Everyone needs a little junk food in his or her cinematic life. Don’t get me wrong, watching healthy films adds value to your life — it helps shape your perception of the world. Cinematic masterpieces like Citizen Kane, North by Northwest, The 400 Blows, The Shawshank Redemption, and Fight Club are must-sees But every once in a while it’s okay to give in to the junkm the films that don’t do much for us intellectually, but are nonetheless an absolute pleasure to watch. Case in point: American Pie.
Released in 1999, American Pie was an instant teen film classic. I have never met someone my age who does not know the phrase: “This one time, at band camp… ”Everyone has a special place in their heart for the Stiffmeister, and who could forget the awkwardness that is the duo of Jim Levinstein and his overbearing father? These are just a few of the many things that make American Pie such a great movie.
The film centres around the four main characters –– Jim, Oz, Kevin, and Finch — and the pact they have made to lose their virginities by prom; the naiveté of the four boys is what makes the contract endearing, rather than piggish. The conversation the boys first have at their hangout spot, Dog Years, about what it’s like to get to third base is one example of the realistic, honest portrayal of teenagers in this movie. Jim asks what it feels like, and Oz replies: “Like warm apple pie,” with a knowing smirk on his face, to which Jim then asks: “McDonalds’ or homemade?” Oz is part of a club that Jim desperately wants to join, not knowing that it’s exactly his desperation that’s keeping him out. It’s sweet and reminds everyone watching of how they felt in his position, which albeit awkward at the time, reminds us of the innocence of a time when sex was still a beautiful mystery.
There are many different ways to discover these mysteries in the movie, and everyone can relate to at least one of them. We have Kevin, the boy with the girlfriend who wants it to be perfect; Finch, the boy who uses a badass reputation to garner interest; Oz, the boy who uses sensitivity to get what he wants; and Jim, the one who has no idea what he’s doing and always seems to mess it up, even when a naked girl is in his bed ready to go… twice.
The saving grace of each of these boys is that even if they didn’t start with the greatest intentions, what each of them finds is that their tactics for getting laid work in unexpected ways. Kevin tells Vicky he loves her, and their first time is sweet and perfect — which is what Kevin wanted in the end. Oz ends up falling in love with Heather. Finch’s lies are exposed and he goes to prom alone, but then ends up with possibly the coolest reputation by sleeping with Stifler’s mom — the original incarnation of the word “MILF.” Finally, Jim happens upon sex with Michelle, the band geek, despite embarrassing blunders with former love interest, Nadia.
Also thrown in are the side stories of Stifler and Sherman, referred to as “The Sherminator.” Stifler treats girls terribly and technically gets what he wants, but he is not glorified for it; he’s a boy with many friends, but none that are close to him. He also finds out what Finch has done with his mother and feels betrayed. Sherman is exposed at prom for lying about sleeping with a girl who he merely talked to at a party. Because these boys were disrespectful, they do not have happy endings in the film – yet it’s still lighthearted enough that we can laugh about these events and not think on a deeper level about their consequences.
This movie is a feel-good ride all the way through. There are sentimental moments about the innocence of youth, wedged in with hilarious scenes of absolute ridiculousness: Jim’s father giving him a lesson in masturbation and, who could forget, the classic pie scene. Not to mention, a wicked soundtrack, which leaves you feeling as satisfied if you had just eaten a big plate of nachos. It’s comforting, it’s a classic, and it’s guaranteed to make you smile.
