing the title American Pie Presents: Band Camp (2005), The Naked Mile (2006), Beta House
American Pie Presents: Beta House
American Pie Presents: Beta House is a 2007 American teen comedy film released by Universal Pictures. It is the third spin-off to the American Pie film series and a sequel to the second spin-off, American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile...
(2007) and The Book of Love (December 2009).
Another theatrical release, the fourth in the series and tentatively entitled American Reunion
American Reunion
For the fourth installment in the American Pie series, see American Pie Presents: Band CampAmerican Reunion is an upcoming comedy film written and directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg...
, was recently announced as being in pre-production for a 2012 release.
Plot
Four friends from west MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, high school senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
s, Kevin Myers (Thomas Ian Nicholas
Thomas Ian Nicholas
Thomas Ian Nicholas is an American film actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and writer. Nicholas is best known for playing Henry Rowengartner in Rookie of the Year and Kevin Myers in the American Pie film series....
), a confident student with a girlfriend named Vicky (Tara Reid
Tara Reid
Tara Donna Reid is an American actress. Reid has acted on television shows such as Saved By The Bell: The New Class, Days of our Lives, California Dreams, and Scrubs....
); Chris "Oz" Ostreicher (Chris Klein
Chris Klein (actor)
Frederick Christopher "Chris" Klein is an American movie actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Chris "Oz" Ostreicher in the 1999 film American Pie and its sequel American Pie 2.-Early life:...
), a member of the high school lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
team; Jim Levenstein (Jason Biggs
Jason Biggs
Jason Matthew Biggs is an American actor who is best known for his role as Jim Levenstein in the American Pie series of teen comedy films.-Personal life:...
), an awkward and sexually naïve character whose dad (Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, television director, producer, musician, and writer. He is known for his work in Canadian television series, American movies, and television movies. He is the only actor to have appeared in all eight of the American Pie films, as Noah Levenstein...
) attempts to offer sexual advice including purchasing and giving him pornography; and Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas
Eddie Kaye Thomas
Eddie Kaye Thomas is an American film, television, and stage actor who rose to prominence in 1999 as Paul Finch in the American Pie film series.-Early life:Thomas was born in Staten Island, NY...
), a cappuccino-drinking sophisticate, make a pact, at Kevin's initiation, to lose their virginity before their high school graduation after a dorky classmate, Chuck Sherman (Chris Owen
Chris Owen (actor)
Chris Owen is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the American Pie movies as Chuck Sherman . He reprised this role in American Pie 2, American Pie: Band Camp and American Reunion...
), claims to have done so at a party hosted by fellow classmate and lacrosse player Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott
Seann William Scott
Seann William Scott is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Steve Stifler in the American Pie film series...
).
Vicky later accuses Kevin of being with her only for sex, and he must try and repair his relationship with her before the upcoming prom night, when the four plan to lose their virginity. He eventually succeeds. Oz, meanwhile, joins the jazz choir in an effort to lose his reputation as an insensitive jock and find a girlfriend there. He soon wins the attention of Heather (Mena Suvari
Mena Suvari
Mena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. Shortly after beginning her career as a model, she appeared in guest roles on 1990's television shows such as Boy Meets World and High Incident...
), a girl in the choir. However, he runs into problems when Heather comes to learn about Oz's reputation and subsequently breaks up with him, although he later manages to regain some of her trust, and later most of it when he leaves the lacrosse championship to perform a duet with her in a choir competition. Jim, meanwhile, attempts to pursue Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth
Shannon Elizabeth
Shannon Elizabeth is an American actress and former fashion model. Elizabeth is well known for her roles in comedy films such as Scary Movie, American Pie, and Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. She is also well known for her work in horror films such as Thirteen Ghosts, Cursed, and Night of the Demons...
), an exchange student
Student exchange program
A student exchange program generally could be defined as a program where students from secondary school or university choose to study abroad in partner institutions...
from Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. Stifler persuades him to set up a webcam in his room so that they can all watch it together. The plan suffers a hiccup, though, when Nadia discovers Jim's pornography collection and sits half-naked on his bed to read it. Jim is persuaded to return to his room, where he joins Nadia, unaware that he accidentally sent the weblink to the entire school directory. As Nadia is preparing to have sex with him, he prematurely ejaculates
Premature ejaculation
Premature ejaculation is a condition in which a man ejaculates earlier than he or his partner would like him to. Premature ejaculation is also known as rapid ejaculation, rapid climax, premature climax, or early ejaculation....
twice, humiliating himself live in front of the entire school. Shortly afterwards Nadia leaves school and goes back home now leaving Jim completely dateless for prom and his likeliness of losing his virginity before high school is over. In his desperation, Jim asks band geek Michelle Flanerty (Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Lee Hannigan is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Willow Rosenberg in the cult classic television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Michelle Flaherty in three American Pie films, and Lily Aldrin on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.-Early life:Hannigan was born in...
) to the senior prom as she is apparently the only girl at his school who did not see what happened. Finch, meanwhile, pays Vicky's friend, Jessica (Natasha Lyonne
Natasha Lyonne
-Early life:Lyonne was born Natasha Braunstein in Manhattan, New York City, the daughter of Yvette Lyonne, a product licensing consultant, and Aaron Braunstein, a native of Brooklyn who worked as a boxing promoter. Lyonne grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household...
), $200 to spread rumors around the school of his sexual prowess, hoping that it will increase his chances of success. Unfortunately, he runs into trouble when Stifler, angry that a girl turned him down for the prom because she was waiting for Finch to ask her, puts a laxative
Laxative
Laxatives are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements or to loosen the stool, most often taken to treat constipation. Certain stimulant, lubricant, and saline laxatives are used to evacuate the colon for rectal and/or bowel examinations, and may be supplemented by enemas under...
into Finch's cappuccino. Finch, being paranoid about the lack of cleanliness in the school restrooms, and unable to go home to use the toilet as he usually does, is tricked by Stifler into using the girls' restroom. Afterward, he emerges before many other fellow students, humiliated and is left dateless.
At the prom, everything seems hopeless for the four boys until Vicky asks the girl that Chuck Sherman claimed to have bedded about her "first time." She proclaims to everyone at the prom that she and Sherman did not have sex at Stifler's party, leaving Sherman embarrassed and making him wet himself. The revelation takes the pressure off of Jim, Kevin, Oz and Finch, and they head to the post-prom party with new hope. At the after-party at Stifler's house, all four boys fulfill their pledge. Kevin and Vicky have sex in an upstairs bedroom. Vicky breaks up with Kevin afterwards on the grounds that they will drift apart when they go to college, with him attending the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and her at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
; he tries to persuade her otherwise but quickly realizes that the distance between the two schools will be too much of a burden. Oz confesses the pact to Heather, and renounces it, saying that just by them being together makes him a winner. They reconcile and wind up making love together on the dock. Oz, honoring his newfound sensitivity, never confesses to what they did. Jim and Michelle have sex after he finds out that she is actually not as much of a band geek as she let on and she saw the "Nadia Incident" after all. She accepted his offer to be his date because of it, knowing he was a "sure thing," but she makes him wear two condoms to combat his earlier "problem" with Nadia. Jim is surprised to discover that Michelle behaves unexpectedly aggressively in bed. In the morning he wakes up to find her gone and realizes that she had used him for a one-night stand
One-night stand
Originally, a one-night stand was a single theatre performance, usually by a guest performer on tour, as opposed to an ongoing engagement. Today, however, the term is more commonly defined as a single sexual encounter, in which neither participant has any intention or expectation of a relationship...
, which Jim thinks is "cool." Dateless, Finch strays downstairs to the basement recreation room where he meets Stifler's mother, Jeanine (Jennifer Coolidge
Jennifer Coolidge
Jennifer Coolidge is an American actress best known for playing "Stifler's mom," the older woman in the film American Pie ; Hilary Duff's stepmother in A Cinderella Story ; Paulette, the manicurist in Legally Blonde and its sequel; the voice of Aunt Fanny in the animated feature Robots ; for her...
). She is aroused by his precociousness, and they have sex on the pool table. In the morning, Stifler enters the room, realizes that his mom has had sex with Finch and faints, unable to believe that his mom and "Shit Break" are together. The morning after the prom Jim, Kevin, Oz, and Finch eat breakfast at their favorite restaurant - with the fitting nostalgic name, "Dog Years" - where they toast to "the next step."
The film ends with Nadia watching Jim stripping on his webcam. His dad walks in but walks out and starts dancing like Jim.
Cast
- Jason BiggsJason BiggsJason Matthew Biggs is an American actor who is best known for his role as Jim Levenstein in the American Pie series of teen comedy films.-Personal life:...
as James "Jim" Levenstein - Chris KleinChris Klein (actor)Frederick Christopher "Chris" Klein is an American movie actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Chris "Oz" Ostreicher in the 1999 film American Pie and its sequel American Pie 2.-Early life:...
as Chris "Oz" Ostreicher - Thomas Ian NicholasThomas Ian NicholasThomas Ian Nicholas is an American film actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and writer. Nicholas is best known for playing Henry Rowengartner in Rookie of the Year and Kevin Myers in the American Pie film series....
as Kevin Myers - Eddie Kaye ThomasEddie Kaye ThomasEddie Kaye Thomas is an American film, television, and stage actor who rose to prominence in 1999 as Paul Finch in the American Pie film series.-Early life:Thomas was born in Staten Island, NY...
as Paul Finch - Seann William ScottSeann William ScottSeann William Scott is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Steve Stifler in the American Pie film series...
as Steve Stifler - Alyson HanniganAlyson HanniganAlyson Lee Hannigan is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Willow Rosenberg in the cult classic television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Michelle Flaherty in three American Pie films, and Lily Aldrin on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.-Early life:Hannigan was born in...
as Michelle Flanerty - Tara ReidTara ReidTara Donna Reid is an American actress. Reid has acted on television shows such as Saved By The Bell: The New Class, Days of our Lives, California Dreams, and Scrubs....
as Victoria "Vicky" Lathum - Mena SuvariMena SuvariMena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. Shortly after beginning her career as a model, she appeared in guest roles on 1990's television shows such as Boy Meets World and High Incident...
as Heather - Shannon ElizabethShannon ElizabethShannon Elizabeth is an American actress and former fashion model. Elizabeth is well known for her roles in comedy films such as Scary Movie, American Pie, and Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. She is also well known for her work in horror films such as Thirteen Ghosts, Cursed, and Night of the Demons...
as Nadia - Natasha LyonneNatasha Lyonne-Early life:Lyonne was born Natasha Braunstein in Manhattan, New York City, the daughter of Yvette Lyonne, a product licensing consultant, and Aaron Braunstein, a native of Brooklyn who worked as a boxing promoter. Lyonne grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household...
as Jessica - Eugene LevyEugene LevyEugene Levy, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, television director, producer, musician, and writer. He is known for his work in Canadian television series, American movies, and television movies. He is the only actor to have appeared in all eight of the American Pie films, as Noah Levenstein...
as Jim's Dad - Molly CheekMolly CheekMolly Cheek is an American actress who played the mother of main character Jim Levenstein in the 1999 film American Pie. She also played Garry's best friend on the television show It's Garry Shandling's Show....
as Jim's Mom - Eli MarienthalEli MarienthalEli David Marienthal is an American former child actor.-Personal life:Marienthal was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Lola Marienthal, who manufactures bags made of organically grown cotton, and Joseph Cross, a journalist. Marienthal is Jewish and has two siblings, actors Harley Cross...
as Stifler's younger brother - Chris OwenChris Owen (actor)Chris Owen is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the American Pie movies as Chuck Sherman . He reprised this role in American Pie 2, American Pie: Band Camp and American Reunion...
as Chuck "Shermanator" Sherman - Jennifer CoolidgeJennifer CoolidgeJennifer Coolidge is an American actress best known for playing "Stifler's mom," the older woman in the film American Pie ; Hilary Duff's stepmother in A Cinderella Story ; Paulette, the manicurist in Legally Blonde and its sequel; the voice of Aunt Fanny in the animated feature Robots ; for her...
as Janine, Stifler's Mom - John ChoJohn ChoJohn Yohan Cho is an American actor and musician, best known for his roles in the American Pie films and the Harold & Kumar films . He also starred in the critically acclaimed hit film Better Luck Tomorrow...
as John - Justin Isfeld as Justin
- Eric LivelyEric LivelyEric Lawrence Lively is an American actor. He played the role Nick Larson in The Butterfly Effect 2.-Early life:Lively was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He has a sister, actress Blake Lively, half-sisters actresses Lori Lively and Robyn Lively and a half-brother, Jason Lively, who played Rusty in...
as Albert - Sasha BarreseSasha BarreseAlexandra "Sasha" Barrese is an American actress known for her roles in The Hangover and The Hangover Part II.-Early life:...
as Courtney - James DeBelloJames DeBello-Filmography:*Transylmania *Ghouls *After Sex *National Lampoon's Dorm Daze 2 *Steel City *National Lampoon's Adam & Eve *The Hillz *National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze...
as Enthusiastic guy - Lawrence PressmanLawrence PressmanDavid M. Pressman, Senior is an American actor, probably best known for roles on Doogie Howser, M.D., Ladies Man, a recurring role on Profiler, the titular character on Mulligan's Stew and as a fictional scientist in the 1971 film The Hellstrom Chronicle.His first role was on the soap opera The...
as Coach Marshall - Clyde KusatsuClyde KusatsuClyde Kusatsu is a U.S. actor.Kusatsu was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he attended ʻIolani School. Kusatsu began acting in Honolulu summer stock, and after studying theatre at Northwestern University, started to make his mark on the small screen in the mid-1970s...
as English teacher - Tara SubkoffTara SubkoffTara Lyn Subkoff is an American actress and fashion designer from Westport, Connecticut. She has acted in over a dozen movies, most recently 2006's The Notorious Bettie Page....
(uncredited) as College girl - Chris WeitzChris WeitzChristopher John "Chris" Weitz is an American producer, writer, director and actor. He is best known for his work with his brother, Paul Weitz, on the comedy films American Pie and About a Boy, as well as directing the film adaptation of the novel The Golden Compass and the film adaptation of New...
(uncredited) as Male voice in porn film - Tyler Love as the milky bar kid
Cameos
- Blink-182Blink-182Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
make a cameo appearanceCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as the band watching Jim and Nadia during their webcast though drummer TravisTravis BarkerTravis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with...
is incorrectly credited as former Blink-182 drummer "Scott RaynorScott RaynorScott William Raynor, Jr. is an American drummer best known for being a founding member of the band Blink-182.-Personal life:...
". Also, when their song "MuttEnema of the StateEnema of the State is the third studio album by American pop punk band Blink-182. Recorded at various locations throughout California with producer Jerry Finn, the album was first released on June 1, 1999 in the United States on MCA Records...
" is credited, Barker's name is misspelled as "Travis Barkor". The parts were given when Tom DelongeTom DeLongeThomas Matthew "Tom" DeLonge, Jr. is an American rock musician. He is the guitarist and one of the two lead vocalists for the American pop punk band Blink-182 as well as the guitarist and lead vocalist for the alternative band Angels & Airwaves...
's acting agent reported the film needed a band. - Christina MilianChristina MilianChristine Flores , better known by her stage name Christina Milian , is an American singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, and model....
appears as one of the band geeks. - Casey AffleckCasey AffleckCaleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt , better known as Casey Affleck, is an American actor and film director. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, he played supporting roles in mainstream hits like Good Will Hunting and Ocean's Eleven as well as in critically acclaimed independent films such as...
as Tom Myers, Kevin's older brother. - Stacy Fuson, Playmate of the Month for February 1999, appears in the crowd laughing at Finch when he exits the girls' restroom.
Awards and nominations
Wins- 2000 - Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favourite Supporting Comedy Actor (Eugene LevyEugene LevyEugene Levy, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, television director, producer, musician, and writer. He is known for his work in Canadian television series, American movies, and television movies. He is the only actor to have appeared in all eight of the American Pie films, as Noah Levenstein...
) - 2000 - Bogey AwardsBogey AwardsThe Bogey Awards is a series of German film awards. The award is based on the number of people seeing a film within a given time frame. The prize is awarded by the industry's trade journal Blickpunkt: Film.*Titanium: Viewed by ten million people....
: Bogey Awards in Platinum (Award given to movies which are viewed by five million people in the first 50 days after their release) - 2000 - Casting Society of AmericaCasting Society of AmericaFounded in Los Angeles, California in 1982, the Casting Society of America is a professional society of about 350 casting directors for film, television, and theatre in Australia, Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. The society is not to be confused with an industry union. The...
: Artios Award for Best Casting for Feature Film - 2000 - Csapnivalo Award: Golden Slate Award for Best Teen Movie
- 2000 - Young Hollywood AwardsYoung Hollywood AwardsThe Young Hollywood Awards is an award presented annually which honors the year's biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, as voted on by teenagers aged 13–19 and young adults. The award ceremonies also honor rising and promising young aged performers in Hollywood...
for Best Ensemble Cast, Best Soundtrack, Breakthrough Female Performance (Mena SuvariMena SuvariMena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. Shortly after beginning her career as a model, she appeared in guest roles on 1990's television shows such as Boy Meets World and High Incident...
) - 2000 - Golden Screen for Golden Screen Award and Golden Screen with 1 Star
Nominations
- 2000 - American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Eugene LevyEugene LevyEugene Levy, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, television director, producer, musician, and writer. He is known for his work in Canadian television series, American movies, and television movies. He is the only actor to have appeared in all eight of the American Pie films, as Noah Levenstein...
) - 2000 - Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favourite Actor (Jason BiggsJason BiggsJason Matthew Biggs is an American actor who is best known for his role as Jim Levenstein in the American Pie series of teen comedy films.-Personal life:...
) and Favourite Actress (Mena SuvariMena SuvariMena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. Shortly after beginning her career as a model, she appeared in guest roles on 1990's television shows such as Boy Meets World and High Incident...
) - 2000 - CFCA AwardChicago Film Critics AssociationThe Chicago Film Critics Association is an American film critic association.-Members:Current members include:*Sarah Knight Adamson*Zbigniew Banas*Shelley Cameron*Dave Canfield*Vittorio Carli*Erik Childress*Camerin Courtney*Bonnie DeShong...
for Best Promising Actor (Chris KleinChris Klein (actor)Frederick Christopher "Chris" Klein is an American movie actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Chris "Oz" Ostreicher in the 1999 film American Pie and its sequel American Pie 2.-Early life:...
) - 2000 - MTV Movie AwardsMTV Movie AwardsThe MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general...
for Best Comedic Performance (Jason BiggsJason BiggsJason Matthew Biggs is an American actor who is best known for his role as Jim Levenstein in the American Pie series of teen comedy films.-Personal life:...
), Best Movie, Breakthrough Female Performance (Shannon ElizabethShannon ElizabethShannon Elizabeth is an American actress and former fashion model. Elizabeth is well known for her roles in comedy films such as Scary Movie, American Pie, and Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. She is also well known for her work in horror films such as Thirteen Ghosts, Cursed, and Night of the Demons...
), Breakthrough Male Performance (Jason BiggsJason BiggsJason Matthew Biggs is an American actor who is best known for his role as Jim Levenstein in the American Pie series of teen comedy films.-Personal life:...
) - 2000 - Teen Choice AwardsTeen Choice AwardsThe Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
for Choice Actor (Jason BiggsJason BiggsJason Matthew Biggs is an American actor who is best known for his role as Jim Levenstein in the American Pie series of teen comedy films.-Personal life:...
), Choice Breakout Performance (Chris KleinChris Klein (actor)Frederick Christopher "Chris" Klein is an American movie actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Chris "Oz" Ostreicher in the 1999 film American Pie and its sequel American Pie 2.-Early life:...
), Choice Comedy, Choice Liar (Chris KleinChris Klein (actor)Frederick Christopher "Chris" Klein is an American movie actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Chris "Oz" Ostreicher in the 1999 film American Pie and its sequel American Pie 2.-Early life:...
), Choice Sleazebag (Seann William ScottSeann William ScottSeann William Scott is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Steve Stifler in the American Pie film series...
)
Location
Much of the film is based on the writer's days at East Grand Rapids High School in East Grand Rapids, MichiganEast Grand Rapids, Michigan
East Grand Rapids is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is a suburb of Grand Rapids and is located on the shore of Reeds Lake. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,694.-Geography:...
, an upper class suburb of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
.
In the film, the town is called "East Great Falls", and the high school sports the same school colors — blue and yellow — along with a similar mascot — the Trailblazers instead of the Pioneers. The restaurant hangout, "Dog Years", is based on Yesterdog, a popular hot dog restaurant in the nearby Eastown neighborhood of Grand Rapids. The "Central Chicks" and "Central" Lacrosse team that East Great Falls plays against is an amalgam of nearby Forest Hills Central High School
Forest Hills Central High School
Forest Hills Central High School is located in Ada Township, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is one of three high schools in the Forest Hills Public Schools system...
and Grand Rapids Central High School.
The film was actually shot in Southern California, most notably in Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
using Long Beach Unified School District area high schools. Robert A. Millikan High School whose school colors are blue and gold were used for exterior shots and Long Beach Polytechnic High School
Long Beach Polytechnic High School
Long Beach Polytechnic High School, founded in 1895 as Long Beach High School, is a High school located at 1600 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach, California, United States....
was used for interior shots, (Los Cerritos, Long Beach, California
Los Cerritos, Long Beach, California
Los Cerritos - Virginia Country Club is one of the most affluent neighborhoods of Long Beach with approximately 700 homes and 2,000 residents located in Bixby Knolls, Long Beach, United States. Established in 1906, Los Cerritos - Virginia Country Club Neighborhood has long served the film industry...
both schools are located within five miles of the Virginia Country Club and Los Cerritos Neighborhood where Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American teen coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes.The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller , who decides to skip school and spend the day in downtown Chicago...
and Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko is a 2001 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Noah Wyle, Jena Malone, and Mary McDonnell...
were filmed).
Soundtrack
The following songs were included in the film but were not featured on the soundtrack:- The VenturesThe VenturesThe Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
- "Walk Don't RunWalk, Don't Run (song)"Walk, Don't Run" is an instrumental composition written and first performed by jazz guitarist Johnny Smith in 1955. The tune is essentially a counter-melody to the chord changes of the old standard, "Softly, As in the Morning Sunrise"....
" - Barenaked LadiesBarenaked LadiesBarenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
- "One Week" - The Brian Jonestown MassacreThe Brian Jonestown MassacreThe Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American eclectic musical group led by Anton Newcombe, whose music spans multiple genres including psychedelia, electronica, folk music, blues, experimental music, and many others....
- "Going To Hell" - Blink 182 - Going Away To College
- Third Eye BlindThird Eye BlindThird Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...
- "Semi-Charmed LifeSemi-Charmed Life"Semi-Charmed Life" is Third Eye Blind's first single off their self-titled debut album, released in 1997. It was a major hit of the 1990s, reaching number four in the U.S., number one on the Modern Rock Tracks and the Top 40 in the UK. Furthermore, it has had a pervasive cultural impact, being...
" - OleanderOleander (band)Oleander is a post-grunge band from Sacramento, California, USA. Its name is derived from the poisonous wildflower oleander, which line the highways of Northern California. In their nine years of activity, the band released four studio albums under various record labels...
- "I Walk Alone" - HoleHole (band)Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
- "Celebrity SkinCelebrity Skin (song)"Celebrity Skin" is the tenth single by the American alternative rock band Hole, released on September 1, 1998 by Geffen Records. It is the debut single from their third studio album Celebrity Skin and is Hole's most commercially successful single, being the only one to reach #1 on the Modern Rock...
" - EverclearEverclear (band)Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade. For most of its existence, Everclear has consisted of Art Alexakis , Craig Montoya , and Greg Eklund . Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994...
- "Everything to EveryoneEverything to EveryoneEverything to Everyone is the sixth full-length original-material studio album by Barenaked Ladies. It was released in 2003 and was produced by Ron Aniello. Singles from the album include "Another Postcard", "Testing 1, 2, 3", "For You", "Celebrity" and "Maybe Katie"...
" - Harvey DangerHarvey DangerHarvey Danger was an American indie rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1993, and rose to prominence in 1998 with the single "Flagpole Sitta." On August 29, 2009, the band played its final show at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle....
- "Flagpole SittaFlagpole Sitta"Flagpole Sitta" is a song by American rock band Harvey Danger from their 1997 debut album, Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone?. It was released as a single in April 1998. The song gained popularity after Sean Nelson gave a copy of the album to a KNDD DJ. Shortly after this, it was picked up by...
" - Duke Daniels - "Following a Star"
- Simon & Garfunkel - "Mrs. RobinsonMrs. Robinson"Mrs. Robinson" is a song written by Paul Simon and first performed by Simon & Garfunkel. When released as a single in 1968, it hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US, for their second chart-topping hit after "The Sound of Silence"...
" - Libra Presents Taylor - "Anomaly (Calling Your Name)"
- Etta JamesEtta JamesEtta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
- "At Last" - JamesJames (band)James are a British rock band from Manchester, England. They formed in 1982 and were active throughout the 1980s, but most successful during the 1990s. Their hit singles include "Come Home", "Sit Down", and "She's a Star" as well as their American College Radio hit "Laid"...
- "LaidLaid (song)"Laid" is the title song from Manchester alternative rock band James' 1993 album Laid. Emotionally evocative and featuring the risqué lyrics "This bed is on fire with passionate love, the neighbours complain about the noises above, but she only comes when she's on top", it quickly gained popularity...
" - Norah JonesNorah JonesNorah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
- "The Long Day is Over" - Marvin GayeMarvin GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
- "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)"How Sweet It Is " is a 1964 hit song written and produced by the Motown songwriting team of Holland–Dozier–Holland. It was originally recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye and became one of his most popular songs...
"
Box office
The film took in a gross worldwide revenue of $235,483,004, $132,922,000 of which was from overseas tickets; the film is considered a great box office success considering the $10 million budget.In home video rentals, the film currently has grossed $109,577,352 worldwide, with $56,408,552 of that coming from sales in the US.
Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics. Stephen HoldenStephen Holden
Stephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
felt American Pie was "one of the shallowest and the most prurient teen films." Robert Horton of Film.com wrote that American Pie "had a few amusing bits, however the audience should strongly note that the movie is really awful, and that it was not worthy of guilty pleasure status." Jim Sullivan of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
wrote that American Pie is a "gross and tasteless high school romp with sentimental mush." However, Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
was more supportive, awarding it three out of four stars. He noted that "[i]t is not inspired, but it's cheerful and hard-working and sometimes funny, and--here's the important thing--it's not mean. Its characters are sort of sweet and lovable." American Pie holds a 60% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
and a score of 58/100 ("mixed or average reviews") from Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.