American Pie (1999)

61% of critics liked it
(122 reviews)
63% of users liked it
(32,222,796 ratings)

It's said that most American men think about sex once every two or three minutes, but this statistic would seriously underestimate the horniness of Jim (Jason Biggs), a high school senior in suburban Michigan. Jim is thoroughly obsessed with sex, a fact of which his parents become aware when they… More It's said that most American men think about sex once every two or three minutes, but this statistic would seriously underestimate the horniness of Jim (Jason Biggs), a high school senior in suburban Michigan. Jim is thoroughly obsessed with sex, a fact of which his parents become aware when they discover him performing the sin of Onan with a gym sock while watching scrambled pay-per-view porn. Jim's buddies Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), and Oz (Chris Klein) are no less anxious to relieve themselves of their virginity, so they all make a pledge: they will go to bed with a woman in the three weeks before senior prom or die trying. Kevin appears to have the advantage, since he already has a girlfriend, Vicky (Tara Reid), but before he ventures into the Final Frontier, Kevin is urged to consult "The Bible," a hand-written how-to manual possessing erotic wisdom passed down through the ages. Oz is a good-looking jock who is actually a nice guy -- which is part of the problem, since he has his heart set on a nice girl, Heather (Mena Suvari), who does not seem the type to leap into bed within 21 days. Finch has no immediate prospects, though Jessica (Natasha Lyonne) is in a position to know if those rumors about him are true. And Jim is a truly hopeless case -- after his attempted seduction of beautiful Czech exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) turns out to be a disaster, he ends up going to the prom with Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), an annoyingly chatty band geek who does, however, have a fascinating story about a flute. American Pie was the directorial debut of Paul Weitz, who, along with his brother Chris Weitz (who served as producer), previously wrote several screenplays, including Antz and Madeline (where they presumably worked all their wholesome ideas out of their system). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 36 min.
Directed By: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
Written By: Adam Herz
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Jul 9, 1999 Wide
On DVD: Dec 21, 1999
Studio: Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Another giggly gross-out comedy for teenagers, this one somewhat better than most by virtue of a more satisfying ending.
, Houston Chronicle
More likely to gross out adults than kids.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
It casts actors who look plausible and treats sex with honesty and no apologies.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
Adam Herz's script is wildly uneven but occasionally quite funny.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Paul Weitz, who never directed before; Chris Weitz - his brother - who never produced before; and Adam Herz, who never wrote a screenplay before, have cooked up two hilarious hours of impure pow.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
Unusual in its ability to mix bodily functions humor with a sincere and unlooked-for sense of decency
Charlie Lyne, Ultra Culture
It works as well as it does because the central cast - equal parts male and female, lest we forget - are all so uniformly endearing.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
It may not have invented the genre, but it did bring that genre to a whole new generation.
, Film4
A well aimed jab at jock culture full of satisyingly dirty belly laughs.
Heather Boerner, Common Sense Media
Ultra-raunchy sex comedy is a teen fave -- beware.
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
Rest of the rancid jokes, listless performances, and mild sauce mischief bury the basic boner novelty of American Pie alive. Eleven years later, it's still the same insufferable, meaningless hooey it always was.
Karina Montgomery, Cinerina
American Pie shows us how little boys know about sex going into it, and how little the act really teaches them about it as well. But the true joy, for us in the audience anyway, is the chase. Vulgar and heartwarming!
Jim Lane, Sacramento News & Review
The production is amateurish and cheap-looking, but two decent performances are worth mentioning: Chris Klein as a sensitive jock and Alyson Hannigan as a nerdy flute player.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
It has likable characters and infectiously funny situations, and that's about all a comedy like this needs.
Garth Franklin, Dark Horizons
A surprisingly large amount of screen time devoted to the sickly sweet morality tales of the movie which would be fine on TV series...but are way too frothy and take up too much time here.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
A crude piece of work, spottily acted and directed.
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
More mature audiences, beware, 'cause this ain't your film.
Dragan Antulov, Draxblog Movie Reviews
American Pie is pleasant movie experience, despite the fact that many viewers might feel guilty about it
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
American Pie is the latest in a long tradition of immature, self-indulgent comedies that celebrate the recklessness of adolescents.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
It could have been a lot worse.

Read all 22 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Carlos M

Even if not always funny, this raunchy comedy has some hilarious moments that make for an enjoyable time. A refreshing comeback to the teenage sex movies of the '80s but with a grosser and more politically incorrect flavor of the '90s.
Jeff "

American Pie is a very well done teen comedy. The film has a good cast and the story itself is well done, and manages to be very funny. There have been numerous sequels after this one, and all failed to capture the funny and memorable moments that this one displayed. There are plenty… More
American Pie is a very well done teen comedy. The film has a good cast and the story itself is well done, and manages to be very funny. There have been numerous sequels after this one, and all failed to capture the funny and memorable moments that this one displayed. There are plenty of good gags here, and there, and the cast are very funny in the parts they play. I really enjoyed this film, and is one of the best teen comedies since Ferries Bueller's Day Off. I felt that there was room for improvement of course, but for the most part, it succeeds at being a funny comedy that Teens can relate to. The film unfortunately hasn't really stood the test of time, and I saw this back when I was in high school when it first came out, so maybe my opinions on the film have changed. But as I remember it, and I did see it again a while back, the film still is funny for what it is, and the jokes are still good, despite the fact that a few may not be as funny as you'd remember them to be. For what it is, American Pie is a well made comedy with plenty of laughs, and a good cast. The film delivers some good enough laughs from beginning to end, and there's lots of memorable. The cast do a fine job, and each deliver a great comedic performance. American Pie may not be a timeless comedy, but it still manages to make me laugh since I first saw it. A good enough comedy to watch with friends.
KJ P

It represents an exaggeration of teen life, but it does it well, and satisfyingly. A good comedy, that has a leveled amount of laughs, which I enjoyed. But what I enjoyed the most, was how much of teens are exactly the same way they are shown here. It's the end of high school,… More
It represents an exaggeration of teen life, but it does it well, and satisfyingly. A good comedy, that has a leveled amount of laughs, which I enjoyed. But what I enjoyed the most, was how much of teens are exactly the same way they are shown here. It's the end of high school, and these teenagers are on the brink of their lives. They become involved in situations that will make any audience member laugh. It may not meet all expectations to be the greatest comedy of all time, but it sure delivers many more laughs than expected. I love watching this movie, because the jokes are crude and rude and will never fade away. "American Pie" is great.
Jason S

Funny
Chris W

A great mix of heart and horniness. I imagine that many people can relate to this movie more than they may be willing to admit. The story takes the coming of age route, and follows a group of high school buddies who, in the final months of their senior year decide to make a pact ot… More
A great mix of heart and horniness. I imagine that many people can relate to this movie more than they may be willing to admit. The story takes the coming of age route, and follows a group of high school buddies who, in the final months of their senior year decide to make a pact ot lose their respective virginities by prom night. Yes, the film is a sex comedy filled with crudity and some gross out gags, but it's fun, funny, and actuallly pretty charming, It's hard not to like these guys, even if they come off at first as nothing more than a bunch of horn dogs. The film is about more than that, and as I mentioned above, I'm sure plenty of people who see this can relate to it in some way shape or form. Plus, any film that introduces the term M.I.L.F. into the borad cultural lexicon has to have some merit. Sure, the concept was introduced way back in The Graduate, but this one brought it to a whole new level, for better or worse. The cast is filled with lots of now notable and fairly talented individuals, some new, some former child stars, as well as veteran Eugene Levy who steals the show more and more each time he's on screen. Give this one a go. Many similiar films tried, but failed to capture the essence that makes this film work, forgetting that an emotional center filled with heart is what keeps sophmoric shenanigans grounded and meaningful.
Colin M

Is it stupid? Yes. Is it unadulterated? Yes. Is it yet another teen sex-romp? Triple Yes. But is it enjoyable? Yes.
Eric A

Raunchy and full of sex, who doesn't like that? Plus it created the word MILF for crying out loud!
Brad W

American Pie is a hilarious film that is one of the best high school movies I can think of. The story is about 4 friends who make a pact to get laid before their senior year of college ends. The plot was not really interesting persay, but it reminds us of high school and all our… More
American Pie is a hilarious film that is one of the best high school movies I can think of. The story is about 4 friends who make a pact to get laid before their senior year of college ends. The plot was not really interesting persay, but it reminds us of high school and all our horny dumbass friends that were hoping to get laid, and it was one of the closest interpratations of high school that I can think of. The cast is hilarious, these guys were born to play these roles and they truly were some of the funniest retards that I have seen in a coming of age film, but the show stealers were probably Jason Biggs, Sean William Scott, and Eugene Levy. The comedy on a scale from 1 to 10 was about an 8, mostly because I found it hilarious but it was a little less funny the last half hour of the film, at least for me. American Pie was one film that spawned multiple sequels, and i'm finally glad after the years I finally saw this hilarious comedy.
Bethany M

Who doesn't love American Pie?! So funny and the cast are remarkable and they make you laugh from start to finish. A must see!
Coxxie M

i realized watching this the other day why i liked it so much when i was like, ten. it makes you feel like anyone can get laid. on planet Earth, no living, non-retarded, non-comatose, non-obese woman would consider touching Jason Biggs character, or especially Finch (Shit-brick). and… More
i realized watching this the other day why i liked it so much when i was like, ten. it makes you feel like anyone can get laid. on planet Earth, no living, non-retarded, non-comatose, non-obese woman would consider touching Jason Biggs character, or especially Finch (Shit-brick). and of course, never ever the Sherminator, who gets some poon in the sequel. kid looks like he diets on peanut butter and jellys and his own scabs. quite preposterous, i agree. and back to Shit-brick. If, in fact, a non-retarded woman found his cappucinno milk-moustache and lingering diarrhea stench to be sexy, why in the hell would a fourty year old who looks like a thirty-five year old on a good day find him attractive?? HIS NICK-NAME IS SHIT-BRICK FOR FUCK'S SAKE!!! and the movie takes it to the other extreme as well. Chris Klein's character is about the best looking guy you will ever find in a Glee club, and that includes actors on t.v. shows about Glee clubs. he looks balls. would little choir girl priss REALLLLLY be that offended that her studly prom date is slappin' high fives with his friends about hittin' that in the future? no. should have done your homework, American Pie. now you have spawned a franchise of movies that can't understand why sex with a closet dominatrix becomes unfunny when the guy likes it.
Richard C

B
♥Robyn

oh i loved these movies have watched all of them and they just crack me up!!
Mike S

Best teen comedy I've ever seen! There's just so many things that I love about this movie, that it's hard to know where to begin. Everything is just spot-on, and done with such perfect comedic timing, that it puts all other films in the genre to shame (that including… More
Best teen comedy I've ever seen! There's just so many things that I love about this movie, that it's hard to know where to begin. Everything is just spot-on, and done with such perfect comedic timing, that it puts all other films in the genre to shame (that including its many sequels). Not to mention all the great characters, like the legendary Stifler. So maybe it's no wonder why I keep coming back for a re-watch. Because this is pure comedy gold, and the movie that set the standard for how teen flicks should be made.
Lewis C

American Pie probably needs another review less than almost any movie in the world. Is there anyone left who hasn't already seen the movie, or at least knows what it's about? Regardless, here are my two cents. American Pie hasn't aged particularly well. It… More
American Pie probably needs another review less than almost any movie in the world. Is there anyone left who hasn't already seen the movie, or at least knows what it's about? Regardless, here are my two cents. American Pie hasn't aged particularly well. It doesn't have the timelessness of some of the other movies in the raunchy teen comedy genre, and it's been greatly surpassed by movies that have come after it. It's still funny in some ways, but a lot of the gross scenes that used to be shocking, are fairly unremarkable by today's standards. The most enjoyment I get from the movie now, is from looking at the substantial cast and seeing how their careers have changed, remained stagnant, or basically ended all-together, since 1999. There aren't many other reasons to go back to American Pie.
Conner R

It's an extremely obnoxious movie with almost no redeeming qualities. It tries to be as disgusting as possible and steal from comedies like Porky's and Animal House. The acting was terrible and awkward except from the hilarious Eugene Levy and Sean William Scott as the… More
It's an extremely obnoxious movie with almost no redeeming qualities. It tries to be as disgusting as possible and steal from comedies like Porky's and Animal House. The acting was terrible and awkward except from the hilarious Eugene Levy and Sean William Scott as the ultimate asshole. I think it is quite possibly the worst coming of age message ever and incredibly misogynistic. That is rarely something I'll bring up in a movie review, but this deserves it like no other.
Tim S

Not a fan.
Anthony L

I hated it very much, this kind of film makes me sad for all the talent that goes wasted.
Jason O

I was never really wanting to watch "American Pie" that bad, but while I was in Texas with my family, my aunt told me I had to see it. I watched it and she couldn't have been more right. There's no doubt that it's one of the funniest movies of the year, if not… More
I was never really wanting to watch "American Pie" that bad, but while I was in Texas with my family, my aunt told me I had to see it. I watched it and she couldn't have been more right. There's no doubt that it's one of the funniest movies of the year, if not the decade. It's about 4 teenage guys that decide they have to lose their virginity before they graduate high school. From that point on, the whole movie is hilarious. Some of the funniest parts are when one of them experiments with an apple pie and one of the other guys try to have sex with a girl while his room is broadcast live on every computer in the world. If you haven't ever seen "American Pie," trust me, you've got to see it. I recommend for you to watch it, or buy it, so you can find out what happens while the friends try to score for the first time. If you like comedy movies, "American Pie" is definitely one of the movies you can't afford to miss. NOTE: That was my Amazon review of this overrated movie in the year 2000. My opinion of it has changed. It can be enjoyable, but I never liked it as much as most seem to. I haven't yet seen any of its sequels, perhaps I will one day.
Dan S

A sometimes very funny look on the topic of teenagers and the awkwardness concerning the opposite sex as well as having sex before college. At times, it's a creative and hilarious look on an overdone plot we've seen before. Other times, it feels like an uneven combination of… More
A sometimes very funny look on the topic of teenagers and the awkwardness concerning the opposite sex as well as having sex before college. At times, it's a creative and hilarious look on an overdone plot we've seen before. Other times, it feels like an uneven combination of raunchy humor and sweetness. The "40 Year Old Virgin" accomplished a perfect balance of these two aspects, this one almost gets its right, but not completely. If you like vulgar teen comedies that feature an insecure lead character, have at it, though.
Lorenzo v

"There's something about your first piece." Four teenage boys enter a pact to lose their virginity by prom night. <center>REVIEW</center>… More
"There's something about your first piece." Four teenage boys enter a pact to lose their virginity by prom night. <center>REVIEW</center> The end of high school is an awkward time. Some people don't know how to handle relationships into college, some people are just trying to get into college, but the most important thing to take care of is to of course have sex before you leave high school. So important, well, at least according to American Pie, the surprise hit of 1999 that is funny, even if it's priorities are in the wrong place. I guess we do have to give the movie credit, it does feature high schoolers who are still virgins, something that few movies still acknowledge. Jason Biggs plays Jim, a confused teenager who does not quite play the whole social scene perfectly, but is an overall nice guy. His friends are Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thoman Ian Nicholas), and Paul (Eddie Kaye Thomas), with a passing acquaintance with Stifler (Seann William Scott, in the role that made him). Stifler is that jock in high school that it was an honor to have him know your name. As prom day approaches, the stresses of the senior days of high school get to all of the friends and the comedy takes off from there. The movie does have a fresh look at how teens today deal with life, and does have crude comedy that is unthinkable, but you know what, I'm sure somewhere it happened to someone. Eugene Levy plays the father in a perfect role for him, he covers the uncomfortable parts of raising a growing boy well. If you like these brands of comedy, then this one is for you.