American Piewas a film that became a surprise word-of-mouth hit, as it took the gross-out style of humor that had been popularized byIt’s Something About MaryandKingpinand applied it to the high school comedy subgenre. Although 1999 saw the debut of many teen films, including10 Things I Hate About You, Varsity Blues, She’s All That,andElection,there was a willingness to get uncomfortable and outrageous that madeAmerican Piestand out. A film likeAmerican Piewas never going to win over older critics who didn’t connect with a more aggressive style of humor, butRoger Ebertwassurprisingly positive on the film, saying that the film was “funny because the characters aren’t in on the joke.” Surprisingly,Ebert also praised the sequel,American Pie 2,and said heenjoyed it just as much as its predecessor“because the characters are broad comic types, well played.”
Comedy sequels have an infamously shaky track record, as it is often a challenge to find the same “lightning in a bottle” humor without feeling derivative. However,American Pie 2didn’t face the issue of losing key cast members, which had harmed comedy sequels likeCaddyshack IIorSon of the Mask; it also came out when the first film was still popular, anddidn’t face the “legacy sequel” expectationsthat had made it so challenging forComing 2 AmericaorZoolander 2.Ebert said that the sequel was “filled with turnabouts, sight gags and horrifying sexual adventures,”but still had “sympathy” for its characters and their dilemmas.”
What Is ‘American Pie 2’ About?
American Pie 2takes place a year after the events of the first film, as all of the main characters have managed to survive their freshman year of college. Jim (Jason Biggs) has grown stressed about reuniting with his former lover Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth), who is planning to visit him from overseas, as he does not feel that he has enough sexual experience to satisfy her. Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicole) has also found it challenging to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend Vicky (Tara Reid), who appears to have had a much more exciting first year of college than he did. Oz (Chris Klein) has also struggled to maintain a long-distance relationship with his girlfriend Heather (Mena Suvari), and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) has once again struggled with confidence issues. The only member of their friend group whohasn’t had to come to terms with growing upis Stifler (Sean William Scott), who is still throwing parties. However, Kevin is forced to invite Stifler when the gang rents a Lake Michigan beach house over the summer, as they would not be able to afford it otherwise.
After Dominating Adult Animation, Seth MacFarlane Is Ready To Fulfill His True Calling
MacFarlane has shown his love of this genre for decades.
American Pie 2has a more complicated premise than its predecessor, and rewards viewers who had already become invested in the characters. While the first film was solely focused on the gang trying to lose their virginity before they completed high school, the sequel shows the issues that they each face in maintaining their relationships. The notion of “peaking” in high school has haunted all of them, as they all remember the bullying and embarrassment that they dealt with. By placing the characters in a situation in which they are forced to reunite with many of their classmates,American Pie 2creates a logical way to introduce callbacks without feeling overtly referential. There are many twists on previous gags; while the first film featured a notorious sex scene streamed on a private Internet channel, the sequel escalates the embarrassment when Jim and Stifler’s intimate encounter is broadcast through CB radios.
‘American Pie 2’ Beat the “Comedy Sequel Curse”
American Pie 2was able to boost the screen time for supporting charactersthat had been scene-stealers in the first film. AlthoughEugene Levyhad a few great lines as Jim’s dad inAmerican Pie, American Pie 2makes him into a more important character whose “advice” to his son gets incredibly strange.Casey Affleck’s cameo as Kevin’s brother is extended, andNatasha Lyonnegives more depth with her performance as Jessica, the coolest girl at school. While these callbacks are fun,American Pie 2does succeed in making each of the protagonists vulnerable, as they realize that a year at college has not made them any wiser or worthy of respect. This serves as a compelling setup to the film’s final party sequence, in which the gang is given one last chance to have a blast before they return to school.
There’s a sincerity toAmerican Pie 2that isabsent within most comedy sequels, as the film reflects on how immature the protagonists still are. Even if the relationship between Jim and his prom date, Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), was used for the sake of a raunchy joke in the first film, the sequel deepens their bond by suggesting that they may have legitimate feelings for one another. Ebert noted that he would “hate to see the freshness of the series grind down into the repetition of the same formula,” and unfortunately,American ReunionandAmerican Weddingmade many of those mistakes. Perhaps it was never a franchise that was destined to have longevity, but the fact thatAmerican Pie 2was just as shocking, strange, and surprisingly sweet as the blockbuster hit that preceded it is a minor miracle.
American Pie 2is now available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
American Pie 2
