| American Pie series | |
|---|---|
Entire series box set |
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| Directed by | Paul Weitz Chris Weitz (American Pie) J. B. Rogers (American Pie 2) Jesse Dylan (American Wedding) Steve Rash (Band Camp) Joe Nussbaum (The Naked Mile) Andrew Waller (Beta House) John Putch (The Book of Love) Jon Hurwitz Hayden Schlossberg (American Reunion) |
| Written by | Adam Herz (American Pie, American Pie 2, American Wedding) David H. Steinberg (American Pie 2, The Book of Love) Brad Riddell (Band Camp) Eric Lindsay (The Naked Mile, Beta House) Jon Hurwitz Hayden Schlossberg (American Reunion) |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $754 million |
American Pie is a series of teen films conceived by Adam Herz. The first film in the franchise was originally released on July 9, 1999, by Universal Pictures, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, spawning two immediate sequels, released at two-year intervals. From 2005 to 2009, four spin-off films were released. Eight years after the release of American Wedding, a fourth film, American Reunion is currently in pre-production.
Throughout the original series, Jim Levenstein (Jason Biggs) develops a relationship with his school classmate Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth), and along with his best friends Kevin Myers (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) and Chris Ostreicher (Chris Klein), attempts to lose his virginity. In the second film, with Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott), the friends host a summer party and Jim switches his interest to Michelle Flaherty (Alyson Hannigan). In the third film Jim and his friends plan the Levenstein-Flaherty wedding. The spin-off series revolves around relatives of Stifler, including his brother Matt (Tad Hilgenbrink) and cousins Erik (John White), Dwight (Steve Talley), Scott (John Patrick Jordan), and their respective friends attempting similar activities.
The original series, produced on a total budget of US$95 million, grossed $754 million worldwide. The spin-off films were released direct-to-video. The series has developed a cult following. Critics have given the original trilogy mixed reviews, and overlooked the spin-off series. The series has been released on DVD.
Contents |
The film series began with American Pie, released on July 9, 1999.[1] This was followed by two sequels; American Pie 2, released on August 11, 2001,[2] and American Wedding, released on August 1, 2003.[3]
More than six years after the release of the original American Pie, the franchise continued with a straight-to-video spin-off Presents series; consisting of Band Camp, released on December 26, 2005,[4] The Naked Mile, released on December 12, 2006,[5] Beta House, released on December 27, 2007,[6] and The Book of Love, released on December 22, 2009.[7] The first three spin-offs center around relatives of Steve Stifler, which include his brother Matt, and his cousins Erik and Dwight Stifler. The fourth spin-off, however, centers around a group of friends who happen to go to the same school as Scott Stifler.[8][9][10][11]
| Character | Film | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Pie (1999) |
American Pie 2 (2001) |
American Wedding (2003) |
American Pie Presents: Band Camp (2005) |
American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile (2006) |
American Pie Presents: Beta House (2007) |
American Pie Presents: The Book of Love (2009) |
American Reunion (2012) |
|
| Noah Levenstein | Eugene Levy | |||||||
| James "Jim" Levenstein | Jason Biggs | Not in film | Jason Biggs | |||||
| Michelle Levenstein-Flaherty | Alyson Hannigan | Not in film | Alyson Hannigan | |||||
| Steve Stifler | Seann William Scott | Not in film | Seann William Scott | |||||
| Kevin Myers | Thomas Ian Nicholas | Not in film | Thomas Ian Nicholas | |||||
| Paul Finch | Eddie Kaye Thomas | Not in film | Eddie Kaye Thomas | |||||
| Jeanine Stifler | Jennifer Coolidge | Not in film | Jennifer Coolidge | |||||
| Chris "Oz" Ostreicher | Chris Klein | Not in film | Chris Klein | |||||
| Heather | Mena Suvari | Not in film | Mena Suvari | |||||
| Victoria "Vicky" Lathum | Tara Reid | Not in film | Tara Reid | |||||
| Jessica | Natasha Lyonne | Not in film | Natasha Lyonne | |||||
| Nadia | Shannon Elizabeth | Not in film | Shannon Elizabeth | |||||
| John | John Cho | Not in film | John Cho | |||||
| Chuck Sherman | Chris Owen | Not in film | Chris Owen | Not in film | Chris Owen | |||
| Justin | Justin Isfeld | Not in film | Justin Isfeld | |||||
| Mrs Levenstein | Molly Cheek | Not in film | Molly Cheek | |||||
| Tom Myers | Casey Affleck | Not in film | ||||||
| Matt Stifler | Eli Marienthal | Not in film | Tad Hilgenbrink | Not in film | ||||
| Coach Marshall | Lawrence Pressman | Not in film | Lawrence Pressman | Not in film | ||||
| Elyse Houston | Not in film | Arielle Kebbel | Not in film | |||||
| Brandon Vandecamp | Not in film | Matt Barr | Not in film | |||||
| James "Jimmy" Chong | Not in film | Jun Hee Lee | Not in film | |||||
| Ernie Kaplowitz | Not in film | Jason Earles | Not in film | |||||
| Erik Stifler | Not in film | John White | Not in film | |||||
| Dwight Stifler | Not in film | Steve Talley | Not in film | |||||
| Mike "Cooze" Coozeman | Not in film | Jake Siegel | Not in film | |||||
| Ryan Grimm | Not in film | Ross Thomas | Not in film | |||||
| Tracy Sterling | Not in film | Jessy Schram | Not in film | |||||
| Bull | Not in film | Dan Petronijevic | Not in film | |||||
| Jill | Not in film | Jaclyn A. Smith | Not in film | |||||
| Rock | Not in film | Jordan Prentice | Not in film | |||||
| Harry Stifler | Not in film | Christopher McDonald | Not in film | |||||
| Ashley | Not in film | Meghan Heffern | Not in film | |||||
| Edgar Willis | Not in film | Tyrone Savage | Not in film | |||||
| Rob Shearson | Not in film | Bug Hall | Not in film | |||||
| Scott Stifler | Not in film | John Patrick Jordan | Not in film | |||||
| Nathan Jenkyll | Not in film | Kevin M. Horton | Not in film | |||||
| Marshall "Lube" Lubetsky | Not in film | Brandon Hardesty | Not in film | |||||
| Dana | Not in film | Melanie Papalia | Not in film | |||||
| Ashley | Not in film | Jennifer Holland | Not in film | |||||
| Imogen | Not in film | Louisa Lytton | Not in film | |||||
In the original American Pie (1999), Jim Levenstein and his friends Kevin Myers, Paul Finch and Chris Ostreicher attempt to lose their virginity before their high school graduation. Jim pursues Czechoslovakian exchange student Nadia, Kevin tries to patch his troubled relationship with Vicky, while Finch has rumors spread of his sexual activity, and Oz joins the school choir. Jim's attempts fail after he ejaculates prematurely twice during foreplay with Nadia, and instead pursues band geek Michelle, asking her to the prom. At Stifler's prom afterparty, Jim has a one-night stand with Michelle, Kevin and Vicky have sex and afterwards breakup, while Finch has sex with Stifler's mom, and Oz forms an intimate relationship with choir girl Heather.[12]
In American Pie 2 (2001), Jim and his friends organize a party at a summer beach house in Grant Harbor reuniting the high school gang. Nadia returns, and Jim asks Michelle for orientation to finally have sex with her. Jim ends up realizing he is in love with Michelle, and goes to a recital where she is performing to reveal this to her.[13]
American Wedding (2003) begins with Jim proposing to Michelle. Finch, Kevin and Stifler help the arranging of his marriage.[14]
American Pie Presents: Band Camp (2005) follows Steve's younger brother Matt Stifler (Tad Hilgenbrink), who is forced to attend band camp for the summer and realizes he must change his arrogant ways in order to win over a girl in his band, Elyse.
American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile (2006) follows Erik Stifler (John White), the only Stifler to possibly graduate a virgin. After a failed attempt at sex with his girlfriend Tracy (Jessy Schram), she gives him a free pass to go to the college Dwight (Steve Talley), Erik's cousin, attends to lose his virginity. In the process, Erik's loyalty is put to the test.
American Pie Presents: Beta House (2007) continues a year after The Naked Mile. Erik has now graduated high school, has lost his girlfriend to her previous boyfriend and is about to start college. But he must complete a series of tasks before he can join Dwight's fraternity and begins a new relationship with a girl, Ashley (Meghan Heffern), he met due to the co-ed washrooms Dwight had assigned in their dorm.
American Pie Presents: The Book of Love (2009) takes place ten years after American Pie. Set in East Great Falls, a fire in the school's library results in the destruction of the Book of Love (the "Bible" from the first film). The people who started the fire set out to restore the book (with the help of Mr. Levenstein, the book's creator) and lose their virginity.
| Film | Release date | Revenue | Rank | Budget | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Foreign | Worldwide | All time domestic | All time worldwide | ||||
| American Pie | July 9, 1999 | $102,561,004 | $132,922,000 | $235,483,004 | #439 | #348 | $10,000,000 | [15] |
| American Pie 2 | August 11, 2001 | $145,103,595 | $142,450,000 | $287,553,595 | #216 | #265 | $30,000,000 | [16] |
| American Wedding | August 1, 2003 | $104,565,114 | $126,884,089 | $231,449,203 | #427 | #354 | $55,000,000 | [17] |
| Total | $352,229,713 | $402,256,089 | $754,485,802 | $95,000,000 | ||||
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Cream of the Crop | ||
| American Pie | 60% (120 reviews)[18] | 54% (26 reviews)[19] | 58 (30 reviews)[20] |
| American Pie 2 | 52% (124 reviews)[21] | 28% (32 reviews)[22] | 43 (28 reviews)[23] |
| American Wedding | 55% (150 reviews)[24] | 42% (33 reviews)[25] | 43 (34 reviews)[26] |
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