Dylan embraced the heritage of the first two films as vital and necessary to the characters in American Wedding but, he offers, “I really approached this as a separate film, not something with a number in the title. It stands very much on its own—a funny, romantic wedding comedy that features familiar characters in new ways.”
American Wedding finds our heroes back together, rounded up for another rite of passage—a wedding. They have all graduated from college and are simultaneously happy and reluctant to head down the path towards adulthood. But as the filmmakers found with the previous outings, it’s the feeling that these friends are family to each other that holds the group together and keeps the comedy from becoming too unbelievable.
“We wanted to build the comedy around situations everyone can relate to,” says Herz. “When people get married, it brings out all sorts of things. It’s all very pressurized, and the expectations are very high. And once things fall apart, as something invariably does in a big celebration, that’s just prime stuff for comedy.”
Simply, the movie’s two central characters are in love and want to be married. They need their friends and family to help them pull off a perfect wedding. Pressurized?…check. High expectations?…check. Comedy?…definite check.
“What’s great about this movie is that it has so much heart. We follow Jim and Michelle through the first two movies and it’s nice to see Jim grow up and really want to give Michelle the wedding of her dreams,” offers Scott.
The problem is Jim’s friends think he is crazy. They still want to hang out, get drunk and meet girls. But being Jim’s friends, and really an extension of his family, they relent and help him with his wedding even though they are still pursuing the single life.
Especially Stifler. His main interest is the bachelor party—booze, naked girls, jello. In a rare moment of almost-selflessness, Stifler agrees to teach the double leftfooted Jim how to dance, in preparation to wow his new bride on their wedding night. However, this is only done after Jim agrees to let Stifler plan the bachelor bonanza.
“An American Pie wedding wouldn’t be complete without a bachelor party. And an American Pie bachelor party wouldn’t be complete without hot, naked girls. And no American Pie scene with hot naked girls would be complete unless something goes horribly, horribly wrong for the guys. Let’s just say that there’s bondage, chocolate sauce, spanking, a large sommelier in buttless chaps—and Jim’s future in-laws,” explains Herz.
In American Pie, the guys keep score in the Game of Love, and it’s no different in American Wedding. And once again, Stifler is the major contender and Finch is determined to beat his score.
“Well, the Stifler and Finch storyline has always been a good one. In the original, Stifler was just the bad guy of the movie and Finch got the ultimate revenge. But what would you do if some guy your age slept with your mother?,” poses producer Moore.
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