American Pie: Jetzt wird geheiratet (2003)

American Pie: Jetzt wird geheiratet: Directed by Jesse Dylan. With Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott, Alyson Hannigan, Eddie Kaye Thomas. It’s the wedding of Jim and Michelle and the gathering of their families and friends, including Jim’s old friends from high school and Michelle’s little sister.

“Thereu0026#39;s one thing you have to say for `American Weddingu0026#39;: like the two `American Pieu0026#39; films that came before it, it is unapologetically unashamed of its shamelessness. Hereu0026#39;s a film that doesnu0026#39;t try to hide its gleeful perverseness under a bushel of coy double entendres; instead the film revels in its frank and openhearted treatment of sexuality and lust. `American Weddingu0026#39; is clearly a comedy about sex and it doesnu0026#39;t pretend to be anything but. Whether this is a good thing or a bad will, I suppose, depend on your own affinity and tolerance for jokes and images that routinely push the boundaries of common decency and good taste. In fact, the film wears its tastelessness almost as a badge of honor. And just in case youu0026#39;re unfamiliar with this series and its brand of humor, subtlety and wit are not considered virtues in an `American Pieu0026#39; world.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn `American Wedding,u0026#39; Jim and Michelle – he a self-described pervert and she a self-described nympho – have finally agreed to tie the knot. The film centers around Jimu0026#39;s attempts to convince Michelleu0026#39;s square, uptight, sexually repressed parents that he is indeed husband material for their less-than-innocent daughter. The problem is that his efforts are consistently being undermined by the inane, out-of-control antics of Steve Stifler, the foulest-mouthed, dirtiest-minded professional adolescent this side of Bluto Blutarsky. Seann William Scott, in fact, steals the show as Stifler, providing an over-the-top manic energy that is both endearing and infectious.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIndeed, without Stifler, there would be precious little to recommend this particular `Americanu0026#39; outing. The jokes and setups, for the most part, are crude and graphic without being very imaginative, and writer Adam Herz and director Jesse Dylan, even when they hit on an inspired piece of silliness (as when Stiffler winds up dancing mano a mano with a guy in a gay bar), end up diluting the humor by letting the scenes drag on well past the point where theyu0026#39;re truly funny anymore. This is not to say that there arenu0026#39;t a few good laughs in `American Wedding,u0026#39; just that they donu0026#39;t come often enough to really lift the film much above the ordinary. Luckily, the funny moments increase a bit in the final stretches of the movie. In the filmu0026#39;s defense, I would also add that, like its two predecessors and unlike many sexually charged teen comedies, `American Weddingu0026#39; conveys a certain affection for its characters. In addition to Stifler, Jason Biggs as Jim and Eugene Levy as Jimu0026#39;s befuddled but strangely tolerant and supportive father come across as decent, well-meaning and likable individuals.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film itself may be uneven, but as a character actor who makes an indelible impression on the material at hand, Scott is the genuine article. He transforms what is essentially cinematic rotgut into sweet-tasting vintage wine. All hail the Stifman!”