American Pie Presents: The Book of Love

Movie review by
Joly Herman, Common Sense Media
American Pie Presents: The Book of Love Movie Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 18+
(i)
Crude, charmless, and very disrespectful of women. Ugh.
  • NR
  • 2009
  • 93 minutes
Save
Rate movie
Watch or buy

Parents say

age 17+
Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 17+
Based on 6 reviews
X of Y
Official trailer
American Pie Presents: The Book of Love

A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

Positive Messages

A hypocritical attempt on the part of the older guys -- including Jim's dad -- who wrote The Book of Love to "try to be respectful" to women. Meanwhile, these men speak about their wives and partners in very lewd and disrespectful ways. One man tells his girlfriend to "shut the f--k up." Disturbing messages about teenage sex and sexual behavior. Crude behavior (telling a girl to "suck me off in the Sharper Image," to which the girl says OK) and dirty tricks (pouring beer down girls' tops at a party, which the girls somehow think is funny). Extremely lewd comments about a character's mother are told before a church assembly.

Positive Role Models & Representations

A teacher draws dirty pictures of students and fellow teachers. Older men in the community who tell high school boys about their sexual escapades (Dutch "nymphos" in Amsterdam, for example.)  Men are encouraging kids to do things like "stick your fingers in her ass," while having sex. Rob's mom has zero control over her sons. She watches videos of her son doing inappropriate things and does not think to punish him.

Violence

Sexual violence, including banging a woman on the head with a telephone after she dies giving Rob fellatio. Violent and crude language used against women and girls.

Sex

The first scene involves Rob masturbating with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which his dog licks off of him, while his little brother tapes it. Lots of nasty sexual discourse involving all manners of teens having sex. Rob gets a hand job in the fitting room of a lingerie store and gives the sperm-stained panties to the clerk. Boys encourage girls to kiss while filming it at a dance. Nathan is shown performing oral sex on his girlfriend. Lots of naked fantasies shown, with girls' shirts taken off while they are talking. Even teachers are shown fantasizing about their students and fellow teachers. Rob vomits on a girl who is naked, on all fours, before they have sex. An aged prostitute dies while giving Rob oral sex. His friends knock her about to try to dislodge her.

Language

The list is long and tawdry. First scene has Rob watching porn and listening to actors talk about sex, including the words, "nipples," "ass," and "f--k." Plus:  "Douchebag," "fluteskin," "p---y," "f--k off," "jacking off," "c--k," "blow," "blowing some dude," "fluffer," "g-spot," "asshole," "poonslayers," "f--k it," "f--k this," "bulls--t," "butt nugget," "d--kface," "t-ts," etc...

Consumerism

Rob is forced to buy lingerie that he has soiled with body fluid. Sharper Image and Facebook.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Teenage drinking to excess. Mom says she can't stop her teenage son from drinking, but "don't drive," she insists. Rob vomits on a naked girl because he's so drunk. Some cigarette smoking.

Set limits for violence and more with Plus

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this direct-to-DVD unrated addition to the American Pie series has none of the innocence of the first two movies. In fact, for a movie that stars three guys who are supposedly virgins at the start, there's an incredible amount of sexual content (oral sex, naked fantasies, masturbation, prostitutes, porn-viewing, and so on). Parents are not able to control their kids who drink in excess among other things, and the "respect women" advice the teens are given is coming from men who clearly don't respect women. Not only is this DVD lewd and crude with language that would make a sailor blush, but it could do some damage to healthy teenage psyches where healthy sexual development is concerned.

Wondering if American Pie Presents: The Book of Love is OK for your kids?

Set preferences and get age-appropriate recommendations with Common Sense Media Plus. Join now

Continue reading Show less

Stay up to date on new reviews.

Get full reviews, ratings, and advice delivered weekly to your inbox. Subscribe

User Reviews

  • Parents say
  • Kids say
Adult Written bygeorge512 October 12, 2014
age 17+

Not For Kids if you know what I really mean.

American Pie Presents: The Book of Love Review. Look at the Title with the word Love. However this movie is NOT a love story. So I have this to say. Messag... Continue reading
Report this review 

Add your ratingSee all 1 parent review.

Teen, 16 years old Written byPro Guy June 13, 2020
age 18+
Report this review 
Teen, 15 years old Written byPart IV August 19, 2012
age 18+

Raunchy

Report this review 

Add your ratingSee all 6 kid reviews.

What's the story?

The first scene has Rob (Bug Hall) engaging in a sexual act with a sandwich. His brother films this act, and sends it viral so that the entire school (and his mother) see it. No matter, he's a guy after all, and guys just wanna have sex, right? According to this movie, that's all that's on their minds. Rob's pal Nathan (Kevin H. Norton) is trying to get to home base with his girlfriend, and Lube (Brandon Hardesty) has a mad crush on a cheerleader, who he has graphic fantasies about. When a fire in the library causes the sprinkler system to go off, Rob discovers a handmade book that describes in detail every aspect of sexual encounters. The boys use this "bible" to try to get "laid"-- even going to Canada to get it on with a prostitute -- and when the book fails them, they contact the original authors of the book. It ends up that these authors include Jim's dad, Mr. Levenstein (Eugene Levy), who tells the boys to "treat a girl with respect, and whatever happens is meant to happen." Yeah, right.

Continue reading Show less

Is it any good?

This movie does a dangerous thing: it tries to add the word "respect" to an irreparable trail of damage. After the boys have said and done many lewd things, the adult men in the movie tell them to be honest with women, as they talk about various anal sex techniques, or favorite foods with which to masturbate. Is this funny? No, it's not really funny, it's twisted. Watching Rob's mom view a video of her son vomiting on a girl he is about to have sex with is disturbing enough. The fact that the mom doesn't think to talk about consequences is mind-blowing. Three words: not for kids.

Continue reading Show less

Talk to your kids about ...

  • Families can talk about boundaries on the Internet. Rob watches porn as if it is as normal and everyday as eating a PB&J sandwich. How does your family deal with Internet boundaries? Here are some tips about how to make browsing the Web safe and appropriate for all members of the family.

  • Sex is on the mind of teens naturally enough. But all of the media that encourages sexual activity can lead to very irresponsible behavior. This article has some eye-opening stats about how sex in media directly affects kids and teens.

  • How are girls and women portrayed in this movie? Why do they need to be respected? Why wouldn't they be respected in the first place? Who are the female role-models in this movie? Are they prey to the lewd behavior of the males, or are they respected?

  • A lot of  "sexting" goes on in this movie. One character asks girls to kiss for a video he wants to post on his "sit-on-my Facebook page." Even Rob's mom sees videos of her son engaged in inappropriate sexual acts. Here is some advice about keeping teens safe in a digital world where privacy is a thing of the past.

Continue reading Show less

Movie details

Continue reading Show less

Our editors recommend

Revenge of the Nerds Movie Poster Image
Revenge of the Nerds
Racy college comedy has heart; OK for older teens.
age 16+
Sixteen Candles Movie Poster Image
Sixteen Candles
Racy, drunken, hilarious '80s high school comedy.
age 16+
Assassination of a High School President Movie Poster Image
Assassination of a High School President
Compelling high school noir movie, but not for kids.
age 17+

For kids who love high school comedies

Best Prom Movies for Teens
Best High School Movies
See all recommended movie lists

Top advice and articles

5 Tips to Make Family Movie Night a Success
TV and Movies That Celebrate Grit

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate

Streaming options powered by JustWatch

About these links

Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase. Thank you for your support.

Read more

Our ratings are based on child development best practices. We display the minimum age for which content is developmentally appropriate. The star rating reflects overall quality.

Learn how we rate