|
|
|
American Pie
**1/2
Cinema
Releases - October 8, 1999
Rated on a 4-star
scale. USA. Directed by Paul Weitz. Written by Adam Herz. Starring Jason
Biggs, Chris Klein, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Thomas Ian Nichols, Eugene Levy, Seann
William Scott, Tara Reid, Shannon Elizabeth, Jennifer Coolidge, Natasha Lyonne,
Alyson Hannigan.
"American Pie" exploits the appeal
of a raunchy teen comedy and tacks on politically correct sentimentality.
Its four main characters, 17-year-old guys who've made a pact to lose their
virginity before high-school graduation, enjoy talking dirty and thinking
cynically, but make some cornball speeches about respecting everybody and
not becoming obsessed with sex, so we can feel like we've seen something
meaningful. Give me a break.
Kevin (Thomas Ian Nichols) is the kid who urges
his pals to make the agreement, and even though he has no idea how to act
around her, he's the only member of the quartet with a steady girlfriend.
We spend more time, however, with Jim (Jason Biggs), whose father (Eugene
Levy) keeps attempting the impossible task of talking to his boy about the
birds and the bees. Along for the ride, so to speak, are insecure sportsman
Oz (Chris Klein) and cool, mochachino-drinking Finch (Eddie Kaye
Thomas).
Despite their sermonising, we know these guys
are going to bed some honeys before the credits roll, but since we're in
the era of "There's Something About Mary", "The Spy Who Shagged Me", "Very
Bad Things" and various other comedies that aim to out-gross-out each other,
outrageous humiliation must pave the way. Jim gets caught in compromising
positions with a gym sock and the eponymous apple pie. Kevin's girlfriend
decides to storm out on him because of a throwaway comment she deems offensive,
as does the young lady Oz has his eye on. Finch gets his coffee laced with
laxatives, and you already know what that's gonna lead to in this kind of
movie.
There are, I must admit, some terrific moments:
Jim's awkward conversation and premature ejaculation with a feisty foreign
exchange student is broadcast over the internet. A girl tells fascinating
stories about the possible uses of a flute. The guys poke light-hearted fun
at each other. But even my laughs during "American Pie" were shaded by an
underlying feeling of contempt for the rest of the movie. The gags listed
in my previous paragraph, for example, are embarrassing rather than funny.
And in the same way that it treats the should-be devious plot, the film uses
phoney cosmetic sweetness to gloss over its exclusion and mocking of certain
social groups.
On a more fundamental level, the premise is too
implausible. These lads are supposedly 17, and yet not only are they all
virgins, but are totally clueless around girls, and don't even have any female
friends. They're equally unsure about their feelings for their surroundings,
despite having had a lifetime to get acquainted with them. None of these
teenagers have so much as a facial blemish. "American Pie" doesn't exist
in the real world, yet attempts to be perceptive; doesn't paint a convincing
picture of teenage sexuality, yet attempts to discuss the issue
seriously.
The cast are appealing, with the four aspiring
cherry-poppers interacting skilfully. Eddie Kaye Thomas is the star among
them, an intriguing, intelligent air present in all his movement and speech,
and loveable Chris Klein keeps up the good work we saw recently in "Election".
Of the adult performers, Eugene Levy is so hilarious as Jim's dad one wonders
why the character wasn't given his own movie.
"American Pie" is not a bad film, it just does
a lot of bad things. While a horny-youngster pic like "Porky's" has no morals,
its cheerful admittance of the fact is better than this one's defective trickery.
Virgins will like it, though, laughing just to show they get the jokes. Certain
adults will enjoy how it's not a typically dumb high-school movie, and perhaps
also feel it gives them insight into today's American youth. If they are
correct, the country is in worse shape than expected.
COPYRIGHT© 1999 Ian
Waldron-Mantgani
1999 Reviews
(alphabetical)
1999 Reviews (by star
rating)
Archive of all cinema reviews
(alphabetical)
Review Archive
Index
UK
Critic main page
|
|
![[Image]](http://www.ukcritic.com/posbanr2.gif)