American Wedding (2003) (AKA "American
Pie 3")
Although it is the most slapdash,
most poorly constructed and most poorly directed film
of the "American Pie" series, "American Wedding" still
provides more guffaws per minute than any other comedy
that has come out in the summer of 2003. The idea
to move these characters, which we met as randy high
schoolers, into the world of adulthood (rather than
anchoring them in college yet again), is a brilliant
move. And hooking Jason Biggs' neurotic Jim up with
Allison Hannigan's dorky Michelle for "the big day"
seems truly inspired.
I was not a "Buffy" fan (in fact,
I've never even seen an episode), so the "Pie" films
are really the thing that introduced me to Hannigan's
sweet charms. From her hilarious lines about the erotic
uses of musical instruments to her puppy dog eyes
of true love, Hannigan's creative and unique character
has made an amazing impact on pop culture and on cinematic
humor. She is the quintessential gross-out-comedy
babe. And her character here is the spark that turns
the wheels of "Wedding." She's awesome.
For some reason, this film was given
to Jesse Dylan, a new director who hasn't really proved
his worth. His inexperience shows and most of "American
Wedding" looks cheap, slapdash and hacksawed. Dylan
seems overwhelmed by the franchise he is to maintain
here and is utterly defeated by actors who go way
too far over the top as well as an unfocused script
that he, seemingly, dare not question. Dylan's apparent
lack of understanding for the basics of cinematic
comedic timing also ruins many a moment in the film.
This is a bad job of directing saved by a rather hilarious
(albeit unfocused) script and a cast of young actors
who realize that this series is their bread and butter.
Let's face it, Biggs, Eddie Kaye
Thomas and Thomas Ian Nicholas have not been able
to make anything else happen in their careers. They
are the hardest workers here and make the most out
of the film. Biggs is brilliant and it seems a shame
that he can't find another outlet for his charm and
humor. He could be a really important star if given
the right vehicles. (Maybe the new Woody Allen film
will do something for him). Thomas will have a difficult
time overcoming his persona as "Finch"/"Shitbreak."
His distinctive, though decidedly unattractive, look
will always remind audiences of the characters he
plays here. And Nicholas has never seemed to overcome
his pretty-boy-next-door good looks to do anything.
He is wasted here, but at least we get to see him
in nothing but a pair of boxers for a rather long
time. (And, for what its worth, Thomas has a scene
at the end of the film where he comes up from underwater
in a bathtub, half-naked, soapy and slick, where he
looks sexy as hell).
But it's the actors here who have
a career, namely Seann William Scott and Eugene Levy
that really deflate the film. Scott goes over the
top and stays there. His performance here lifts the
annoyance level of his Stifler character to "eleven"
and he bugs the hell out of us. It gets to feeling
like a cinematic headache. Levy, meanwhile, doesn't
do anything new and his character seems blah and pointless,
a sequel rehash. Even a scene with Hannigan falls
flat. Maybe it's because series scripter Adam Herz
is also often working on autopilot here.
One of the worst scenes in the film
is an extended "eating dog shit" scene that would
make John Waters gag. It goes on and on and suffers
from the same lack of verisimilitude that a similar
scene in "Dumb and Dumberer" (another sequel of a
gross-out comedy) featured. Here Scott's Stifler eats
a piece of dog poop and pretends it is chocolate.
I'm sorry. Anyone who has ever even picked up a piece
of dog poop knows that the smell is overwhelming.
That someone could hold a conversation with someone
with a mouth full of dog crap and they would not notice
the smell is so ridiculous as to be not funny. This
scene is so far over the top, it almost ruins the
film.
There are also some really iffy
gay jokes in the film that waver between being politically
correct and raging stereotypical bashing. I ultimately
found the film's "gay" humor to be funny - and funny
ALWAYS overrules any political correctness one would
hope for. Stifler is often at the brunt of these jokes
but ultimately he and the other guys in the group
are shown to be cool and accepting and that, really,
is what is most important in the film.
Yes, it is the humor that doth reign
here. The film, like the others in the series, starts
with a hilarious sexual scenario that is as amusing
and as outrageous as of the ones any we've seen in
the series. The fact that gay jokes are used here
is really no more offensive than the fact that straight
ones occur as well.
"American Wedding" may not be the
best film in the series; in fact, it is indeed the
worst, but it is still a hellova lot funnier than
most comedies we've seen lately. Here's hoping the
movies allow Jim and Michelle to grow up a little.
A comedy featuring them during their first years of
marriage, without the constant interruptions of his
boyhood chums, could be quite sophisticated and amusing.
Of course, sophistication and charm would be asking
a lot of Herz and Dylan.
Note:
Also with Fred Ward and Jennifer
Coolidge, who also pop up in Christopher Guests films,
as well as January Jones, Deborah Rush, Lawrence Pressman.
Herz is a producer. Paul and Chris
Weitz, who made the first films, are credited as Executive
Producers.
Where's Chris Klien? Also missing:
Mena Suvari, Natasha Lyonne, Chris Owen (Sherman),
Eli Marienthal (Stifler's brother), Tara Reid, and
Shannon Elizabeth.
Christopher Penn supposedly played
Stifler's dad in "American Pie 2" but had his scenes
cut. Rumors floated around during production of this
film that Tim Allen would appear as the character
here and that Hugh Grant, who was in the Weitz brothers'
"About a Boy" would also play a role. Those were ultimately
proved to be rumors that were not true.
The film takes place in the boys'
hometown of East Great Falls. "East Great Falls High"
was at one time going to be the title of the first
film.
The creators of the series have
publicly said that this will be the last film in the
string.
Viewed in Pflugerville in August
2003 with my roomie Amanda.
