American Wedding (2003)

American Wedding

  Matinee and snacks

Ah, summer lovin', had me a blast! I don't know if you liked the original two Pie movies, but if you did, then go see this one. If you did not, see it anyway, but don't pay matinee price. It really relies a little heavily on your knowing and loving these guys already, and doesn't give you much chance to know them from scratch. If you don't know, the original American Pie movie featured four friends desperate to get laid by the end of high school, finding that dream in vastly different ways and learning something from it. Kind of. Along the way they are teased by their friend and nemesis, Stiffler (Seann William Scott). The head of this cabal of goofy boyhood, Jim, is played by Jason "Braver Than Thou" Biggs, who is the painful reminder of the dork we all fear will pop out when least desirable. The American Bride is flute molester Michelle, suddenly almost normal.

In the second movie, our boys are freshmen in college and starting to change as people. Chris Klein and Mena Suvari are boring and in love, and pal Kevin has some growing up to do, but Finch is still around, and Stiffler (as a big comic foil) is even more involved (and more humorously annoying) in their lives. Now, the remaining three friends are coming together to get Jim married to his band geek nymphomaniac girlfriend. Stiffler comes too, and it's a good thing he did, otherwise not even Jim's inevitable blunders and goofs could provide adequate threat of mayhem to properly, comedically ruin this wedding. Stiffler and Jim share this movie equally. Jim is the straight guy and hero, and Stiffler is the wacky comedian, and hero. At first, Stiffler comes on like a carcicature of himself (imagine if that is possible) but he settles into it, and the laughs do start coming pretty regularly.

Eugene Levy, used so much more in the second film, at least gets to play with his old friend Fred Willard as the fathers of the bride, just not enough together. The filmmakers succeed in putting our hapless hero and his loyal and eccentric friends through even more amusing and farcical situations. Some of them (OK, many of them) felt a little forced, but you know what? It didn't stop me from laughing. It was just what was needed after a summer chock full of popcorn movies was some sweet American Pie. Eric Allen Kramer joins the team (so to speak) as a flamboyant purveyor of dance and naughty ladies, and we'll leave it at that. His credits are long but he's a fresh face, and hopefully soon he will be given a vehicle worthy of his apparent talents.

I can also safely say that one thing that Stiffler does on The Big Day is so horrifically funny that I actually gagged. Hard. The audience was definitely making a lot of noise! Not for the faint hearted! He's still a caricature, but he's damn funny doing it. My personal favorite, Finch, also has his moments, but he is slipped over to the sidelines when his brand of self-satisfied wackiness threatens to derail the delicate balance of Stiffler and Jim. Kevin is there because, well, they were all best friends once. They don't even mention their missing Oz.

  It's fun, silly, it's a good time.  Go, enjoy it.

-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These reviews (c) 2003 Karina Montgomery. Please feel free to forward but credit the reviewer in the text. Thanks. You can check out previous reviews at: http://www.cinerina.com and http://ofcs.rottentomatoes.com - the Online Film Critics Society http://www.hsbr.net/reviews/karina/listing.hsbr - Hollywood Stock Exchange Brokerage Resource

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