Throwback Thursday: American Wedding (2003)

First come high school. Second comes college. Then comes wedding bells.

The final film in the original American Pie trilogy is American Wedding (2003). Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) are engaged. Anyone who has planned a wedding knows that it is not a simple process. There are too many things that have the potential to go wrong. That potential grows tenfold as Jim’s buddies step in to ensure that the day itself goes smoothly and Stiffler (Seann Williams Scott) puts together a bachelor party as only he can.

It felt like a natural end to the series and the emotional growth of the characters. You can only go so far with this stage in life before it gets old. The best writers know when it is time to tell new stories, it was time to close this book and start a new one, so to speak.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

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Flashback Friday: American Pie 2 (2001)

The difference between high school and college is night and day. Though we may not feel it right away, it is a transformation that will soon become obvious.

The 2001 film, American Pie 2, is the sequel to the 1999 film, American Pie. Jim (Jason Biggs) and crew have just finished their first year of college. Renting a beach house for the summer, they plan a end of summer party that will last forever in their memories. Along the way, shenanigans will ensue and a few lessons will be learned.

First of all, the fact that this film is twenty years old is mind-blowing. I feels like yesterday when I saw in the theater. This is The Empire Strikes Back of the franchise. It is raunchiest and funniest of the three original movies. It is also a love letter to that time in our lives when we are growing, but it is not felt until we can see it in hindsight.

My favorite scene, though it wouldn’t fly today if it was released, is the scene with the “lesbians“.

Warning: this clip has language and imagery that might be be a turnoff to some people.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Thoughts On “The Day Democracy Died” Sung by The Founding Fathers

When this country was founded in the late 18th century, the men who stepped forward to lead this new country knew exactly what they didn’t want. While they did not have a crystal ball to see into the future, they also knew enough to insert certain boundaries to hopefully ensure that the republic would last.

“The Day Democracy Died” is a parody set to the Don McLean song, “American Pie“.

Regardless of where one lands on the political spectrum, we should all be concerned. This President believes himself to be above the law and therefore, able to do whatever he wants without being called out.

As anyone who does not live under a rock knows, we have a Presidential election coming up in November. If there is one thing that I have learned over the past few years, it is that democracy is not easily maintained. It requires hard choices, tough decisions and the knowledge that if it is to last, we must fight for it.

That means voting in November and getting you know who out of office.

Throwback Thursday- American Pie (1999)

Being a teenager is not easy. Looking back, my teenage years were the most confusing, yet defining era of my life.  No matter how old we get or what else we experience, the former teenager that we were will always be a part of our lives.

American Pie, the funny, sometimes gross, but poignant film is about four young men who are looking to loose their virginity before their senior prom.

Jim (Jason Biggs), Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) make a pact to all loose their virginity by the time prom night rolls around. Kevin tries to persuade his girlfriend Vicky (Tara Reid) to go all the way with him, Oz joins the school choir and is matched with Heather (Mena Suvari), Finch spreads rumors about his sexual prowess and Jim fails miserably with Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) before going to the prom with Michelle (Alyson Hannigan).

American Pie, for my generation is part of our DNA. It’s not just a movie about boys looking for sex, the female characters are just as real and unsure as any teenager is about life and sex. It’s one of those movies that had stayed with me and it still quotable and watchable after 15 years.

To borrow a line from the movie, its like “warm apple pie”.