According to Shannon Elizabeth, who portrayed Nadia in the hit coming-of-age comedy film, American Pie, releasing the movie today would present a challenge because of a particular scene she starred in.
Elizabeth was alluding to the clip where foreign exchange student Nadia is filmed changing in her bedroom, as well as other more intimate moments.
Speaking out about the scene, Elizabeth told Page Six: “If this had come out after the #MeToo movement, there would definitely be a problem. I think that it would have gone down differently.”
Being a relatively new actress at the time, she understandably found the sequence challenging to shoot. She said: “It was a closed set and it was just me in this room and the boom guy above me.”
She added: “I was like, ‘This is so weird.’ It was a square room they had built in the middle of a warehouse and we made everyone that didn’t need to be there leave set.
“That’s the main thing I remember, just me and the boom guy, and trying to make jokes with the directors and make light of it because if I wasn’t nervous maybe they wouldn’t be so nervous… I just tried to make it no big deal.”
Elizabeth also discussed her feelings regarding the accent she employed in the film as well as her thoughts on the awkward moment.
When Elizabeth was tasked with dubbing her lines for the movie, she became frustrated because she believed she couldn’t get the accent right.
She allegedly warned pals not to see the comedy since her experience was so awful.
Elizabeth said: “I told all my friends, ‘This movie’s gonna suck’ ‘cause they messed with my accent so much! I was like, ‘No, they’re ruining it, don’t watch it’.
“A lot of people did say my accent was terrible and I’m like, ‘Yeah, ‘cause they messed with it – they didn’t let me do what I wanted to do.’”
After hearing what she had to say, many fans of the film took to social media to share their thoughts. One agreed with the star, writing: “It would be 100% canceled if it was even allowed to be made as folk would take offense so thank god it was made years ago so those who have a sense of humor had a bloody good laugh!”
Another commented that there is a good reason the movie wouldn’t do well if it was released today: “Well, they filmed her n**ed without her consent and broadcasted it to the entire school right…and in the context of the movie…the offending party never really ‘paid the price’ for doing so or had remorse as a natural part of the overall film’s narrative if my memory is correct.
“I agree we need more hard R comedies and it’s hard to do so where everyone is offended.
But there are certain things that simply don’t, and shouldn’t age well.
I’m not saying the movie should be canceled and erased from memory. Just saying that particular plot point does not age well and for good reason.”
