You have been cordially invited to the American Wedding. "Good," you say to yourself. Now you can catch up with your friends from the American Pie stories. After donning your finest formalwear, you drive to a splendid country club where an unexpected sign greets you. Looking up, you read the banner hanging on top of an impressive white gate: "Welcome to the Stifler Show."

Unsure what this banner refers to, you give your keys to the valet and follow the signs with the arrows. They lead to a screening room occupied by people you recognize as the wedding guests. They don't notice you because they're watching a movie that's just starting. "How nice," you think, as you observe what's onscreen. "It's a video about the journey of the couple."

There's Jim (Jason Biggs), about to propose to his bride-to-be, Michelle (Alyson Hannigan). You're surprised to see it's actually quite a funny scene -- practically embarrassing for the pair -- but it's good-natured and ends up being rather sweet. You find yourself an empty seat and prepare to learn more about the couple's time leading up to today's special ceremony.

But something strange is happening. A person you are hesitant to call Jim's friend -- hesitant because Jim himself would hesitate at the thought -- seems to be hogging the spotlight. It is indeed Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott), the person whose name appeared on the banner at the gate. As his comic antics remain on center stage, you begin to shuffle uncomfortably. Shouldn't this movie be about Jim and Michelle? Their family? Or the people they would call their true friends?

Not only is Stifler taking over this retrospective, he's also engaging in one ridiculous experience after another, most of them humiliating. He's having an awkward experience at a gay bar. He's wooing the bride's sister (January Jones). He even has a revolting mishap with the wedding ring. Some of what you see makes you laugh, but the chuckles feel uneasy. You grow restless, maybe even frustrated, many times disgusted; at worst, you harbor a sense of injustice.

After all, you knew about Jim's circle of friends. You've heard his stories about their adventures in high school and college. Why wasn't Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) featured more in this film you were watching? Where did Oz go? He wasn't even mentioned. Only Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) seems to be in the show as much as Stifler. The groom, compared to these two, seems to be a side character. At least Jim's father (Eugene Levy) and Michelle's parents (Fred Willard and Deborah Rush) are around to remind us who this movie should be about. But even they have to step aside when something unfortunate is about to occur to Stifler.

You begin to wonder: what's the point of putting this film together? Just as the movie reaches the moment when the wedding starts, you decide it's a good time to head out to the real thing. As luck would have it, you see Stifler running down the hall -- right at you. He seems to be in an awful hurry. "Stifler!", you yell, "do you know what this movie was all about?" But he ignores you, seemingly single-minded about whatever he's in such a hurry to do. You watch him scramble down the hall, and as he disappears around the corner, you're thinking, "I learned quite a bit about this guy." Nevertheless, you can't help asking yourself, "Now what was I here for again?"

(Released by Universal Pictures and rated "R" for sexual content, language and crude humor.)

Review also posted at www.windowtothemovies.com.