15 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About American Pie
22 years on and American Pie is still a classic - here's what you need to know
American Pie is a film very much of its time. The movie isn't so much a sex comedy but a comedy about sex, or lack of it - and it's hilarious. American Pie is also a whopping 22 years old now, which means that it's perfect time to revisit the movie and offer up some facts you may not know about the film.
“There's something about your first piece,” quipped American Pie's tagline, 22 years and seven mostly forgettable sequels later, how right it was.
Because for those of a certain age, the film continues to stand as a seminal, hormonally-charged classic, a Porky’s of the nineties, and a raucous comedy worth revisiting time after time.
With this in mind, why not pay it the ultimate respect and learn of 15 lesser known American Pie facts?
- The best 90s movies revealed
1. Unfinished Teenage Sex Comedy
The script - written and sold by first-time screenwriter Adam Herz within six weeks - dropped onto the desks of studio bosses with the title, "Unfinished Teenage Sex Comedy Which Can Be Made for Under $10 Million That Studio Readers Will Most Likely Hate but I Think You Will Love”.
2. Great Falls of fire
The title was changed to Great Falls during the production, and it was only when test screening audiences took a dislike to the name that American Pie was chosen instead.
3. Skint Stifler
Making his feature film debut, Seann William Scott earned just $8,000 for his role as Steve Stifler. He was paid $5m for reprising the role in American Reunion.
4. Fail ale
The ‘pale ale’ that Stifler drinks is actually beer with egg whites in it, almost causing Scott to throw up during takes.
5. Origins of MILF
Before the film's release, the abbreviation ‘MILF’ was only synonymous with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a terrorist organisation in the southern Philippines who still go by the name today.
6. Dad jokes
Eugene Levy was given licence to improvise much of the dialogue for Jim’s Dad, including the part when flicking through pornographic magazines with Jim, forcing a noticeably muffled laugh from Jason Biggs with the "giant orgy" line.
7. Live and let pie
For the infamous pie-humping scene, directors Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz had Jason Biggs jump up on the counter and attempt the missionary style position when inserting his manhood into the apple pie. The shot didn’t make the final cut after it was deemed unpractical.
8. Life of pie
The apple pie in question was store bought by a member of production staff at a Costco in Long Beach, California.
9. Sausage party
To replicate an erection, Jason Biggs was given an aluminium-wrapped sausage stuck on a pencil.
10. Old school
At 26, John Cho was the oldest actor to play a high schooler in the film.
11. High school cool
East Great Falls High School is based on East Grand Rapids High School, Michigan, where screenwriter Adam Herz actually went to school.
12. Big break
Finch’s scooter breaking down when leaving the diner was unplanned, but the footage was kept and ran with.
13. Return to oz
In the original script, Steve Stifler’s first name is Ryan, Paul Finch's last name is French, and Oz’s middle name, not revealed in the film, is Dieter.
14. Blink and you'll miss 'em
As well as providing songs for the film’s soundtrack, members of Blink 182 make a cameo during the internet broadcast scene between Jim and Nadia.
15. rude tube
She might have admitted to doing questionable things with her flute at band camp as Michelle Flaherty, but actress Alison Hannigan was a proficient clarinet player when she attended North Hollywood High School.