American Reunion | |
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Directed by | |
Written by |
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Based on | Characters created by Adam Herz |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Daryn Okada [1] |
Edited by | Jeff Betancourt [1] |
Music by | Lyle Workman |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 113 minutes [2] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $50 million [2] |
Box office | $235 million [2] |
American Reunion (also known as American Pie 4: Reunion or American Pie: Reunion in certain countries [3] ) is a 2012 American sex comedy film written and directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. It is the fourth and final installment in the American Pie theatrical series. The film's ensemble cast features many actors who reprise their roles from the previous three films, including Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Seann William Scott, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Eugene Levy, Tara Reid, and Mena Suvari, among others. The film follows former East Great Falls High School classmates who return to their hometown for a reunion for their graduating class. [4]
Released in the United States on April 6, 2012, American Reunion received generally mixed reviews from critics, but was a worldwide box office success, grossing $235 million against a $50 million budget.
Nine years after getting married, [a] Jim Levenstein and his wife Michelle are in a sexual rut following the birth of their infant son. Kevin Myers is a househusband and architect, Chris "Oz" Ostreicher is a celebrity sportscaster dating Mia, a superficial supermodel, and Paul Finch has been traveling the world. The four friends return from their disparate locations to East Great Falls, Michigan, for their thirteen year high school reunion, and are joined by Steven Stifler, their obnoxious friend whom they hoped to avoid.
The group spends the next day at the lake with Michelle and her old Band Camp friend Selena, whom Finch bonds with over his travels. Kevin and Oz reunite with their high school girlfriends Vicky and Heather, and meet Heather's boyfriend Ron. AJ, a young thug, steals bikini tops from Mia and other women before fleeing on a jetski. Seeking revenge, the boys trace AJ and his friends to a beach where Jim overhears his plans to take the virginity of Kara—Jim's neighbor whom he used to babysit—now she has turned 18. Stifler destroys their jetskis before fleeing.
Instead of spending time with Michelle, Jim accompanies the others to the Falls to reminisce about high school, where they come across teens partying for Kara's birthday. Unsatisfied with Heather, Ron suggests swapping girlfriends for sex to a disgusted Oz. Kara drunkenly tries to seduce Jim, but he reluctantly rejects her. She passes out and Jim recruits Stifler, Finch, and Oz to distract her parents while he sneaks her into their house, worried Michelle will think he cheated on her. Jim returns home and falls asleep without having sex with Michelle, leaving her despondent about their failing marriage. The following morning, Kevin wakes up in bed with Vicky and assumes they had drunken sex. She confirms they did not but is upset he thinks so lowly of her.
Jim encourages his widower dad, Noah, to begin dating, and takes him to Stifler's house party where he meets Stifler's mother Jeanine. After Oz is deliberately embarrassed by Ron, he admits he misses Heather and kisses her. Mia finds out and breaks up with Oz, confessing to her own affair. Jim waits upstairs for Michelle so they can have sex, but Kara again tries to seduce him before AJ intervenes, and a fight ensues. Jim explains the situation to Michelle and states he does not care about Kara, causing both women to leave upset. The police arrive and arrest Finch for stealing a motorbike. Stifler mocks Finch's predicament, and the boys confront him over being a bad friend and his inability to move on from high school. Stifler reminds them that they have ignored and avoided him for years.
The next day, Noah offers Jim advice on repairing his marriage. At the reunion, Finch admits that he lied about his travels because he was embarrassed to admit that he had a normal job as a retail manager, and stole the bike from his neglectful boss. Feeling guilty about their treatment of Stifler, the boys visit him at work and apologize, recognizing his unhappiness with his life and admitting that none of their lives are perfect, but that Stifler is their friend. Stifler confronts his verbally abusive boss and quits.
The group returns to the reunion together. Kevin reconciles with Vicky and introduces her to his wife, Finch makes amends for lying to Selena, and Oz and Heather choose to be together. Stifler is offered work as a wedding planner, and also meets and has sex with Finch's mother Rachel. Jim makes up with Michelle and they have sex in the school's music room.
The boys meet up the following day: Oz reveals he is staying in town with Heather; Finch intends to tour Europe with Selena; and Jim apologizes to Kara, who plans to save her virginity for a good man like him. Kevin proposes a pact for the group to meet up every year from now on.
In October 2008, Universal Pictures announced it was planning to produce a fourth theatrically released sequel to the first film. [5] In April 2010, the film entered pre-production, with Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg signing on to write and direct with plans to reunite the whole cast of the primary series. [6]
In March 2011, it was announced that Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott and Eugene Levy had signed on to reprise their roles. [7] Biggs and Scott were granted executive producer credits and also helped convince the other previous cast members to return. [8] In April 2011, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, and Mena Suvari signed on. [9] [10] [11] The following month, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Eddie Kaye Thomas, [12] Shannon Elizabeth, [13] and Jennifer Coolidge [14] signed on. In June and July 2011, John Cho [15] and Natasha Lyonne [16] were the last returning cast to sign on.
On May 18, 2011, a casting call went out for the character "Kara", a role that involved "upper frontal nudity". [17] Ali Cobrin was cast in the role. National Football League wide receiver Chad Ochocinco and actor Neil Patrick Harris have cameo roles. [18] [19]
Jason Biggs and Seann William Scott each received a reported $5 million plus a percentage of the profits for their performances. Alyson Hannigan and Eugene Levy were said to have been paid $3 million each, with the rest of the cast receiving payments within the $500,000 to $700,000 range, except Tara Reid, who was paid $250,000. [20]
On a budget of $50 million, [21] principal photography took place from early June to August 2011 in metro Atlanta, Georgia. [13] [22] In late June, filming took place at Conyers, Monroe and Woodruff Park. [19] [23] While in Conyers, filming took place at Heritage High School’s football stadium and band room. Production filmed at Newton High School in Covington from July 11 to July 15. Scenes were filmed at the school's gym for a reunion prom set, football field, commons area and hallways; which included 200 extras. Under the deal the production company paid $10,000 to the Newton County School System for using the school. [23]
During the last week of July, production moved to Cumming to film at Mary Alice Park on Lake Lanier and included about 100 extras. [24] Moore said the beach at the lake looks similar to a Lake Michigan setting, which is the state in which the film is set. The production company paid $23,000 to have full access to the property for a week. [24] Suvari finished filming her scenes on August 4. [25]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [26] |
No. | Title | Performed by | Length |
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1. | "Last Night" | Good Charlotte | 3:40 |
2. | "You Make Me Feel..." (featuring Sabi) | Cobra Starship | 3:35 |
3. | "Here Comes the Hotstepper" | Stooshe | 3:36 |
4. | "Wannamama" | Pop Levi | 3:28 |
5. | "My First Kiss" (featuring Kesha) | 3OH!3 | 3:13 |
6. | "I'm a Man" | The Blue Van | 3:49 |
7. | "Bring It On Home" | Kopek | 3:08 |
8. | "Rump Shaker" (featuring Teddy Riley) | Wreckx-N-Effect | 3:57 |
9. | "Wannabe" (radio edit) | Spice Girls | 2:53 |
10. | "I'll Make Love to You" | Boyz II Men | 4:02 |
11. | "This Is How We Do It" | Montell Jordan | 3:59 |
12. | "The Good Life" | Hassahn Phenomenon | 3:21 |
13. | "My Generation" | Thomas Nicholas Band | 2:28 |
14. | "Class of '99" | Lyle Workman | 5:49 |
15. | "Na Na Na" | My Chemical Romance | 4:13 |
16. | "American Reunion" | Lyle Workman | 3:26 |
17. | "Laid" | James | 2:37 |
18. | "London Town" | Greg Hatwell | 2:54 |
The two score tracks were recorded by a 60-70 piece orchestra conducted by John Ashton Thomas who also orchestrated Workman's score for the orchestral sessions. The orchestra was recorded at the Eastwood Scoring Stage at the Warner Bros. lot by Shawn Murphy who also mixed the score.
American Reunion was released in North American theaters on April 6, 2012.
The DVD and Blu-ray discs were released on July 10, 2012 in North America. [27] The film was also released in a box set titled the "American Pie Quadrilogy" on August 22, 2012 in Australia. The theatrical version was available on iTunes a few days ahead of time, as an "Early Digital Release". It was released on September 10, 2012 in the United Kingdom.[ citation needed ]
American Reunion opened in North America on April 6, 2012 in 3,192 theaters for a weekend total of $21,514,080, putting it at number 2 at the box office behind The Hunger Games . [28] On its second week of release, it dropped to number 5 at the box office with a weekend total of $10,473,810. [29]
The film earned $56,758,835 in North America and $177,978,063 internationally, for a worldwide total of $234,736,898. [2]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 45% based on 186 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "It'll provide sweetly nostalgic comfort food for fans of the franchise, but American Reunion fails to do anything truly new or interesting – or even very funny – with the characters." [30] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 49 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [31] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. [32]
According to Roger Ebert, who gave the film three out of four stars: [33]
The charm of American Pie was the relative youth and naïveté of the characters. It was all happening for the first time, and they had the single-minded obsession with sex typical of many teenagers. American Reunion has a sense of déjà-vu, but it still delivers a lot of nice laughs. Most of them for me came thanks to Stifler... If you liked the earlier films, I suppose you gotta see this one. Otherwise, I dunno.
The Village Voice concludes its review with the following: [34]
After some strained "Remember the time..." callbacks to 13-year-old gags, American Reunion gets comfortable and funny, as Hurwitz and Schlossberg hit familiar marks from unexpected angles, while the ensemble interplay is "routine" in the best sense of the word. Taken altogether, the Pie movies offer a cohesive worldview, showing each of life's stages as the setting for fresh-yet-familiar catastrophes, relieved by a belief in sex, however ridiculous it might look, as a restorative force. The recipe is so durable and the sustained character work so second-skin by now, one can imagine the Pie films keeping with the dramatis personae through middle age and into the problems of geriatric love, a raunch-comic version of Britain's documentary Up series. American Midlife Crisis? American Retirement? American Funeral? Let's go!
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave American Reunion a positive review of two and half stars out of four saying, "American Reunion reminds us what we liked about the original: the way the movie sweetened its raunch to build a rooting interest in these characters." [35]
Year | Award | Category | Recipients | Result |
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2012 | Teen Choice Awards [36] | Choice Movie – Comedy | Universal Pictures | Nominated |
Choice Movie Actor – Comedy | Jason Biggs | Nominated | ||
Choice Movie Actress – Comedy | Alyson Hannigan | Nominated | ||
2013 | BMI Film & TV Awards | Film Music | Lyle Workman | Won |
Guild of Music Supervisors Awards | Best Music Supervision for Film Budgeted Over 25 Million Dollars | Jojo Villanueva | Nominated |
In August 2017, Seann William Scott said in an interview that the fourth film probably had not made enough at the domestic box office to warrant another film. [37] In August 2018, Tara Reid said she met with the directors, with them saying that the fifth film will happen, and that filming could begin soon. [38] In September 2022, it was announced that Universal 1440 was developing another spin off American Pie Presents movie with Sujata Day. [39]
Allison Lee Hannigan, known professionally as Alyson Hannigan, is an American actress and television presenter.
American Pie 2 is a 2001 American sex comedy film directed by James B. Rogers and written by Adam Herz and David H. Steinberg from a story by Herz. A sequel to the 1999 comedy film American Pie, it is the second film in the American Pie series and stars Jason Biggs, Shannon Elizabeth, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott, Mena Suvari, Eddie Kaye Thomas, and Eugene Levy. The film follows the sexual exploits of five friends – Jim, Kevin, Stifler, Oz, and Finch – and their attempts to have the greatest summer party ever at a summer beach house.
American Wedding is a 2003 American sex comedy film written by Adam Herz and directed by Jesse Dylan. It is the sequel to American Pie (1999) and American Pie 2 (2001), and the third of the American Pie franchise.
Mena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, producer, fashion designer and model. The accolades she has received include a Screen Actors Guild Award, along with a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
Jason Matthew Biggs is an American actor. The accolades he has received include a Screen Actors Guild Award, alongside nominations for a Daytime Emmy Award and a Satellite Award.
Seann William Scott is an American actor. Films in which Scott has starred have earned $4.91 billion at the global box office as of 2017.
The 2000 MTV Movie Awards were hosted by Sarah Jessica Parker. In conjunction with the success of Sex and the City, the awards show presented a parody of Sex and the City and The Matrix during the program's opening. It featured the SATC cast as they listened intently as Carrie Bradshaw describes getting caught in the Matrix, which is shown in flashbacks and in the narration style heard usually on the TV series. Laurence Fishburne appeared in the spoof in a creative superimposition from the film, as well as Vince Vaughn and Jimmy Fallon, who played Keanu Reeves's character, Neo, from the film. Also, it noted Parker's status as a fashion icon by appearing in no less than 15 different costumes during the duration of the awards ceremonies, even appearing in nothing but a bath towel.
The 2001 MTV Movie Awards were held on June 2, 2001, and were hosted by Jimmy Fallon and Kirsten Dunst. The program featured performances from Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa and Pink, Dave Matthews Band and Weezer. Sofia Coppola was presented with an award for Best New Filmmaker. This was Aaliyah's last awards show appearance before her death two months later.
Jennifer Coolidge is an American actress. Known for her work in the comedy genre, Coolidge is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2023, she was included in the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.
American Pie is a 1999 American coming-of-age teen sex comedy film directed and co-produced by Paul Weitz and written by Adam Herz. The film's main ensemble cast includes Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Alyson Hannigan, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Mena Suvari, Eddie Kaye Thomas, and Seann William Scott, with Eugene Levy, Shannon Elizabeth, Chris Owen, and Jennifer Coolidge in notable supporting roles. The story follows a group of high school classmates who make a pact to lose their virginity before they graduate.
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Eddie Kaye Thomas is an American actor.
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American Virgin is a 1999 comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Marois. Its plot is about a young woman, Katrina Bartalotti, the daughter of an adult film director, who agrees to lose her virginity onscreen to spite her father.
American Pie is a film series consisting of four sex comedy films. American Pie, the first film in the series, was released by Universal Pictures in 1999. The film became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon and gained a cult following among young people. Following American Pie, the second and third films in the series, American Pie 2 (2001) and American Wedding (2003), were released; the fourth, American Reunion, was released in 2012. A spin-off film series entitled American Pie Presents consists of five direct-to-video films that were released from 2005 to 2020.
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