American Pie (1999)
69%RT Audience Score: 61%
Awards & Nominations: 9 wins & 14 nominations
So embarrassing it’s believable, American Pie succeeds in bringing back the teen movie genre
American Pie is a classic teen comedy that’s both disgusting and sweet at the same time. The commitment to the bit is extreme, and the sex-positive attitude is refreshing. Plus, who can forget Seann William Scott’s iconic portrayal of Stifler? It’s not the most memorable movie out there, but it’s definitely worth a watch for a good laugh. Just don’t watch it with your parents.
Production Company(ies)
Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions,
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Millikan High School – 2800 Snowden Avenue, Long Beach, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong sexuality, crude sexual dialogue, language and drinking, all involving teens
Year of Release
1999
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 35m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 9, 1999 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 29, 2003
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Jason Biggs, Shannon Elizabeth, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Seann William Scott, Tara Reid, Mena Suvari, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Eugene Levy, Jennifer Coolidge, Chris Owen, Molly Cheek, John Cho, Casey Affleck, directed by Paul Weitz, written by Adam Herz, produced by Chris Moore, Craig Perry, Chris Weitz, Warren Zide, comedy, R-rated, box office gross $101.7M, budget $11M, reviewed by Kirk Honeycutt, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Geoff Andrew, Mick LaSalle, Liam Lacey, Kevin Maher, Leigh Paatsch, PJ Nabarro, Patrick Nabarro
Worldwide gross: $235,483,004
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $422,698,558
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 367
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 46,095,808
US/Canada gross: $102,561,004
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $184,099,862
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 406
US/Canada opening weekend: $18,709,680
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $33,584,397
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 394
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $11,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $19,745,307
Production budget ranking: 1,376
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $10,632,848
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $392,320,404
ROI to date (est.): 1,291%
ROI ranking: 93
Shannon Elizabeth – Nadia
Alyson Hannigan – Michelle
Chris Klein – Chris “Oz” Ostreicher
Natasha Lyonne – Jessica
Thomas Ian Nicholas – Kevin
Director – Paul Weitz
Producers – Chris Moore, Craig Perry, Chris Weitz, Warren Zide
Writer – Adam Herz
Director(s)
Paul Weitz
Writer(s)
Adam Herz
Producer(s)
Chris Moore, Craig Perry, Chris Weitz, Warren Zide
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
9 wins & 14 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (128) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (78) | Rotten (50)
American Pie has a likable cast, but the actors appear throttled back by a pedestrian script and direction. Consequently, one winds up liking the film more than it deserves because of the gameness of its attractive cast.
July 9, 2019
Kirk Honeycutt
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
Another giggly gross-out comedy for teenagers, this one somewhat better than most by virtue of a more satisfying ending.
November 8, 2011
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
A crude piece of work, spottily acted and directed.
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
It casts actors who look plausible and treats sex with honesty and no apologies.
June 18, 2002 | Rating: 3/4
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Adam Herz’s script is wildly uneven but occasionally quite funny.
March 19, 2002 | Rating: 2/4
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Better than we might expect, but in the end it’s simply a noble addition to the lower ranks of thoughtful teen comedies.
March 5, 2002
Kevin Maher
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
The tight writing and direction underpinning this very likeable ensemble chuckler nails every tacky joke and surreal sight gag with considerable aplomb.
June 4, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
Seann William Scott’s great boorish creation, Stifler, provides nice flashes of idiosyncrasy away from the more stereotypical characterisations of the four main friends.
August 21, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
PJ Nabarro
Patrick Nabarro
What makes American Pie stand out is its extreme commitment to the bit, its relentlessly sex-positive attitude, and its sneaky ability to be both disgusting and kind of sweet.
March 26, 2019
Andrew Gruttadaro
The Ringer
There are some fine comedic moments that still shine, despite “American Pie” being pretty forgettable…
January 14, 2017
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
Although it has many familiar elements, this fresh slice of American adolescence isn’t baked from the same warmed-over stereotypes and formulaic storylines of the recent batch of teen movies.
October 26, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Serena Donadoni
The Cinema Girl
It works as well as it does because the central cast – equal parts male and female, lest we forget – are all so uniformly endearing.
April 29, 2012
Charlie Lyne
Ultra Culture…
Plot
Jim, Oz, Finch and Kevin are four friends who make a pact that before they graduate they will all lose their virginity. The hard job now is how to reach that goal by prom night. Whilst Oz begins singing to grab attention and Kevin tries to persuade his girlfriend, Finch tries any easy route of spreading rumors and Jim fails miserably. Whether it is being caught on top of a pie or on the Internet, Jim always ends up with his trusty sex advice from his father. Will they achieve their goal of getting laid by prom night? Or will they learn something much different?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for American Pie.
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