AT LAST, THE FIRST FRUIT OF THE SUMMER CROP OF MOVIES

Rating: Null/10 (24 July 1999)

One of the most emotionally true films of the year has arrived, dressed in the costume of gross out comedy benefiting from "There's Something About Mary's" raising the bar on semen jokes and other not-for-polite-company material. One of the biggest hurdles to producing a good film about the high school experience - which seems to be a bigger factor in determining character to the average American than college - is getting a handle on believability. With so many seemingly overwhelming forces at work (academic demands, budding sexuality, growing peer pressure), teens lead unacknowledged complicated lives. Also, it is the last time many will be truly unique individuals, before society and its media bombardment flatten out the rough edges. "American Pie" scores on getting it right.
Starting with the casting, this is a film where the writers and director have shunned the "Hollywood version" with every decision they made. Instead of a cast culled from the best looking members of (fill in teen-targeted TV show here), these are the people I went to class with. The central quartet has only one member of better than average looks. Yet Oz (Chris Kline) is so aware of it that it makes him try awkward come-ons only Sean Connery as 007 could pull off. The rest look like any student you could pick at random out of a yearbook. The central character, Jim (Jason Biggs), is the goofiest looking. Which, of course, is what we all thought of ourselves in high school isn't it?
The biggest surprise of "Pie" to the uninitiated will be that it's antecedents turn out to be not "Porky's" and rip-offs, but "The Waltons" and "Family." The four buddies learn that getting laid by the prom is not what they thought it would be. Each gets a different "life lesson" as they pursue unlike paths to that common goal. Those lessons give them and the viewer an unexpected warm-fuzzy feeling. In that regard, "Pie" will be a valuable political instrument for the next year. "Say what, Mr Kotter?!" Well, anytime you hear some blow-hard going on about decency and family values and decides to hold up "American Pie" as an example of Hollywood's moral deficiency, you'll instantly know he's full of s***.
The only real deficiency is with a storyline centering on the four young men, the young women don't get much to do beyond interaction. Which is a shame, because it wastes the talent of Natasha Lyonne who I could watch for hours longer than the surface-only charm of Shannon Elizabeth's Hustler-loving Czech exchange student. Alyson Hannigan (who does star in one of those TV teen show, but don't hold it against her) is another standout whose brief screen time does make sense for her character's payoff. But this is a movie about four guys (any writers want to pick up that gauntlet and make one about four gals?).

Admittedly, everyone's high school experiences are no the same. "American Pie's" depiction did mirror my own to a degree that surpasses the last benchmark of well-received school days angst, "The Breakfast Club." It's a shame the R-rated comedy will turn off many of those bemoaning the lack of films about values and decency because "Pie" has those qualities proudly. It doesn't hurt it's also one f**king funny movie.