Major Jersey Ties Bind In “American Reunion”

With Titanic 3-D and The Hunger Games fighting it out for the top spot in box office sales this weekend, you cannot forget the long awaited American Reunion is out today. The American Pie crew have grown up, come together to see where they are at and what has become of them. In real life, most of the cast has had their ups and downs but deserve some love to say goodbye to memorable characters, and to support the talent with ties to the Garden State (and you might be surprised who).

Jim, Michelle, Oz, Kevin, Vicki, Stiffler, Heather Finch, Stiffler's mom and Jim's dad - they are all back for the high school reunion, and we will benefit from this installment that still keeps its comical edge while showing some developed stories about the characters - we do seem to find out what has happened to them. You may not have thought this film could have happened, but the entire cast welcomed the return for one last slice of Pie.

All the actors have talent, and all have had at least one bright shining moment since the 1999 Pie, but there have also been some setbacks that has brought a need for this return for a re-establishment of why we like this group of actors. Here is a breakdown of the Reunion cast, and see the Jersey ties (not just Tonic singing the main song in the movie) involved with 3 of the cast members:

Jason Biggs -- A Jersey guy born in Pompton Plains, grew up in Hasbrouck Heights, and became a star playing Jim in '99. A bunch of similar character followed (Loser and Saving Silverman), but he seemed to break the mold with a great turn in Woody Allen's Anything Else in 2003. He has had a slew of supporting roles in many films since '03, and a short run on CBS with a series called Mad Love that never seem to click with viewers. Watch for his next film Grassroots later this year which is written and directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal (Jake and Maggie's dad).

Alyson Hannigan -- She's the oldest of this ensemble at 38, and has had the steadiest job since Pie on How I Met Your Mother on CBS (now in its 7th season). As Michelle, she still has the unforgettable phrase that got stuck in our head in '99 - "Well this one time, at Band Camp ......."

Chris Klein -- The hunk of this movie series as Oz, Klein had critical success going into Pie with Election (opposite Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick). Klein has had a slew of forgettable films over the last decade (rock bottom may have been 2009's Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li), an engagement with Katie Homes that did not go down the aisle, a leaked audition tape that did not make him look great, and a pair of DUI arrests. Now clean and sober, Klein has opened up about it all recently to People magazine. the incredibly likable Klein is one we root for after the Reunion.

Sean William Scott -- Who can forget Stiffler!!! Sadly most of his roles seem to resemble in some small way his legendary Pie character. His latest film out of Canada called Goon (over $4 Million made last week in America in limited release) sees him break the mold a bit and garner some impressive reviews. There is a Farrelly Brothers projact in his future that will feature Richard Gere, Kate Winslet and Gerard Butler just to name a few. Don't be shocked that there will be more roles that are so un-Stiffler, and Scott star's will shine for this.

Tara Reid -- The pride of Wyckoff, NJ (northern part of the state), her part as Vicki has been the highlight of her acting career. Sadly she has garnered more attention for behavior that has had the tabloids have a field day with her. Reid came into Pie with an impressive resume, having significant roles on the big screen (The Big Lebowski and Urban Legend) and on daytime TV (Days Of Our Lives), yet there does not seem to be a path for her right now. Luckily she does look much better than she has in the last few years.

Mena Suvari -- She went from playing Heather in American Pie, to being in the Oscar winning film American Beauty. You would think after that kind of start that Mena was bound for super stardom, but alas that has not panned out. Suvari has had some good moments on screen (Beauty Shop, Rumor Has It, and Stuck) and recently on TV (a short run on American Horror Story on FX). The talent is here, but are the roles?

Eddie Kaye Thomas -- Forever linked to Stiffler's Mom is the man name Finch. Thomas has another memorable character in another film franchise - Rosenberg in the Harold and Kumar films. His 2 stints on TV had the critics giving positive reviews ('Til Death on FOX, and How To Make It In America on HBO) but only limited runs (each show lasted 2 seasons). Watch for his 2013 film Code Name: Geronimo, which is based on the takedown of Osama Bin Laden.

Thomas Ian Nicholas -- He was a child star when he had a hit film at 13 (Rookie of the Year in 1993), and was trying to transition to a more teenage role with Kevin in Pie. Nicholas is in another phase of his career that will see 2 films coming with true stories surrounding them: playing Abbie Hoffman in The Chicago 8 (based on the 1968 Democratic Convention riots of 1968), then comes The Stone Pony. Nicholas is coming to the Jersey Shore in Asbury Park soon to begin production on this film opposite Scott Caan (Hawaii Five-O), James Woods and Chazz Palminteri. Look for drama to be the calling that makes Nicholas shine over the next few years.

Enjoy the trailer (about 3 Million hits on YouTube), and relive why you likes American Pie in the first place.