AMERICAN PIE
(R)
MOVIE: **** (out of 5)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
I am a child of the 80s, so I will always think of films like “Porky’s” and “Revenge of the Nerds” as the quintessential teen sex comedies. Still, when “American Pie” came out in 1999, I respected the hell out of that production, too. It may not have invented the genre, but it did bring that genre to a whole new generation, ones that were tired of having to watch “Porky’s” and “Revenge of the Nerds” on videotape.
“American Pie” follows four friends in high school who make a pact to lose their virginity by graduation day. Jim is the nice guy who has a chronic masturbation problem and wants to get with the hot exchange student. Kevin is the guy with the steady girlfriend who will do just about everything except actually have sex. Oz is the jock who falls for the good girl in the choir. And Finch is the refined nerd who feels he’s above high school girls.
Part of what makes “American Pie” work isn’t just the relatively raunchy nature for its time. Sure, that’s a part of it, with Jim having sex with an apple pie and an early look at what streaming video could do to a person’s reputation. Those are all fun elements to the film, but what really makes “American Pie” work is its heart.
The movie isn’t just about a bunch of teen guys trying to have sex. It’s about friends in high school bonding and going through things together. It’s about winding down your high school days and not knowing what’s in front of you. Unlike modern teen party movies, like the godawful “Project X,” these are real human beings with real human emotions.
Sure, sex is one thing, but good friends are also important. And amid all of the raunch and riotous behavior, there’s a niceness to the characters that makes them feel real and human. Made as a smaller film before it blew up to become a generational icon, “American Pie” has as much soul as it does sex.
The newly released Blu-ray includes all the bonus features from previous releases: deleted scenes, outtakes, commentary, casting tapes, location spotlight, photo montage and poster concepts. New features includes the “100 years of Universal: Unforgettable Characters” spot, a three-hour look at the franchise called “American Pie Revealed” and a look at the new film “American Reunion.”
Additional features include an enclosed DVD as well as access to the pocketBLU app and BD-Live.