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| American Pie,
Region 2 DVD |
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| DVD,
Jerry Carpenter,
20 January 1999 |
Rating: F4
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It’s another knowingly awkward teen comedy ! – like we haven’t seen enough of those this year already. That said, this years crop ("10 things I hate about you", "Never been kissed", and to some extent "The Faculty") have all been pretty entertaining. All are slick, poppily soundtracked vapid nights out, and all are wise enough not to stray into the maudlin introspection zone favoured by the tail end of the 80’s brat-pack related output.
American Pie seems the closest to the 80’s progeny – starting off as with the four male teenagers making a pact to get their oats before school finishes (a zany conceit!), then tracking each of the four through the farcical set-ups that ensue as they go about getting their ‘nobs rite out’. This sort of plot was par for the course through the ‘Porky’s’ led mileu of yesteryear video shelves, but American Pie manages to leap the crass-pit because it’s main characters don’t come across as dislikable frat-boy shitheads. Each of the boys is somewhat of an archetype (frustrated nerd, secretly sensitive jock, pale intellectual and dissatisfied ‘regular’ guy) so it’s credit to the unknowns playing them that you feel for them so much.
The comedy set-ups are episodically introduced, but played with real sweaty gusto – the totally overplayed web-cam gag features the most excruciating facial expression since Phoebe Cates’ shocked gurney on discovering Judge Reinhold wanking in ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’. Invariably as the film nears its conclusion the humour from the leads is toned down in favour of a more soul-searching tone. Luckily the supporting characters (who never have to go through that sort of thing in these sorts of films) are still free to carry on being witty and flip. Special mentions to Alison Hannigan’s uber-nerd (who gets the films best line at the end), the Martin Scorsese-lookalike concerned dad, and the guy who plays the ‘Shermanator’ – they’re all great. Oh yes, and the first time to my knowledge, that Lacrosse has been championed on film.
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