A funny and truthful teen flick (4/5)

Rating: Null/10 (4 April 2004)

Every man is ashamed to carry the heavy burden of being a vergin. As men, we tend to think if we ain't getting, it won't come. It's this think that helps make "American Pie" an honest and brutely funny exploitation of what we'll go through to have sex. The story's about four friends Jim (the oustanding Jason Biggs), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nichols), Oz (Chris Klien), and Finich (Eddie Kaye Thomas). As the four approach the end of their senior year, they come to a horrifing realization: they may end up going to college as vergins! It's the taunting of recently defowlered geek Sherman (a smug Chris Owen) to force the boys into a pact: to lose their verginity by or at prom. So sets in motion the events leading up to the big night. Each of the four guys has there own scenario: Kevin is trying to convince long time girlfriend Vikki (Tara Ried) that he loves (and he's not lieing either!) and it's okay to have sex. Oz is trying to become a more sensitive guy, which leads him to "Goody, Goody, Choir Girl" cutie Heather (the adorable Mina Sivari). Finich manages to spread rumors throughout school that he is...um..."gifted". And Jim. Poor Jim. First, he gets caught watching porn, then he has an embarissing talk with his father (the brilliant Eugene Levy), onstintlly pines over forein fox Nadia (the sexy Shannon Elizabeth), And...well I won't spoil it. Then of course there's Stifler (Sean William Scott), Oz's jock friend who constantly torments Oz about Heather and Finich for...well, just for being "s*** break". But of all the girls in this movie, my favorite is band geek Michelle (cutie Allyson Hannigan), whose hand with her instament!
Looking at all the charecters, its not hard to relate to any of them (for me, it's the shy, ackward, and neive Jim how I root for). And that's what makes this movie great: charecters. With the exception of Stifler, non of the guys in the movie are protraid as horny jerks. Instead, they are so caught up in the manly image of having sex, that they don't realize till the end that it may not that big of deal after all. In the process, we see two male charecters evlove from kids to men. Oz's realtionship with Heather helps him to put things in his life into perspective (the lacross/choir scene is the best example of this). Kevin's journey is to realize what it really means to "love" someone (i.e. Vikki). While Jim and Finich evlove as well, it's not with the same depth as Oz and Kevin. One of the film's highlights is the father-son relationship with Jim and his father. While these are at times halarious, they display the fathers mission: teach his son the real world of sex.
Writer Adam Herz gives the charecters and story a sencere and truthful outlook on not just sex, but with high school, relationships, and growing up. But it's the Weitz bros. who close the ball game. Refusing to make a "Farrley Brothers Clone" of a movie, they don't try to make EVERY joke as discusting as possible (though some are bad). Also, they don't want it to seem that the whole world hates the film's heros. It wants the best for them and wants them to be happy, but they have to fall on their face once in awhile.
I do have some complaints about this movie though. First, I don't like the charecter Jessica (Nastasia Lyonne). Yes, I know she severs as a confidant to Vikki, but she just doesn't work for me. Second, the charecter Michelle plays a big role in the movie, so why is she seen so sparingly? Finally, the film follows too many "Teen Flick" clichas (thankfully, those doppy cliches from other movies don't jump to the forefront too often).
But in the end, I have to say that I loved "American Pie". It's a crude comedy with heart, and in ranks as one of my favorite teen flicks (right behind John Hughes' "The Breakfast Club")