American Pie

What ultimately separates reprehensible filmmaking like the "South Park" movie from merely irresponsible filmmaking like "American Pie" is the lingering effects of the work.

While the former has already spawned a bit of "life-imitating-art" behavior from teens, few of them are likely to run out and duplicate the disgusting gags showcased in the latter — even if there are so many of them.

Also, while "South Park" is all about mean-spiritedness, there's a certain degree of sweetness and charm to "American Pie," even as this equally hilarious and repulsive comedy does its best to disgust and delight you.

Be advised, though, that "There's Something About Mary" has nothing on "American Pie" in the raunch department. In fact, this comedy seems like a cross between "Mary" and "Porky's." But it puts a much more perverse spin on the material than any of its comedic predecessors.

The story follows a group of high school seniors — Jim (Jason Biggs), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) and hunky jock Oz (Chris Klein) — who are all determined to lose their virginity before they graduate. In fact, the four pals make it a pact.

Of the bunch, Kevin would seem to have a leg up on the others, as he actually has a girlfriend, Vicky (Tara Reid). Not to be outdone, Oz joins the school's chorale program and meets Heather (Mena Suvari), who helps change his priorities.

And though both have difficulty achieving their goal, they are better off than Jim, who blunders his way through an encounter with a foreign exchange student, and Finch, whose efforts to establish a "reputation" are destroyed in one fell swoop.

Like most of today's moviemakers, director Paul Weitz and screenwriter Adam Herz confuse sex with love, though, when the film works, it's side-splittingly funny. And it helps that the cast members actually look and act like real teens, especially Biggs, whose hapless antics will probably provoke the film's biggest guffaws. But Eugene Levy is scene-stealing in the supporting role of Jim's well-meaning but clueless father.

"American Pie" is rated R for vulgar sex and other bodily function gags, use of vulgar gestures and crude sexual slang, simulated sex and sex acts, profanity and female nudity.