Synopsis
The Naked Mile is the second film from the spinoff series “American Pie Presents” and the fifth installment of the American Pie franchise. It continues the raucous teen sex comedy tradition of the original American Pie films and is directed by Joe Nussbaum. Released in 2006, the film once again uses a mostly new cast of characters. The film focuses on the over the top humor, sexual exploits, and the party scene in college and functions as a standalone film while loosely connecting to the original series through Erik Stifler, the main character.
In the film, Erik Stifler, played by John White, is a high school senior and the cousin of Steve Stifler, a character played by Seann William Scott in the American Pie series. Unlike his infamous cousin, Erik is bestowed the “good guy” stereotype as a sensitive, responsible, and still a virgin. His long term girlfriend, Tracy, played by Jessy Schram was not sex-ready. Understanding Erik’s internal struggles alongside the social expectations of the time, Tracy grants him a “free pass” for a weekend—a temporary hall pass to get rid of his virginity while she reflects on her own sexual feelings.
This kicks off a wild weekend in college with Erik’s best friends Ryan (Ross Thomas) and Mike “Cooze” Coozeman (Jake Siegel). The boys go to a school where Erik’s cousin, Dwight Stifler (Steve Talley), the self-proclaimed king of all things wild, makes the most of his Stifler reputation. He is loud, crude, and hell-bent on showing Erik the finer points of the Stifler family reason.
The event has to be the famed “Naked Mile,” a version of streaking that is performed at the school. The Naked Mile becomes, both literally and figuratively, a rite of passage for Erik, symbolizing for him the shedding of his childhood and embracing the college chaos—or at least his college years.
As the weekend approaches, Erik faces temptations such as wild parties, scantily clad women, and outrageous pranks. His friends are fully on board: Ryan’s a player, and Cooze, who is desperate to lose his virginity, often to outlandish extremes. During the madness, Erik faces the dilemma of whether or not he wants to lose his virginity in a manner that, in reality, is the complete opposite of his true self. He meets up with a girl at a party, and while he attempts to lose his virginity, in the end, he stops himself and decides he wants to maintain his relationship with Tracy, realizing that what he truly values is not fleeting hookups, but a relationship with depth.
The film reaches its culmination with the epic event of the Naked Mile, during which Erik joins the crowd in running naked, but unlike them, he still maintains his virtue. Once home, he reveals everything to Tracy, and their heartfelt confessions not only deepen the relationship but also enhance the bond between them. Ultimately, the couple chooses to deepen their relationship both physically and emotionally.
Cast & Crew
John White as Erik Stifler
As the lead, John White portrays Erik with a blend of attractiveness and awkwardness. He plays the character designed to be the antithesis of Stifler. He is the softer Stifler, and as part of the family, he is more complex as he struggles between his raging teenage hormones and a moral compass.
Steve Talley as Dwight Stifler
Talley steps into the shoes of the next-generation Stifler. Just as the fans of the franchise expect, he is an over-the-top, comedic foil as well as a crude mentor of sorts to Erik. Dwight wild college fantasy personified.
Jessy Schram as Tracy Sterling
She is Erik’s attentive girlfriend, which makes her relatively more down-to-earth character in the wild movie out of balance. By deciding to give Erik a free pass, she also drives the movie’s plot, while her emotional journey brings some depth to the film, which is mostly centered on casual sex.
Jake Siegel as Mike “Cooze” Coozeman
Cooze is the provocative best friend to the main character who is a womanizer, yet his attempt to score fails miserable. Through his outlandish antics and humorous remarks, the Cooze character adds to the movie’s silliness.
Ross Thomas as Ryan Grimm
Ryan plays a womanizing character as a sleazy a talker who gives Erik some very passe tips and spends the college weekend chasing tail.
Director: Joe Nussbaum
Nussbaum is known for directing other youth-oriented films, like Sleepover and later Prom. He brought the same teen film feel to The Naked Mile. He is known for energetic pacing, frat party aesthetics, and gross-out gags.
Writers: Erik Lindsay
Like any other American Pie movies, Lindsay’s script also follows a certain formula. It contains cringy moments, sexual bewilderment, crazy antics, and a somewhat happy resolution. Although some parts seem dramatically exaggerated, regardless, the movie stays true to the themes of growing up and self-searching.
IMDb Ratings and Critical Reception
American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile has an IMDb rating of 5.1/10. This rating shows that critics had a mixed-to-negative view of the movie, while the movie’s reception from the audience was somewhat better. Most of the critics labeled the movie ‘childish’ and ‘very predictable’. But the movie was still enjoyed by the fans of American Pie, particularly by those who liked teen sex comedies.
Unlike the original American Pie movie that was released in 1999, Naked Mile focuses more on the slapstick and absurd humor. American Pie was regarded as a coming-of-age teen movie, and despite the irresponsible and raunchy plot, was praised for its portrayal of teenage sensitivity and growth. Naked Mile tends to rely heavily on shock tactics, nudity, and extreme slapstick humor, often at the cost of character growth.
Nonetheless, the film was able to successfully attract a certain segment of the audience who liked college-themed movies filled with the ideas of expansion, independence, and sexual adventure. The movie was a huge success in the direct-to-DVD market, especially because of its association with American Pie.
Legacy and Cultural Impact
Despite the lack of critical praise, The Naked Mile helped sustain the popularity of the American Pie series. It followed the same formula of casting less-established young actors with low budget, yet energetic stories aimed at the teenage and college demographic.
The film tapped into the sexual comedy trends of the early 2000’s, as seen in Van Wilder, Road Trip, and Old School. The Naked Mile’s over-the-top portrayal of college life capitalized on a fantasy world of boundless freedom, endless parties, and the mythic promise of sexual awakening, which was escapist for many viewers.
As an interesting note, the University of Michigan was home to the “Naked Mile” concept, which had long been discontinued by the time the film was made. The film tapped into the cultural fascination of such traditions, although the film parodied and exaggerated them to a ridiculous extreme.
The movie was also important in jumpstarting the careers of young actors, especially Steve Talley, who reprised his role as Dwight Stifler in American Pie Presents: Beta House (2007).
Though The Naked Mile lacks the emotional depth of the original movies, it delivers on what fans of the franchise have come to expect from a spin-off: crude jokes, sexual antics, and exaggerated theatrics geared towards college students. The film is a significant contribution to the line of raunchy teen comedies and serves as a reminiscence of the time when these films were a hallmark of American entertainment.
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