It's no "Mary"

Rating: 7/10 (17 July 1999)

This gross-out coming of age story is funny in spots, but it lacks the comic inspiration that made "There's Something About Mary" so outstanding. Most of the gags in "American Pie" are just gross without bothering to be funny (e.g., a kid mistakes a cup of urine for beer, drinks it, then throws up on his girlfriend. ha, ha, ha. There's also a scene in which one of the characters is shown having diarrhea in the school lavatory, complete with sound effects. The scene has no other reason than just pushing the envelope of movie grossness.). The famous "money scene" of the movie in which an apple pie is used as an onanistic prop was funnier when I read about it than when I actually saw it (the scene also owes a lot to Phillip Roth's novel "Portnoy's Complaint," in which the masturbation-obsessed title character has a go with a piece of liver intended for the family's dinner.) The young characters in the movie are appealing and that alone keeps the movie mildly enjoyable. The funniest scenes are those that are the least gross: Jim's Dad tries to explain the birds and the bees; Finch and his friend's sexy mom (who is like Mrs. Robinson on 'ludes) go about seducing each other (Mom: The scotch is aged 18 years, just the way I like them.)