American Pie - 5 stars out of 10

American Pie - 5 stars out of 10

"American Pie" is as classic of a summertime comedy movie as, well, apple pie!  That being said, this film travels to the extremes of sexuality, getting to the point that it can be tough to watch.  It's the type of film that will make you blush if you're watching it with someone that you don't know very well.  I could appreciate some of the humor as an adult but it disturbs me that it is often a rite-of-passage film for young teens.  Regardless, I can't completely criticize this film because the characters are so great.  Whether it is Kevin, Finch, Oz, Vicky, Heather, Nadia, Jim, or Jim's dad (Eugene Levy, best part of the film), there is always someone entertaining on-screen.  I find Seann William Scott to be pretty annoying so I didn't really enjoy Stifler, but a character like that is a necessity in a story like this.  Outside of the main characters, the band and choir stereotypes are well-played.  Michelle's band camp stories are incredible, all leading up to the most famous line of the script.  The story actually captures several of the big topics of late 90's culture, such as the webcam sequence.  You could almost call it the "American Graffiti" of the next generation.  Music is cleverly used throughout the film, particularly when "Mrs. Robinson" begins to play during Finch's encounter with Stifler's mom (not to mention the perfect use of the famous "The Graduate" camera angle).  If I were rating this film on my "recommendation to watch it unedited," it would certainly be a 1.  But I have to acknowledge the success of the film to accomplish what it sets out to do.  Even though the content is incredibly offensive, this has become one of those movies that is so famous that you have to see it.  I don't know if it is possible to edit this enough to screen on tv, but it's worth holding out to see if they can manage it.