American Reunion (2012)
Directed by Jon Hurwitz
The characters we met a little more than a decade ago return to East Great Falls for their high school reunion. In one long-overdue weekend, they will discover what has changed, who hasn’t, and that time and distance can’t break the bonds of friendship.
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3 films that influenced American Reunion
What critics say influenced American Reunion
What seemed shocking the summer before the turn of the century — most famously, sexual congress with a dessert — is now relatively tame compared with more recent raunchfests such as “The Hangover’’ and “Bridesmaids.’’
Nowadays, American Pie is a damn elder statesman of R-rated gross-out sex comedies, and it has inspired many successors, be they as enthusiastically lewd as The Hangover or as relatively classy as The 40-Year-Old Virgin .
Producers the Weitz brothers and directors, co-writers and “Harold & Kumar” auteurs Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg obviously have visions of a new comedy franchise along the lines of “The Hangover” and “Harold & Kumar,” and they have largely succeeded in setting it up.
"Pie," which was followed by two sequels -- "American Pie 2" and "American Wedding" -- could be partially credited for paving the way for edgy, go-for-broke recent fare such as "The Hangover," "Bridesmaids," even "21 Jump Street."
Since the first film was released, a stream of funnier, edgier ensemble movies and comedies has come and gone -- The Hangover , The 40-Year-Old Virgin , Superbad -- and they've blazed newer, more memorable trails.
But after years of movies like “The Wedding Crashers,” “Superbad,” “The Hangover” and “Bridesmaids,” the bar has been raised.
Sean Penn (Fast Times at Ridgemont High), Keanu Reeves (Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure), and Jason Segel, Seth Rogen and James Franco (TV’s Freaks and Geeks) are but a few actors who started out as class clowns.
Everybody else? Biggs is compared to Adam Sandler in the film, but his lifeless turn as a mentally challenged idiot who keeps getting into stupid, embarrassing situations might make you wish for the comic verve of a Jack and Jill.