Funny, heartfelt and original

Rating: 8/10 (17 April 2001)

"American Pie" set the standard for teen gross-out/sex comedies of contemporary society. It definitely has some unforgetabbly funny moments. The scene with the beer--CLASSIC! A film like this is noted for its crudeness, but what makes it special is it disciplines the crudeness and uses it intelligently. There are few throwaway gags. And through all the crudeness, there's a heart. There's a fine love story that develops via each character, and that romance develops smoothly and not at the usual forced Hollywood pace. And I think that's what made this film memorable. Because we see a lot of movies with crude sexual humor left and right. The makers of this movie KNOW how to tell a sex joke and any joke that regards to bodily functions. I think the scene that caught most people's eyes was the stripping scene with Jason Biggs and the foreign exchange student Nadia, played by Shannon Elizabeth. We do get a shot of her taking her clothes off, but it's not done in a gratuitous manner. It then cuts to the reactions of every computer user in East Falls, checking out the hot naked chick splattered across their screens. The way they edited that scene was really unique. The film even contains Shannon masturbating, and that's also not done in a gratuitous manner. Then we have Jason barging in on her, and she feels humiliated. What made that scene unique is SHE made HIM take his clothes off. Each comic moment goes smoothly because of the timing, delivery and all-out design of the sequences. So these are no mindless gags we usually are faced with in teen flicks of these kind. Of course, SCTV legend Eugene Levy steals the screen in his supporting role. I don't think they could've picked anyone better to play that role.

"American Pie" is a treat for teens, young adults and--maybe--some older ones. I think they should find it quite harmless. If you have an overprotective adult in the house who gets outraged if they hear the word "damn" used--make sure you view this film solo. But if your parents are more lenient, there's nothing to worry about. I'm sure they'll laugh with you. I have a cousin who thinks of "American Pie" as the dirtiest film ever made. She thinks it should get a triple R rating. She said, "What kind of dirty teen films are they making nowadays? Back in my day, I was raised with good, wholesome films like "The Breakfast Club" and "16 Candles." She obviously doesn't get out a hell of a lot. If you're stuck in the same close-minded mode as my cousin, skip this one. If not--kick back and have some fun!!!