American Pie (film)

American Pie
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Paul Weitz Chris Weitz
Produced by	Chris Weitz Paul Weitz Chris Moore Warren Zide Craig Perry
Written by	Adam Herz
Starring	Jason Biggs Chris Klein Natasha Lyonne Thomas Ian Nicholas Tara Reid Mena Suvari Eugene Levy
Music by	David Lawrence
Cinematography	Richard Crudo
Edited by	Priscilla Nedd-Friendly
Production company	Zide/Perry Productions Summit Entertainment
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	July 9, 1999 (1999-07-09)
Running time	95 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$11 million
Box office	$235.5 million[1]

American Pie is a 1999 American teen sex comedy film written by Adam Herz and directed by brothers Paul and Chris Weitz, in their directorial film debut. It is the first film in the American Pie theatrical series. The film was a box-office hit and spawned three direct sequels: American Pie 2 (2001), American Wedding (2003), and American Reunion (2012).^[2] The film concentrates on five best friends (Jim, Kevin, Oz, Finch, and Stifler) who attend East Great Falls High. With the exception of Stifler (who has already lost his virginity), the guys make a pact to lose their virginity before their high school graduation. The title is borrowed from the song of the same name and refers to a scene in the film, in which the protagonist is caught masturbating with a pie after being told that third base feels like "warm apple pie". Writer Adam Herz has stated that the title also refers to the quest of losing one's virginity in high school, which is as "American as apple pie."

In addition to the primary American Pie saga, there are four direct-to-DVD spin-off films bearing the title American Pie Presents: Band Camp (2005), The Naked Mile (2006), Beta House (2007), and The Book of Love (2009).

In response to the success of American Reunion, a fifth theatrical film, under the working title American Pie 5 was announced on August 4, 2012.^[3] In August 2017, Seann William Scott said in an interview that the fourth film probably had not made enough at the domestic box office to warrant another film.^[4]

Plot

Five high school seniors from East Great Falls High School in West Michigan are good friends: Jim Levenstein (Jason Biggs), an awkward and sexually naïve nerd whose dad, Noah (Eugene Levy), offers him pornography and unwanted sexual advice; Chris "Oz" Ostreicher (Chris Klein), on the school lacrosse team; Kevin Myers (Thomas Ian Nicholas), a virgin and somewhat nerdy leader of the group seeking to lose his virginity to his girlfriend Vicky (Tara Reid); Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), a mochaccino-drinking sophisticate and nerd; and Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott), a raucous jock who often throws wild parties when his mother is away, and is the only one of the five who has lost his virginity. Dorky classmate, Chuck Sherman (Chris Owen), claims that at a party hosted by Stifler he lost his virginity. Kevin prompts Oz, Finch, Jim, and Kevin to pledge to no longer be virgins by their high school graduation.

Vicky accuses Kevin of wanting her only for sex, and he has to repair their relationship before the senior prom night, now the target day the four plan to lose their virginity. Oz joins the school jazz choir to find a girlfriend, learns about sensitivity, & that it is about asking girls questions and listening to what they say. He soon wins the attention of Heather (Mena Suvari), a girl in the choir. Heather learns about Oz's reputation, breaks up with him, & then learns to trust him when he leaves the lacrosse championship game to perform a competition duet with her.

Jim pursues Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth), an exchange student from the former Czechoslovakia. Oz tells Jim that third base feels like "warm apple pie" and when found by Noah having sex with a pie Noah is persuaded to keep it from Jim's mother. Stifler persuades Jim to set up a webcam in his room so that they can all watch Nadia changing clothes (before she goes to ballet class). Nadia discovers Jim's pornography collection and while half-naked sitting on his bed masturbates to it. Jim is persuaded to return to his room, where he joins Nadia, unaware that he has sent the webcam link to everyone on the school list. With her, he experiences premature ejaculation twice. Nadia's sponsors see the video and send her back home, leaving Jim dateless for the prom.

Jim thinks band camp geek Michelle Flaherty (Alyson Hannigan) is unaware of the cam incident so he asks her to the prom. Finch pays Vicky's friend, Jessica (Natasha Lyonne), $200 to spread the rumor of his sexual prowess, hoping that it will increase his chances of success. Stifler is turned down by a girl because she wants Finch to ask her; he spikes Finch's mochaccino with a laxative. Stifler plays to Finch's school restroom germaphobia to use the girls' restroom. Finch has diarrhea, is humiliated by the crowd of students.

Vicky asks Sherman's conquest about his claim. Everyone learns it is false; Sherman wets himself.

The boys plan to fulfill their pledge at the Stifler post-prom party. Kevin and Vicky have sex in an upstairs bedroom. Vicky breaks up with Kevin afterwards on the grounds that they will drift apart when they go to college. Oz confesses the pact to Heather, and renounces it, saying that just them being together makes him a winner. They reconcile and have sex. Oz, honoring his newfound sensitivity, never divulges what they did.

Michelle accepted Jim's offer to be his date because she saw the "Nadia Incident" and thought he was a "sure thing". Michelle is sexually aggressive in bed. When he wakes up she is gone and he her one-night stand; he is okay.

Finch meets Stifler's mother (Jennifer Coolidge) in the basement recreation room where they have sex on the pool table. Stifler finds them on the pool table asleep and he faints. The morning after the prom, the boys eat breakfast at their favorite restaurant where they toast to the "next step".

From Slovakia, Nadia watches Jim's webcam; he is stripping. Jim is oblivious to his father walking in; Noah walks out and starts dancing.

Cast

Cameos

• Blink-182 make a cameo appearance as the band watching Jim and Nadia during their webcast, though drummer Travis Barker is incorrectly credited as former Blink-182 drummer "Scott Raynor". Also, when their song "Mutt" is credited, Barker's name is misspelled as "Travis Barkor". The parts were given when Tom DeLonge's acting agent reported the film needed a band.
• Casey Affleck as Tom Myers, Kevin's older brother.
• Stacy Fuson, Playmate of the Month for February 1999, appears in the crowd laughing at Finch when he exits the girls' restroom.

Bill Murray was considered for the role of Noah Levenstein.^[5]

Location

Northwest view of the Los Cerritos house.

Much of the film is based on the writer's days at East Grand Rapids High School in Michigan.^[6][7] In the film, the town is called "East Great Falls", and the high school sports the same school colors — blue and gold — along with a similar mascot — the Trailblazers instead of the Pioneers. The restaurant hangout, "Dog Years", is based on Yesterdog, a popular hot dog restaurant in the nearby Eastown neighborhood of Grand Rapids.^[8] The "Central Chicks" and "Central" Lacrosse team that East Great Falls plays against is an amalgam of nearby Forest Hills Central High School and Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School.^[9]

Principal photography begun on July 20 and end wrapped on September 11, 1998.

The film was actually shot in Southern California, most notably in Long Beach using Long Beach Unified School District area high schools. Millikan High School, whose school colors are blue and gold, was used for exterior shots, and Long Beach Polytechnic High School was used for interior shots. Located in Los Cerritos, Long Beach, California, both schools are within five miles of the Virginia Country Club and Los Cerritos Neighborhood (where Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Donnie Darko were filmed).^[10]

Release

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack peaked at number 50 on the Billboard 200 chart.^[22]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[23]

The following songs were included in the film but were not featured on the soundtrack:

• Sex-o-rama Band – "Love Muscle"
• The Ventures – "Walk Don't Run"
• Barenaked Ladies – "One Week"
• The Brian Jonestown Massacre – "Going To Hell"
• Third Eye Blind – "Semi-Charmed Life"
• Oleander – "I Walk Alone"
• Hole – "Celebrity Skin"
• Everclear – "Everything to Everyone"
• Harvey Danger – "Flagpole Sitta"
• Duke Daniels – "Following a Star"
• The Lemonheads – "Mrs. Robinson"
• Fatboy Slim – "The Rockafeller Skank"
• Libra Presents Taylor – "Anomaly - Calling Your Name (Granny's Epicure Mix)"
• Etta James – "At Last"
• James – "Laid"
• Loni Rose – "I Never thought you would come"
• Norah Jones – "The Long Day is Over"
• Marvin Gaye – "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)"
• Maria Muldaur – "Midnight at the Oasis"
• Simple Minds – "Don't You (Forget About Me)"
• The Verve Pipe – "The Freshmen"

See also

• Superbad a 2007 film with a similar premise.
• List of films featuring surveillance

References

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: American Pie

• Official website
• American Pie on IMDb
• American Pie at the TCM Movie Database
• American Pie at AllMovie
• American Pie at Box Office Mojo
• American Pie at Rotten Tomatoes