Amazon.com video review:
Anyone who's watched just about any teenage film knows that the greatest
evil in this world isn't chemical warfare, ethnic cleansing, or even the
nuclear bomb. The worst crime known to man? Why, virginity, of course. As
we've learned from countless films--from Summer of '42 to Risky
Business--virginity is a criminal burden that one must shed oneself of
as quickly as possible. And while many of these films have given the topic
a bad name, American Pie quietly sweeps in and gives sex some of its
dignity back. Dignity, you may say? How can a film that highlights
intercourse with fruit pies, premature ejaculation broadcasted across the
Internet, and the gratuitous "gross-out" shots restore the dignity of a genre
that's been encumbered with such heavyweights as Porky's and
Losin' It? The plot may be typical, with four high school friends
swearing to "score" by prom, yet the film rises above the muck with its
superior cast, successful and sweet humor, and some actually rather retro
values about the meaning and importance of sex. Jason Biggs, Chris Klein,
Thomas Ian Nicholas, and Eddie Kaye Thomas make up the odd quartet of pals
determined to woo, lie, and beg their way to manhood. The young women
they pursue are wary girlfriend Vicky (Tara Reid), choir girl Heather (Mena
Suvari), band geek Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), and just about any other
female who is willing and able. Natasha Lyonne as Jessica, playing a
similar role as in Slums of Beverly Hills, is the general adviser to
the crowd (when Vicky tells her "I want it to be the right time, the right
place," Jessica responds, "It's not a space shuttle launch, it's
sex"). The comedic timing hits the mark--especially in the
deliberately awkward scenes between Jim (Biggs) and his father (Eugene
Levy). And, of course, lessons are learned in this genuinely funny film,
which will probably please the adult crowd even more than it will the
teenage one. --Jenny Brown
