AMERICAN WEDDING (2003) Forget the Oscar contenders and art-house endeavors for a moment: Even the most elitist of critics should occasionally let their hair down and allow the inner party animal to emerge. So while many scribes have taken to the Austin Powers trilogy to fill that need, I’ve actually obtained more chuckles from the half-raunchy, half-sentimental American Pie series. Neither the first sequel nor this third entry manages the balancing act between sincerity and seediness as well as the 1999 original — the follow-ups clearly tip the scale toward the bawdy end — but both offer a fair amount of pleasure to anyone who’s grown fond of these characters. In this outing, Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) are set to tie the knot, but complications arise before the ceremony, not the least being the mere presence of the foul-minded Stifler (Seann William Scott). Eugene Levy returns as Jim’s dad, and in a nice bit of casting synergy, his frequent co-star in Christopher Guest’s comedies, Fred Willard, appears as Michelle’s dad. Director Jesse Dylan (Bob’s son) and screenwriter Adam Herz may not score any points for subtlety, but they make the most of their disreputable material. The movie’s available in different DVD versions, including the Extended Unrated Party Edition; extras include both the R-rated and unrated cuts of the movie, deleted scenes and outtakes, a feature on the bachelor party sequence, and a “Cheesy Wedding Video.”
Movie: 
1/2
Extras:
This article appears in Jan 7-13, 2004.
