American pie
Twenty years ago, American Pie opened and became an instant box-office smash, reinvigorating the raunchy teen comedy. But how does it hold up in 2019? Buff lifts the( pastry) lid with the directors and cast…
Two decades after we swallowed the sweet and salty Pie, the cast and filmmakers look back.
t went by like it was only 19 years,” chuckles co-director Paul Weitz, reflecting on the two decades that have passed since he and his brother Chris served up American Pie. “I just watched the film with my 15-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son - which was perhaps an ill-advised decision, but I thought I might as well get it over with. Afterwards, my son, who has seen a few of my films, turned to me and said, ‘I’m proud of you, Dad,’” he laughs, marvelling at the absurdity of the situation. “It’s not often that you get to make something that impacts your whole life.”
Back in 1999, little was expected from screenwriter Adam Herz’s raunchy high-school script. Submitted under the bold working title Teen Sex Comedy Which Your Bosses Will Hate But The Readers At The Studio Will Love, it was a small Americana story featuring a bunch of unknown stars as soon-to-be graduates desperate to lose their virginity before prom. When it was released, it was a runaway hit. Three direct sequels and four spin-off features followed, while its cast, led by newbie Jason Biggs, likeable jock dude Seann William Scott, bandcamp fanatic Alyson Hannigan and a host
of fresh-faced talent became household names overnight.
The Weitz brothers had created an unexpectedly warm, endearing and uncharacteristically balanced instalment in the sex comedy subgenre, a corner of cinema synonymous with crude humour and male gaze voyeurism. Look back at their debut through 2019’s politically sensitive lens, and American Pie is certainly not without its fair share of infamy and eyebrow-raising moments - however, as its directors and cast tell Buff, heart was very much at the core of their creative endeavours.
teenage kicks
“We weren’t huge fans of teen sex comedies,” explains co-director Chris Weitz. “They all seemed a bit mean spirited. Fortunately, we had Adam to guide us through that world. We went to school in England, took A-levels and went to Sixth Form, so didn’t really have the experience of American high school or prom - but I think that sense of imminent humiliation, excitement and fear of the opposite sex was universal.” A year earlier, Chris and Paul had cut their teeth in Hollywood by writing Dream Works animation Antz. When Herz’s script landed on their desk, talk of directing quickly surfaced. “Adam wrote a lovely script,” recalls Paul. “I remember reading it and thinking we could probably direct it without screwing it up. We sort of bamboozled the studio into letting us do it.”
By working with Herz, the duo injected a little more balance into his story (“We worked hard to make sure the girls were adequately represented and there was a basic humane quality beneath it,” says Chris), before fleshing out their cast of high-school virgins. “We were lucky,” explains Paul, “because nobody was expecting anything from us, we had a fair amount of leeway in terms of casting unknowns.” Leading their group of new faces was Jason Biggs as Jim, a typical teen with a habit of finding himself in awkward situations, either with the opposite sex or his endearingly over-supportive dad, played memorably by Eugene Levy. “There’s something tremendously winning about Jason,” smiles Chris. “He can bear up under a lot of comic humiliation and still be a positive force. He worked beautifully with Eugene, who was so fantastic.
That part was incredibly important for the whole movie to work.”
“Seann William Scott read very early on,” says Paul on the casting of frat-boy king Steve Stifler. “There are lots of people who are great at playing jerks but he’s an incredibly sweet guy. This sounds like a made-up story but he was actually working at a Home Depot during that process.” Scott elaborates: “Saying I was working at Home Depot might be a bit of an exaggeration
because I was probably the worst employee ever,” he laughs. “I remember reading the script and thinking this was going to be a huge hit. I laughed out loud. I went in and auditioned and they asked if I could come back and read for the directors. I was worried because I had work that day and wasn’t sure if I could get out of Home Depot.”
After auditioning, a full month went by before Scott heard any more about whether he’d secured the role. It wasn’t until a friend tipped him off that he caught wind of his success. “When I heard that, I called Home Depot and was like: ‘I quit!’ - I didn’t even have the job yet,” he laughs. “I’d never really acted before so I thought, ‘I have to be prepared. If I get this job, I’ve got to find a way to get myself in as much of the movie as possible. I have to find a way to stand out.’”
Auditions filled out the rest of American Pie’s cast; with Tara Reid, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Mena Suvari, Chris Klein and Eddie Kaye Thomas joining Biggs and Scott’s high-school troupe. It also found the film’s resident exchange student Nadia, giving Shannon Elizabeth her big break.
“It was my first studio film and I was so excited,” she smiles. “I remember getting the call driving home. When I got off the phone, I ran to tell my boyfriend and, on the way into the house, I twisted my ankle pretty badly. I was in pain, I was happy
- and he was like, ‘What’s wrong with you?’” laughs Elizabeth.
“It was crazy. I’ll never forget it.”
Mum’s the Word
As shooting began, a lack of expectation provided a freeing quality that brought out the best in the Weitz brothers’ cast. “They were a bunch of young people thrown together in this carnival atmosphere so I don’t think it was that hard for them to hang around with one another,” says Chris. “It was just fun to show up at work. We were essentially offering free pizza and bus fare – so I don’t think anyone was taking part for the wrong reasons.” That said, the cast’s age did make it tricky to shoot some key sequences, in particular the clandestine romance between Eddie Kaye Thomas’ haughty Finch and Stifler’s “MILF” Mom, played by Jennifer Coolidge. “Eddie was only 17, which meant we couldn’t have him kiss anybody - especially not Jennifer,” laughs Paul. “Having the whole thing expressed by pool balls banging off each other was a better way to do it anyway.”
“Chris and Paul encouraged us all to feel comfortable and confident to improvise,” remembers Scott. “You had a lot of new actors who didn’t have a lot of experience and they created this environment where you felt like you couldn’t make a mistake. It was amazing. You could always hear them laughing behind the monitors.” Scott’s determination to stand out even resulted in more on-screen Stifler, as the star went above and beyond what the script required. “I thought of Stifler as a guy who always talked about sex but was probably the only virgin of the group. I didn’t want to play a total asshole so I had to defuse the insecurity in this guy who really just wanted to be loved. Sometimes I didn’t have dialogue in a scene so I was always thinking about how to get a laugh. That’s why Stifler is so cartoonish,” reveals Scott. “I was trying to get a laugh based on the other characters’ reactions.”
getting Fruity
Of course, shooting American Pie came with a bit of extra legwork for a then unknown Biggs. “When we were auditioning, we thought we’d just imply things. Obviously you won’t see someone screwing a pie,” explains Paul. “When we got to that scene we were like, ‘Jesus, I guess we’re going to do this.’” He laughs. Chris adds, “Jason was game, he didn’t require too much prompting. He knew we were shooting a scene that was crucial to the film. We just had to make sure we bought enough pies.” Filming took its toll on the pastries. “I think we went through a good eight,” offers Paul. “Instead of saying
action, our assistant director called out ‘pumping’ and Jason just went for it. It was completely crude. Afterwards we were like, ‘Oh my God, what have we just done?’”
on Camera
Biggs wasn’t the only star involved in risqué moments. In keeping with its genre predecessors, films like Porky’s or Fast Times At Ridgemont High, American Pie also featured some more graphic scenes, carried predominantly by Elizabeth’s character Nadia. “When my bigger scene came with Jason, it was a closed set,” recalls Elizabeth. “I was super nervous, he was super nervous, the directors were nervous - everybody was just like, ‘Here it goes!’” For the film’s directors, revisiting the sequence of Nadia, Jim and his bedroom webcam is far from comfortable. “As with anything of graphic content, it was not a lot of fun and frankly, of anything, that’s probably something we wouldn’t do if we were making it now,” admits Paul. “It was a bit like dentistry: you’re like, ‘Let’s get these scenes over with.’”
Chris has similar feelings. “The webcam scene is probably the one sequence I regret,” he reveals. “A lot of the more gross-out content is justified by a certain innocence and humanity this is more of a genre staple: the avid lust of kids and their tendency to peek when they’re not supposed to. If I were making this film today, I wouldn’t do it. At least what’s comforting about it is the tables are turned, so the person doing the wrong thing is punished,” he says of Jim’s very-public webcam embarrassment. “That was one of the most difficult scenes we filmed and our most uncomfortable day on set
- but we got through it.”
On release, the Weitz brothers’ small high-school comedy shattered expectations, grossing more than $100m in the US (and more than that again overseas). For cast and crew, it was a game-changer, right from the arrival of its red-band trailer. “It was Jason Biggs - who no one’s seen before - masturbating into a sock,” says Paul, describing the film’s explicit teaser. “For a moment the audience thought the projectionist had snuck on some warped home movie - then people started to laugh. That was the beginning of realising the movie was going to catch on.” Chris has his own recollections of the film’s release, specifically in terms of how it would change his career forever. “It was a feeling of such transcendent joy and the best reaction to a film I’ve directed. That was 20 years ago so chasing that feeling of complete validation makes this a very melancholy anniversary,” he grins. “We were directors all of a sudden and able to make more movies. I owe whatever success
I have today to American Pie.”
“It was beyond a dream come true. I wouldn’t have a career without it,” says Scott. “I remember getting out of the car at the premiere and there was already a bunch of people who had seen an earlier screening asking for autographs. I just couldn’t believe it. I was working at Home Depot, so you can imagine how lucky I felt.” Elizabeth shares the sentiment. “That was the beginning of more projects that I wouldn’t have been considered for before so it was really a blessing,” she says earnestly. “I’m grateful for everything the film has brought me.”
Twenty years on, American
Pie’s impact can still be felt in the next generation of R-rated high-school comedies. ‘MILF’ has entered the
cultural lexicon; characters such as Stifler have become genre archetypes; and any gross-out comedy knows it needs a signature standout scene to get the punters. And while some of American Pie’s behaviour might now land it in detention, it did at least feature some female characters who were as up for it as the boys, and showed that you needed to have some sweetness to balance out the saltiness.
But is American Pie a relic from a bygone era? Could a film like it still be made in 2019’s cultural landscape? “I think Hollywood goes in waves and this was the next generation,” says Elizabeth on American Pie’s universal themes. “People find themselves in weird situations that they never mention and it’s when you’re relatable that people connect with you.” Adds Scott with a laugh, “American Pie must feel like a Disney cartoon compared to all the weird shit on the internet. More intellectual stories are maybe more appealing than a film where a guy drinks beer with semen in it. I don’t know if you could make it today. It would be different.”
“People are much more sensitive about sexuality these days - and rightly so,” reasons Chris. “American Pie was made with the best intentions, but I think it’s difficult to imagine a studio making a movie like that today. I’m very heartened by movies coming out now about teen girls that are able to address a more feminist take on growing up, sex and romance.”
On this topic, Paul agrees with his brother. “The thing about seeing it with my kids recently is that I wanted to be able to talk to them about it
- and there were at least certain things I could feel glad of. Chris Klein’s character Oz, even though he loses his virginity, he doesn’t talk about it - he’s respectful and that’s good. The hope was to bring an innocence to it. We’re so happy that people still talk about American Pie and have so much affection for it.” He smiles. “We certainly had no idea it would affect people on that level.”
American Pie Is Available On Dvd And Blu-ray.