The comedy turns 20 today.
While cake is usually the go-to confectionery to celebrate a birthday, we wonder if Jason Biggs and the rest of the cast of American Pie might be indulging in a slice of apple pie. Actually, we should just call it apple tart. After all, we’re not American.
Yes, film fans of a certain age will probably be feeling very old in the knowledge that 20 years ago today, Jim, Kevin, Oz, and Finch all vowed to lose their virginity before college.
Of course, it also helped that the film also boasted some memorable supporting characters with the likes of Jim’s dad (Eugene Levy), Stifler’s mom (Jennifer Coolidge), Michelle ‘this one time at band camp’ Flaherty (Alyson Hannigan), and the Sherminator (Chris Owen) all being given their time to shine.
Seann William Scott’s uber-bro Steve Stifler steals every scene that he’s in but it’s arguable that the remaining female characters are not as fully-formed as their male counterparts.
Like every film in the history of cinema, American Pie was very much of its era, however, within that subgenre of comedy – frat house college capers – you could argue that the film’s tone is very much in keeping with previous entries like Porky’s, or Animal House, but all filmmaking evolves with the culture and times.
On that note, it’s arguable that American Pie would not be made in today’s climate.
For proof of this, look at how films like Blockers, Long Shot, and Booksmart have handled the ‘racier’ gags while simultaneously dealing with issues like gender equality, sex, and consent.
This isn’t an attempt to vilify and label American Pie as a piece of exploitative smut. In fact, at the time of its release, various critics remarked on the film’s sincerity and heart.
In their review, the LA Times said that it was “unusual in its ability to mix bodily functions and humour with a sincere and unlooked-for sense of decency” while Entertainment Weekly said that it was “a lively, disposable hybrid of the sincere and the synthetic”.
However, as stated previously, it’s unlikely that the film would be made in the current climate and if it was, one scene would definitely not have been included.
Cast your mind back to the moment when Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) – the foreign exchange student that all the characters are lusting after – joins Jim in his bedroom.
The most uncomfortable and awkward striptease in cinema history unfolds as Nadia gets naked without knowing that the whole sequence of events is being broadcast over the Internet via webcam.
In a recent interview with Page Six, Shannon Elizabeth was reminded of the fallout from that scene and the actress genuinely couldn’t remember that after the events unfold, her character is sent back to Slovakia while none of the boys are reprimanded for the video.
“Gosh, do I get sent home?” Elizabeth asked, before adding, “If this had come out after the #MeToo movement, there would definitely be a problem. I think that it would have gone down differently.”
In a very reflective chat, the star of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Scary Movie also states that she’s incredibly “blessed and grateful for” the role as Nadia because it helped launch her career.
You can read the whole piece here.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
