What role did lacrosse play in Native American culture. How did the original game differ from modern lacrosse. What spiritual and cultural significance did lacrosse hold for indigenous tribes. Explore the fascinating origins and evolution of America’s oldest sport.
The Origins and Cultural Significance of Lacrosse in Native American Society
Lacrosse, often referred to as “the Creator’s Game,” holds a revered place in Native American history and culture. This ancient sport was far more than just a recreational activity – it served vital social, spiritual, and even medicinal purposes for indigenous tribes.
Originally, lacrosse was played to resolve conflicts between tribes, acting as an alternative to warfare. The intense physical nature of the game allowed warriors to prove their strength and bravery on the field rather than in battle. Beyond conflict resolution, lacrosse games were also held to promote healing within the community. The vigorous exercise and unity fostered by the game were believed to have curative powers for both individuals and the tribe as a whole.
Perhaps most importantly, lacrosse played a crucial role in developing “strong, virile men” who could defend and lead their people. The game demanded peak physical fitness, mental toughness, and strategic thinking – all qualities valued in tribal leaders and warriors. Young men who excelled at lacrosse often went on to prominent positions within their communities.
The Spiritual Dimensions of Early Lacrosse
For many tribes, lacrosse transcended the physical realm and entered the spiritual. Games were often preceded by elaborate rituals and ceremonies to invoke supernatural aid. Medicine men would prepare special potions and charms to protect players from injury or weaken opponents. The selection of materials for equipment, especially the all-important lacrosse stick, was steeped in spiritual significance.
How did Native Americans choose the wood for lacrosse sticks? According to legend, the perfect tree for crafting a lacrosse stick would be marked by a lightning strike. This divine sign indicated the tree possessed special power that would transfer to the stick and its wielder.
Legendary Origins: Mythical Tales of Lacrosse’s Birth
The oral traditions of various Native American tribes have preserved fascinating origin stories for lacrosse. These legends not only entertain but also provide valuable insights into the cultural values and beliefs surrounding the game.
The Great Game: Birds vs. Quadrupeds
One of the most famous lacrosse legends tells of an epic contest between the birds and the four-legged animals. In this tale, the agility and teamwork of the winged creatures triumphed over the raw strength of their earthbound opponents. This story often serves as an allegory for the importance of skill and strategy over brute force in both lacrosse and life.
High Stakes and Dire Consequences
Some tribal legends speak of lacrosse games with truly life-or-death stakes. In these stories, the losing team might literally lose their heads, emphasizing the grave seriousness with which early lacrosse was played. While likely not historically accurate, these tales underscore the intensity and cultural weight placed on the game’s outcome.
The Evolution of Lacrosse: From Tribal Fields to Modern Arenas
The lacrosse of today bears only a passing resemblance to its indigenous roots. Understanding the game’s evolution provides fascinating insights into both Native American history and the development of modern sports.
Scale and Scope of Early Games
How big were traditional lacrosse fields? Unlike the neatly bounded modern fields, early lacrosse games could sprawl across miles of terrain. Hundreds or even thousands of players might participate in a single match, with goals potentially set miles apart. These marathon contests could last for days, testing the endurance and resolve of entire communities.
Equipment and Materials
The equipment used in early lacrosse was a far cry from today’s mass-produced gear. Sticks were painstakingly carved from specially selected wood, often hickory or ash. The netting was crafted from durable leather strips or animal sinew. Balls might be fashioned from wood, clay, or even stone covered in deer hide.
How does this compare to modern lacrosse equipment? Today’s players use sticks made from synthetic materials like plastic and titanium, with nylon mesh pockets. Regulation balls are made of solid rubber. While high-tech and efficient, these modern materials lack the spiritual and cultural significance of their traditional counterparts.
The Role of the Medicine Man in Lacrosse
In traditional Native American lacrosse, the medicine man played a crucial role that went far beyond what we might consider a modern coach or trainer. These spiritual leaders were integral to the team’s preparation and performance.
Supernatural Preparations
Before important games, medicine men would conduct elaborate rituals to invoke spiritual aid for their team. This might involve sacred dances, prayers, or the use of ceremonial objects believed to hold power. Players would often undergo purification rites or receive special blessings to enhance their abilities on the field.
Medicinal and Magical Interventions
During the game itself, medicine men would employ various supernatural tactics to aid their team. This could include creating potions to prevent injuries or enhance stamina. Some were said to have the power to cause an opponent’s leg to cramp at a crucial moment or to protect their own players from harm.
While these practices may seem superstitious to modern observers, they highlight the deep spiritual significance lacrosse held for Native American cultures. The game was seen as a nexus between the physical and spiritual worlds, where supernatural forces could directly influence the outcome.
Lacrosse Legends Across Tribes: A Comparative Analysis
Thomas Vennum’s book “Lacrosse Legends of the First Americans” compiles thirteen distinct legends from five different tribes: the Cherokee, Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), Seneca, Ojibwa, and Menominee. This diverse collection allows for fascinating comparisons and contrasts in how various indigenous cultures viewed and mythologized the game.
Common Themes and Variations
While each tribe’s legends are unique, certain themes recur across multiple stories. These might include:
- The intervention of spiritual or animal beings in the game’s creation or early contests
- Lacrosse as a means of settling disputes or avoiding warfare
- The game as a test of character, skill, and worthiness
- Connections between lacrosse and natural phenomena or seasonal changes
How do these shared elements reflect broader Native American cultural values? The recurring themes often emphasize communal harmony, respect for nature, and the importance of personal excellence in service to the tribe.
Tribal Variations in Game Style and Significance
While lacrosse was widespread among Native American tribes, its specific rules, equipment, and cultural significance could vary significantly. Some tribes placed more emphasis on the game’s spiritual aspects, while others focused on its role in developing warriors or leaders. The physical style of play could also differ, with some versions being more violent or ritualized than others.
The Transition to Modern Lacrosse: Preservation and Adaptation
As European colonization and cultural assimilation progressed, traditional Native American lacrosse underwent significant changes. However, elements of the original game have persisted, and there are ongoing efforts to preserve and revitalize its indigenous roots.
Standardization and Formalization
The transition to modern lacrosse involved a gradual standardization of rules, field sizes, and equipment. This process began in the mid-19th century as the game gained popularity among non-Native players. While this allowed for organized leagues and widespread adoption, it also meant the loss of many traditional elements and regional variations.
Cultural Preservation Efforts
How are Native American communities working to maintain their lacrosse traditions? Many tribes continue to play traditional versions of the game alongside modern lacrosse. Cultural education programs teach young people about the game’s spiritual and historical significance. Some Native American lacrosse manufacturers still craft sticks using traditional methods and materials, preserving ancient skills and knowledge.
The Enduring Legacy of Native American Lacrosse
While modern lacrosse has evolved far from its indigenous roots, the influence and importance of Native American contributions to the sport cannot be overstated. Understanding the rich cultural history of lacrosse enhances appreciation for the game and provides valuable insights into Native American societies.
Lessons for Modern Players and Fans
What can today’s lacrosse enthusiasts learn from the game’s Native American heritage? The spiritual and communal aspects of traditional lacrosse offer a powerful counterpoint to the often hyper-competitive nature of modern sports. The emphasis on personal growth, conflict resolution, and connection to nature found in many lacrosse legends provides a holistic perspective on athletic pursuits.
Honoring the Past, Looking to the Future
As lacrosse continues to grow in popularity worldwide, it’s crucial to acknowledge and respect its indigenous origins. Efforts to incorporate traditional elements into modern play, educate fans about the game’s history, and support Native American lacrosse initiatives all contribute to preserving this vital cultural legacy.
The legends and traditions surrounding Native American lacrosse offer a window into a rich and complex world. By studying these stories and understanding the game’s evolution, we gain not only a deeper appreciation for a beloved sport but also valuable insights into the cultures and values of North America’s first peoples.
Lacrosse Legends of the First Americans – HFS Books
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| Format | Paperback / softback |
| Published | July 15, 2007 |
| ISBN-13 | 9780801886294 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 184 |
| Words | 62455 |
| Halftones, black and white | 11 |
| Line drawings, black and white | 8 |
| Height | 9.25 Inches (US) |
| Width | 6.13 Inches (US) |
| Thickness | 0. 49 Inches (US) |
| Unit weight | .65 Pounds (US) |
| List Prices | $29.00 USD, £24.00 GBP |
| ONIX | v2.1 Reference |
By Thomas Vennum
Johns Hopkins University Press
An ancient Native American sport, lacrosse was originally played to resolve conflicts, heal the sick, and develop strong, virile men. In Lacrosse Legends of the First Americans, Thomas Vennum draws on centuries of oral tradition to collect thirteen legends from five tribes—the Cherokee, Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), Seneca, Ojibwa, and Menominee. Reflecting the game’s origins and early history, these myths provide a glimpse into Native American life and the role of the “Creator’s Game” in tribal culture.
From the Great Game in which the Birds defeated the Quadrupeds to high-stakes contests after which the losers literally lost their heads, these stories reveal the fascinating spiritual world of the first lacrosse players as well as the violent reality of the original sport.
Lacrosse enthusiasts will learn about game equipment, ritual preparations, dress, and style of play, from stick handling to scoring. They will discover how the “coach”—a medicine man—conjured potions to prevent game injuries or make the opponent’s leg cramp as well as how early craftsmen identified the perfect tree—marked by a lightning strike—from which to carve a lacrosse stick.
The game is no longer played by large numbers of men on mile-long fields, and plastic, titanium, and nylon have replaced hickory and ash, leather, and catgut. As lacrosse continues to evolve, this collection will help us remember and understand its rich and complex history.
About the Author
Thomas Vennum is senior ethnomusicologist emeritus at the Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. He is the author of American Indian Lacrosse: Little Brother of War. He is retired and living in Tucson, Arizona, where he continues research among Indian tribes in Sonora, Mexico, specifically the Seri.
Reviews
“A strong contribution to Native American studies, sports history, and folklore.”
“As this book amply demonstrates, lacrosse has an impressive history and a vibrant contemporary culture.”
– Alan Bairner
– Journal of Sports Sciences
“It is to Vennum’s credit that he has brought these legends to a wider audience and demonstrated the relevance of what might seem at first glance unpromising territory for sport scientists.”
– Alan Bairner
– Journal of Sports Sciences
| Format | Paperback / softback |
| Published | July 15, 2007 |
| ISBN-13 | 9780801886294 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 184 |
| Words | 62455 |
| Halftones, black and white | 11 |
| Line drawings, black and white | 8 |
| Height | 9. 25 Inches (US) |
| Width | 6.13 Inches (US) |
| Thickness | 0.49 Inches (US) |
| Unit weight | .65 Pounds (US) |
| List Prices | $29.00 USD, £24.00 GBP |
| ONIX | v2.1 Reference |
Add to Cart
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Product Description
An ancient Native American sport, lacrosse was originally played to resolve conflicts, heal the sick, and develop strong, virile men. In Lacrosse Legends of the First Americans, Thomas Vennum draws on centuries of oral tradition to collect thirteen legends from five tribes-the Cherokee, Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), Seneca, Ojibwa, and Menominee. Reflecting the game’s origins and early history, these myths provide a glimpse into Native American life and the role of the “Creator’s Game” in tribal culture.
From the Great Game in which the Birds defeated the Quadrupeds to high-stakes contests after which the losers literally lost their heads, these stories reveal the fascinating spiritual world of the first lacrosse players as well as the violent reality of the original sport. Lacrosse enthusiasts will learn about game equipment, ritual preparations, dress, and style of play, from stick handling to scoring. They will discover how the “coach”-a medicine man-conjured potions to prevent game injuries or make the opponent’s leg cramp as well as how early craftsmen identified the perfect tree-marked by a lightning strike-from which to carve a lacrosse stick.
The game is no longer played by large numbers of men on mile-long fields, and plastic, titanium, and nylon have replaced hickory and ash, leather, and catgut. As lacrosse continues to evolve, this collection will help us remember and understand its rich and complex history.
Lacrosse Legends of the First Americans Paperback edition by Thomas Vennum
Product Details
Product Specification
- Author
Thomas Vennum
- ISBN-13
- 9780801886294
- ISBN-10
- 0801886295
- Format
- Paperback,
- Publisher
Johns Hopkins University Press
- Publication date
- 9 Sep 2007
- Product dimensions
- 156 x
238 x
23mm - Weight
- 320g
- Condition
- New
- Language
- English
Table of contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1.
Animals as Star Players
The Great Game in Which the Birds Defeat the Quadrupeds
A Dog’s Power Beats the Old Chief
2. Game Equipment from the Upper World
The Pale Moon
Playing with an Evil Head
The First Lacrosse Ball
3. Wagers and Warriors
Playing for Heads
Wakayabide Is Killed Playing Lacrosse and Later Takes Revenge
The Warriors of the Ho-Chunk Nation Struggle on Home Turf
4. Tricksters and Culture Heroes
He Who Wears Human Heads for Earrings Defeats the Giants
Manabus Is Dogged by Waves
Why the Turkey Buzzard Has a Red Scabby Neck
5. Trees to Stop the Action
Snakes around the Neck
An Unusual Penalty Box
Conclusion
Appendix: Ethnographic Index
Bibliographic Note
Index
Categories
Non-Fiction History, Politics & Philosophy History History: Specific Events & Topics Social & Cultural History
Non-Fiction History, Politics & Philosophy History Regional & National History History Of The Americas
Non-Fiction Psychology & Social Science Sociology & Anthropology Anthropology
Non-Fiction Sport & Fitness Sport Ball Games Lacrosse
Stationery & Gifts
Non-Fiction Sport & Fitness
Non-Fiction Business, Finance & Law Business & Economics Industry & Industrial Studies Service Industries Sport & Leisure Industries
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Not a single NATO ship can hide from the space Liana
Free Press
© Free Press
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“Pion-NKS” is a radar reconnaissance satellite, which is part of the advanced marine space reconnaissance and target designation system (MKRTS) 14K159 “Liana”./cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64707151/BOB_8839.0.0.jpeg)
It is intended for constant monitoring of the World Ocean in order to determine the location of enemy ships, and above all aircraft carrier strike groups, and to issue target designation to naval strike weapons to destroy these ships.
“Liana” includes two different types of satellites. “Lotos-S” is intended for electronic intelligence.
It captures the electromagnetic radiation of enemy ships and determines their coordinates for transmission to the Combat Control Center. The first Lotos-S satellite was launched in 2009. However, as a result of test tests, it was found that it does not fully meet the requirements assigned to it.
It took five years to create a more advanced Lotos-S1 apparatus, which was launched into orbit in 2014. Then the space constellation was replenished with three more modernized devices, the last, fifth, Lotos-C1 was launched in February of this year. True, they did not abandon the first satellite, due to software tricks, they ensured that it began to work properly.
Thus, the radio engineering component of the ICRC was fully staffed.
But Liana should include two more Pion-NKS radar reconnaissance satellites. They are necessary in order to improve the accuracy of determining the coordinates of ships and their motion vectors. “Pion-NKS” is able to detect objects with linear dimensions of one meter and at the same time the error in fixing their location does not exceed three meters.
Another advantage of Pion-NKS compared to Lotos-S1 is that it can detect and track ships following in radio silence mode. That is, with the instrumentation equipment that emits electromagnetic radio waves turned off.
So, the first Pion-NKS should have been launched a long time ago, which is necessary for training on the interaction of all elements of the system, that is, passive radio and active radar satellites. But this event was postponed several times to a later date. And now the full-fledged debugging of the Liana ICRTs has begun, the general developers of which are the Central Research Institute of Radio Engineering (TsNIIRTI) named after A.
I. Mints, KB “Arsenal” (St. Petersburg) and Rocket and Space Center “Progress” (Samara).
There is no information about when the second Pion-NKS will be launched into orbit.
I must say that “Liana” did not appear out of nowhere. In the Soviet period of history, the Navy was served by the Legenda space marine reconnaissance and target designation system, which entered combat duty in 1978 and lasted until the beginning of the 2000s of the new century.
Its working principle was exactly the same. But the technical level of space equipment was significantly lower. The “Legend” also included radio reconnaissance satellites (passive) and radar (active). The radar satellites had a large power consumption, and there was not enough power from the solar panels to power them.
We had to equip them with a power plant based on a portable nuclear reactor. The resource of the reactor was small, it was exhausted after 7 months. In this connection, it was often necessary to launch active satellites to replace those that had expired.
And this was not only an economic trouble, but also a reputational and political one. Three times there were accidents, as a result of which the satellite with the reactor could not be taken into the burial orbit. Satellites were destroyed in the atmosphere, and radioactive fragments flew down. Twice the fall occurred in the Indian Ocean. But once 65 kilograms of debris hit the territory of Canada. It’s good that they fell in a sparsely populated area. But it’s bad that some of them had radioactivity of 200 roentgens per hour.
The West constantly pressed on the Soviet Union, demanding an end to “this barbarity.” In the end, active satellites had to be abandoned. It happened in 1988. After that, the “Legend” functioned in a truncated form, not supplying the necessary volumes of intelligence information to the ground.
The Soviet sailors did not have to use the full capabilities of the “Legend”. Because an integral part of this ICRC was the Granit supersonic anti-ship missiles, which had both a conventional warhead weighing 750 kg and a nuclear power of 500 kilotons.
Things did not come to a combat launch of missiles.
However, in all other respects “Legend” showed itself from the best side – in efficiency, in resolution, in coverage of the entire water area of the World Ocean. And here is an eloquent example.
In 1982, during the Falklands War between Argentina and Great Britain for the islands of the same name, all the data from Legends about the situation in the region were collected and analyzed at the General Staff of the USSR. It was clear how many British landing ships were approaching the Falklands, what the defense of the islands was. As a result of the information received from the “Legend”, the place of the landing of the British troops and the exact time of the start of the operation were predicted.
Liana should outperform Legend in terms of reconnaissance capabilities. Firstly, it is capable of bearing enemy ships with significantly higher accuracy, determining their type, direction and speed of movement.
Secondly, the new reconnaissance space system is capable of monitoring not only the surface of the ocean, but also the land.
It is also necessary to say that the designers of the active satellite got rid of the need to use a nuclear reactor on board.
And what about these kinds of systems in the US Navy? Alas, better than ours. If only because the American system has been working for a long time, and ours has been in the status of a promising one for many years. Which is directly related to the lag of the Russian space industry from the American one, and now from the Chinese one.
The US Navy’s NOSS (Naval Ocean Surveillance System) ocean surveillance system appeared at the same time as Legend. The launch of first-generation electronic reconnaissance satellites began at 1976 year.
However, there was no crisis in the USA in the 1990s, which is why the NOSS system exists to this day. True, it already includes third-generation satellites, which have been launched into space on the principles of rotation since 2001. In orbits of 900-1200 km, up to 9 spacecraft rotate simultaneously.
Data on the capabilities of the third generation of the system are classified.
They are revealed by the second generation. The accuracy of determining the location of marine objects reaches 1-3 kilometers. That is, the system cannot be used for target designation of missile weapons. The third generation of the system has greater accuracy, but it is also used to reflect the surface situation throughout the oceans, and not for target designation
The Lacrosse radar reconnaissance system, consisting of four satellites in an orbit of 680 km, can be used to target naval strike systems. Radar operating in the centimeter and decimeter ranges, with a swath of 4000 km, provide location accuracy of 1-6 meters. When narrowing the bandwidth, the resolution can reach 0.3-0.9 meters.
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How the American pie”
Sitting down to write “American Pie”, debutant screenwriter Adam Hertz did not at all imagine himself rediscovering the teen comedy genre – he simply actively did not like what he was used to seeing on the screen.
According to Adam, at the end of the last century, the genre of youth sex comedy was in a terrible state and needed an injection of something potent. It was just a matter of getting the recipe right. “The genre sucked itself out, Hollywood is all 9The 0s filmed solid rubbish, as if forgetting that teenagers also love movies, Hertz later recalled. “All I wanted was to make the studios think.”
At the University of Michigan, where Adam studied, he liked film studies much more than other subjects. Deciding that a career as a lawyer was not for him, in 1996, Hertz said goodbye to his native Grand Rapids and went to New York for a six-week filmmaking course. There it became completely clear to him that he did not have enough data for acting, but there were other professions that allowed him to penetrate the Hollywood kitchen.
Adam started working as an assistant in the production of various TV shows, and in his free time he dabbled in writing, however, without much success.
Disillusioned with modern cinema, Hertz wanted to write a good comedy in the spirit of the 80s, but the 15-hour working day squeezed all the strength out of him, not allowing him to focus on creativity. After suffering for some time and sending several unsuccessful drafts to the trash, Hertz found a way out of the situation – he quit his job.
By the time all of his bank cards had credit limits set, the 26-year-old author managed to squeeze out 30 pages of a script and hopefully showed them to his potential managers. “They said the first two pages were brilliant, but the other 28 were crap,” Adam later described the reaction of his first reviewers. “And I decided, okay, let it be just a movie about guys who want to have sex. And when the idea took concrete shape, I dashed off the rest of the script in two or three weeks.
The plot that took shape involved a group of high school friends desperately dreaming of parting with their innocence. There are still a few weeks left until the end of classes, and in order to spur each other, they make a corresponding bet.
Now, finding a “fail-safe” prom partner is becoming a matter of honor for the conspirators, and everyone is trying to resolve this issue in their own way. The shameless jerk Steve Stifler constantly interferes in the plans of friends, with whom they are friends only because it is at his house that the after-prom party will take place – the one at which everything should be decided …
It was the winter of 1997, just in time for the New Year holidays. While the country was resting and skiing, Hertz pounded on the keys, generously drawing the described situations and plot conflicts from personal baggage. Adam wrote off positive characters from his friends and acquaintances, whose habits and favorite phrases he had not yet forgotten after school. In order not to get confused who is who, in the first draft he even called them the names of real prototypes. Stifler, on the other hand, was largely a composite character, without whose foul language, according to the author, the plot would not have been so vital: “Everyone knows Stifler, a freakish moron like him studied with everyone at school.
A couple of such bespredelschikov also fell to my lot. All they wanted was to get laid, and for some reason the people around them had to respect them for it. In general, these two inspired me. Well, I also, of course, wrote off a lot of things from myself. ” According to Hertz, the main character, Jim Levenstein, was and remains his favorite, because he inherited his character in many ways. And even in some matters he turned out to be bolder, having done what Adam himself only dreamed of at one time.
The completed 113-page manuscript began circulating in film studios. Instead of a headline, the author wrote on the title page: “An as-yet untitled teen comedy that can be made for less than 10 million and that will probably outrage many readers, but I think you will like it.” As a result, the script was bought by Universal Pictures for 650 thousand, and the production of the tape was entrusted to the debutant brothers Paul and Chris Weitz. The brothers’ directing experience was zero; they entered the cinema through a side door, attracting the attention of the studio with the script for the animated film Antz written for DreamWorks.
A teen comedy was a good way for them to make themselves known, and there was a reason for self-realization since childhood: Paul and Chris’s mother, Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Susan Kohner left the big screen at the peak of her career to devote herself to children, and this is what In a sense, it placed responsibility on the brothers.
Future directors saw the drama of growing up in the story written by Hertz: in their opinion, despite the abundance of very rude gags, the need for an early parting introduced an obviously sad counterpoint into the relationship of the characters, pushing them to various madness. Having thus determined for themselves the tone of the future picture, they began casting and staffed the team with serial actors who were ready to work for a modest fee for an interesting role.
Alyson Hannigan was hired due to the fact that before the screen test she did not have time to run to the toilet and, as a result, genuinely impressed the directors with her twitchiness.
Initially, she was considered for the role of Heather, but, after reading the script, the girl asked to give her the part of the geeky flutist Michelle. Some of the young actors who got into the team managed to get to know each other on other projects: for example, Natasha Lionni starred with Mena Suvari in The Slums of Beverly Hills, and she, in turn, played with Eddie Kay Thomas in Carrie 2. Tara Reid managed to participate in such iconic tapes 90’s, like The Big Lebowski, Urban Legends and Cruel Intentions, but the rest had nothing to brag about – they still had ahead. Even Eugene Levy, who by that time had almost thirty years of acting experience and more than fifty roles behind him, was remembered by the audience as the sexually liberated dad of the protagonist, whom he, correctly sensing the direction of the wind, later played more than once.
Locations for filming were chosen not far from Hollywood. Although Hertz’s action takes place in the town of East Great Falls, written off from his native Grand Rapids, trips to the outback were not needed: all suitable nature was found in Los Angeles and its suburbs.
The role of “East Great Falls High”, in which the characters of the tape study, was played by two schools located on Long Beach: interior scenes were filmed in one, the second was used for external plans.
Filming began on July 21, 1998 and ran until September 11. Despite the fact that the Weitzes were debutants, none of them pulled the blanket over themselves: the brothers understood each other without words, never argued, and even “Cut!” at the end of the takes they screamed at the same time. The coherence of their work impressed the rest of the team, so that the shooting of a number of rather sensitive episodes went off without incident. The unbridled script of Hertz only helped the actors in this. Jason Biggs, who played the role of Jim, was very excited when the turn came to the famous pie scene, but he could not help but admit that it was she who helped him overcome his complexes. A ridiculous striptease involving an office chair was given to Jason after that much easier.
“I tried to act loose, because the dumber I looked, the less I became in it, and the easier it was to play,” the actor said years later.
Biggs literally experienced both heat and cold: during the filming of the opening scene, to simulate an erection, only a cooked and still hot sausage was stuffed into his shorts; on the set of another scene where his character rushes home, Jason overheated so much that he had to put ice under his shirt. When the required number of takes had been filmed, Biggs was taken to the hospital. On another occasion, the actor overate zinc tablets, poisoned himself and became so weak that he lost his ability to work for the whole day: the scene with Finch (Eddie Kay Thomas) playing golf had to be filmed without him. But perhaps the biggest test for Jason was the relatively simple breakfast scene at the Dog Years diner: as Biggs later admitted, during takes he had to eat more than five dozen hot dogs. This experience was also not easy for directors: Chris Weitz noted in his memoirs that “shooting a group of people sitting around a table is something impossible.
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Sean William Scott, for whom Stifler was the first opportunity to shine on the big screen, approached his duties creatively: improvisations were allowed on the set, and he came up with so many things that Adam Hertz was eventually forced to recognize Scott as a full co-author: “ This character basically became Sean’s creation. The more he got used to the role, the more detached Stifler became. Shockingly worked on the image of the sophisticated alcoholic Paul Finch and Eddie Kay Thomas. The rest of the actors also gave their best: for example, for the role of handsome Oz, Chris Kline had to learn how to play lacrosse in two days, and Mena Suvari personally performed all the musical numbers.
For the late 1990s, the plot of American Pie was an unheard of audacity, but the young actors were not afraid to take risks, and the opportunity to feel like schoolchildren again entertained them a lot. The only one who asked to make fundamental changes to the drawing of his role was Eugene Levy – Jim’s dad.
He wanted to play a good, caring father who really cares about his son, and does not encourage him in every possible way, pushing him into the abyss of debauchery. The production brothers agreed that Jim’s dad should not act like a dirty old man, but there was no time to rewrite the role, so the new image was born as a result of multiple improvisations right on the set. Levy later recalled, “Jim’s dad! When I first read the script, I thought, this guy doesn’t even have a name. It’s like playing some kind of “salesman”. But the role turned out to be a hit, and I’m glad about it. I have never heard a bad word about my character, so when someone on the street shouts “God, you’re Jim’s dad!”, I can only be proud.
The name of the tape was not born immediately. Initially, Hertz wanted to equip his creation with the title “East Great Falls High” – an allusion to the school in which he once studied, then the title was reduced to the name of the town – “Great Falls”. As a result, the punning “American Pie” appeared (“pie” in English is not only “pie”, but also “chaos”, “jumble”; in addition, there is a saying “As American as apple pie” – “As American as apple pie”), which suited everyone and turned into a kind of brand./cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62333329/ND5_0221.0.jpg)
The live band invited to shoot the prom was selected on the basis of the most stupidity: the directors wanted to bring down the sentimental pathos of the event and show that the event that all schoolchildren are looking forward to may not actually look cool at all. “This went on for three days in a row,” the Weitz later recalled with a laugh. “Three days of never-ending graduation!” God forbid, to experience it again … Sherman, by the way, didn’t really wet himself there – there was a tube hidden in his trousers, through which water was supplied at the right moment.
In most of the scenes where music was involved (for example, at Stifler’s parties), the dancers had to twitch their limbs in complete silence, otherwise it would not have been possible to record dialogues normally – which, however, did not prevent the Weitz from later adding an amusing a set of more than three dozen melodies. So, the song of the Simple Minds group “Don`t you forget about me”, which the musicians play at the prom, is a reference to the youth comedy “Club” Breakfast “(1985).
When Finch, who has drunk a laxative, rushes to the toilet, The Ventures song “Walk Don’t Run” (“Go, don’t run”) is played off-screen. And the music he seduces Stifler’s mom to is “Mrs. Robinson” from the film “The Graduate” (1967). The members of the group “Blink 182” not only donated their songs “Mutt” and “Going Away To College” for the soundtrack, but also played casual viewers spying on Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) masturbating. Other cameos include Casey Affleck in the tiny role of Tom Myers, Kevin’s older brother. The future singer Christina Milian wormed his way into the group of outsider musicians, and in the crowd of girls laughing at Finch who came out of the women’s toilet, one can see fashion model Stacy Fuson (Miss February of Playboy magazine for 1999 g). Director Chris Weitz chose the most amusing role for himself – it is in his voice that the porn actor shouts from the TV at the beginning of the film: “Go smack my hairy ass!”
for example, the golf scene was advised to be inserted into the film by the father of actor Eddie Kay Thomas, and Chris Weitz came up with the idea of using the monkey in the scene where Nadia appears topless (despite the fact that all unwanted spectators were removed from the site, the animal found by the producers got nervous and pissed himself right on in the hands of Shannon Elizabeth’s boyfriend, who was watching the filming).
At the same time, not everything from Hertz’s initial script migrated to the film. Some scenes were longer, some looked different, and Nadia not only smiled dazzlingly and showed off her body, but also talked. When Vicki (Tara Reid) and Jessica (Natasha Lionne) discussed methods of achieving orgasm at a party, Nadia put in her five cents: “Hands are not always even needed. I can teach you my own method, which I came up with when I attended a ballet school in Prague. You just have to forget about everything except the muscles of the inner thigh … “After the departure of Nadia, Jessica concluded:” It’s no wonder that in the lessons she always has her head in the clouds. At the end of the prom, when Jim was alone with Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), it was assumed that the girl would play the flute in the process of intercourse, and Stifler’s younger brother would watch the couple from the closet. As a result, they decided to cross out the flute and brother, but they left a cry improvised by Alison in front of the camera: “Call me by my name, bitch!” The waiter told them the next bottle of champagne to the bellboy: “Here’s a lucky one!” – “I’ve already seen this couple somewhere,” the bellboy answered.
“This guy is some kind of dancer.”
Knowing that an inexpensive film is more likely to be made, Hertz tried to get rid of everything that could weigh the budget even at the stage of writing the script. The consequence of this principle was, for example, the number of night scenes brought to a minimum, since Night shots are more expensive than daytime shots. As it turned out later, the screenwriter nevertheless miscalculated a little with the budget declared on the title page: the cost of the tape was not 10, but 11 million. But the money had already been invested – all that remained was to reap the rewards.
When the filming was completed and post-production began in the fall of 1999, it turned out that the tape did not fit into any censorship limits. Watching a rough cut of “American Pie” made the motion picture association of America’s (MPAA) moral watchdogs eyes wide open, and they declared that the film deserved no other rental rating than NC-17. This meant that the tape could not be advertised in the media, and no one under the age of 17 could enter the sessions.
Since “Pie…” was filmed primarily for young people, the Weitzes returned to the editing room several times, replacing the most “shocking” shots with alternative shots and removing the most obscene lines. In the fourth version of the montage, Jim fucked the pie while standing to his full height, and not lying on the kitchen table upside down, and the “man’s soup” accidentally drunk by Stifler (made, by the way, from beer and egg white) sounded like a “milk shake” . In the end, the MPAA gave in: the tape received the coveted rating of R and 9July 1999 successfully released in the US box office. The Weitz, unwilling to put up with censorship, put back much of what was cut in preparation for the “Director’s Cut” for the DVD release.
Further known: $235,483,004 in global screen and home video grosses, scandalous status, nominations and awards, MILF acronym entering everyday language, follow-up sequels and direct-to-video spin-offs labeled “American Pie Presents” “In which only Jim’s dad remained from the previous composition, but numerous relatives of Stifler appeared .
.. Then, at 19In 1999, the Weitzes could hardly have imagined that in just a few years, showing male genitalia in comedies and smearing various bodily fluids on the screen would become commonplace; at that time, the authors were quietly happy, if only because they were able to show Shannon Elizabeth’s bare breasts and joke about the flute stuck in a causal place.
The fact that the testosterone injection, which Hertz dreamed of doing to the comedy genre, had an effect, the screenwriter found out even before the premiere. He recalls this moment not without pride: “At first, the studio did not really believe in the success of our film, but after the test screenings, the marketers were on their ears: “God damn it, guys, how did you do it? The audience is delighted! ..” Well, it was a hit, and he changed a lot in the industry. But as time went on, Hollywood again began to shoot nonsense instead of comedies, and now, like in the nineties, everything is preparing to die again .
