They pledge that they will lose their virginity by high school graduation. When dorky classmate Sherman claims that he lost his virginity at a party hosted by Stifler, Kevin prompts Oz, Finch, and Jim to join him in making a pact.

The story centers on five high school seniors and friends from fictional East Great Falls, Michigan: Jim Levenstein, an awkward and sexually naïve nerd whose dad offers him pornography and awkward sexual advice Chris 'Oz' Ostreicher, overconfident star of the lacrosse team Kevin Myers, the calm leader of the group seeking to lose his virginity with his girlfriend Vicky Paul Finch, a mochaccino-drinking sophisticate and Steven Stifler, a popular but raucous jock who often throws wild parties and is the only one of the five who is not a virgin. In addition to the primary American Pie saga, there are five direct-to-DVD spin-off films bearing the title American Pie Presents: Band Camp (2005), The Naked Mile (2006), Beta House (2007), The Book of Love (2009), and Girls' Rules (2020).

In August 2017, Seann William Scott said in an interview that the fourth film probably had not made enough at the domestic box office to warrant another film. The film was a box-office hit and spawned three direct sequels: American Pie 2 (2001), American Wedding (2003), and American Reunion (2012). Writer Adam Herz has stated that the title also refers to the quest of losing one's virginity in high school, which is as 'American as apple pie.' The title refers to a scene in which the protagonist is caught masturbating with a pie after being told that third base feels like 'warm apple pie'. With the sole exception of Stifler, who has already lost his virginity, the youths make a pact to lose their virginity before their high school graduation. The story centers on five classmates (Jim, Kevin, Oz, Finch, and Stifler) who attend East Great Falls High.

It is the first film in the American Pie theatrical series and stars an ensemble cast that includes Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Alyson Hannigan, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Mena Suvari, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Seann William Scott, Eugene Levy, Shannon Elizabeth and Jennifer Coolidge. American Pie is a 1999 American coming-of-age teen sex comedy film directed and co-produced by Paul Weitz (in his directorial debut) and written by Adam Herz.

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