When Teen Comedy Changed
When American Pie was released in 1999, few understood how to identify the American Pie phenomenon and how it was going to influence the portrayal of teenage comedy in the years to come. It was, after all, marketed to the audience as a lowbrow comedy set in high school, replete with awkward sexual situations. It is still easy to forget, however, the underlying portrayal of a cinematic masterpiece about growing up, the essence of friendship, the pains of growing old, and more importantly, the frail line crossing the boundary of adolescence.
Paul Weitz and Adam Herz’s direction and script encapsulated the teenage spirit in the fine cultural fabric of the west, where the values of the school and the practices of the internet and modern lifestyle collided. It was not vernost in teenage films to present the story of a bunch of friends setting a goal of losing their virginity but American Pie’s unabashedly honest and weirdly sweet presentation embedded it in teenage memory.
A Promise, a Pact, and the Price of Growing Up
The film chronicles the story of 5 high school friends, Jim (Jason Biggs), Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), and Stifler (Seann William Scott), who set a goal of losing their virginity in time for prom. It is easy to oversimplify the rest of the film as a series of chaotic stolen sexual opportunities but it is actually a film of heart for the emotional growth embedded in the misunderstanding and lost opportunities.
Jim’s infamous “apple pie” scene has attracted a great deal of attention in pop culture, not only because of its outrageousness, but also because it captured the awkwardness of teenage experimentation. On the other hand, Oz, the jock with a sensitive side, develops a more meaningful connection with Heather (Mena Suvari) during choir practice. For Kevin, love is more complex than mere strategy. Finch hides behind a façade of sophistication until he encounters Stifler’s mom (Jennifer Coolidge). Stifler himself is the epitome of reckless confidence.
By graduation, the movie has taken its crude humor and turned it into something more emotionally resonant, reminding the viewer that growing up is poorly, messily, and absurdly out of a person’s control.
The Relatable Aspect of the Film
The relatability of the young cast is part of what has rendered American Pie as timeless. Most teenage comedies cast polished stars in their mid-20s. American Pie, in contrast, preserved the awkwardness of youth in its actors.
As an actor, Biggs was especially young, having just turned 20, and the character’s awkwardness, like Jim’s, was appreciated in the film. He also stated that it was especially hard for him to film those embarrassing scenes. He recalled that he had to convince himself that if he felt humiliated, the audience would find it funny.
Chris Klein, who had just finished filming Election, showed the audience Oz’s character arc from macho to mindful. Klein was an athlete again, so he understood the feelings of playing and the character of Oz and the emotional conflict of masking toughness, and the inner emotions of being sensitive. There was great chemistry between Klein and Mena Suvari as she was also starting her career and there was a similar shy and excited.
Seann William Scott, who played the unforgettable Stifler, was a revelation. He was working part time and had less than 300 in his bank account. His loud, confident character was the polar opposite of who he was off-screen – reserved, polite, and grateful for every opportunity. Ironically, the character that almost didn’t exist, Stifler was supposed to be a minor character in the early drafts of the script, and he became one of the most quoted figures in cinema.
Jennifer Coolidge, in the role of the now-iconic Stifler’s Mom, became a pop-culture legend while showcasing her talent as a comedian. Jennifer later stated American Pie unexpectedly had a positive impact on her career, leading to more opportunities and worldwide fame. She even joked that the film helped improve her social life, a humorous nod to her character’s scandalous sequence with Finch, which is often referred to as the ultimate moment for ‘MILFs.’
The Making of a Cultural Explosion
For all the laughter the film has generated, American Pie was produced with a relatively small budget of about $11 million. Universal Studios had initial concerns about the mainstream appeal of such an explicit film. However, the fears were quashed with test screenings, as the targeted young audiences responded enthusiastically and emotionally to the film, essentially making American Pie a cultural phenomenon before its official release. American Pie went on to gross over $235 million worldwide and became a sleeper hit. Its soundtrack, which featured anthems of the era from Blink-182, Third Eye Blind, and Tonic, became a staple. The film honestly and humorously addressed the insecurities surrounding sex in a way that resonated with the audiences, particularly in the pre-social media era of the late 90s when such issues were heavily stigmatized.
The financial success of the film and the success across generations were equally unprecedented. The entire cast gained fame and recognition almost instantaneously. These members of the audience which included overly eager fans were able to see themselves being represented by the cast. The audience adored the ditzy and the ultra lovable characters.
The Filming of the American Pie Series
The filming of the American Pie series was by universal account chaotic and utterly ridiculous. The young cast were made to do some crazy things scene after scene and it bordered on insanity. The infamous pie scene required very little rehearsal which the director Paul Weitz blamed on the cast when he told the lead actor Jason Biggs to do just that and he did to lasting comedic characters.
In the unwaveringly tireless and caffeine infused gigs that stretched almost a week the entire cast was overtly and deliriously sleep deprived. The cast was commended on their ability to create camaraderie that was evident on film and it was a bizarre joy to watch. The laughter was insatiable when the frame was rolled which made shooting very tiresome. The entire cast of Stiflers little posse was told to prep the lines and some were graded on the ad libs. The laden phrase “You guys are such losers” was an ad lib made during the rolling of the rehearsal. This gave Stiflers little posse an edge and made shooting very tiresome.
Often overlooked by fans is Levy, whose character was Jim’s endlessly awkward but loving father. It was not intended for him to improvise most of his lines, but his warmth made every meeting a father-son moment, and several lines were unscripted, including his painfully funny sex talk with Jim.
The subsequent years following American Pie were a rollercoaster for its cast. Some went on to be typecast for sequels, like Biggs and Scott, and struggled to be taken seriously for drama. Suvari shifted toward quieter indie films, which were also character driven. Reid, who played Vicky, became a tabloid fixture with her off-screen life, which overshadowed her talent, and thus, was more famous for her lackluster films. Despite all, with the elapsed time, the cast maintained a sentimental bond of being part of a culturally defining era.
The connection was still apparent when American Pie Reunion was released. The cast had matured, aged and were faced with their own embarrassments, yet the warmth and affection had not shifted. The actors had not just played old friends, but were, in fact, old friends having a reunion.
More Than Just a Teen Comedy
No matter how raunchy the jokes were or how extreme the situations appeared, American Pie was never about sex. It was about honesty, camaraderie, friendship, and the excruciatingly beautiful process of growing up and maturing. American Pie depicted teenagers as neither a stereotype, nor as a caricature; it presented them as confused, well-meaning, and humorous people.
There was laughter and sincerity in equal parts; in the people who made the film and in the film itself. That’s probably why, many years later, American Pie still seems as new as it did its first time airing. It was a film that didn’t just laugh with the audience, it let them feel and remember the spontaneity of youth.