Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Director:

Amy Heckerling

Writers:

Cameron Crowe (book)
Cameron Crowe (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 August 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Fast Cars, Fast Girls, Fast Carrots...Fast Carrots?

Plot:

A story of a group of California teenagers who enjoy malls, sex and rock n' roll.

Plot Keywords:

Male Female Relationship | Car Washing | Marijuana | Advice | Drug Use

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Sean Penn	...	Jeff Spicoli
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Stacy Hamilton
Judge Reinhold	...	Brad Hamilton
Robert Romanus	...	Mike Damone
Brian Backer	...	Mark 'Rat' Ratner
Phoebe Cates	...	Linda Barrett
Ray Walston	...	Mr. Hand
Scott Thomson	...	Arnold
Vincent Schiavelli	...	Mr. Vargas
Amanda Wyss	...	Lisa
D.W. Brown	...	Ron Johnson
Forest Whitaker	...	Charles Jefferson
Kelli Maroney	...	Cindy
Tom Nolan	...	Dennis Taylor
Blair Tefkin	...	Pat Bernardo (as Blair Ashleigh)

Also Known As:

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (International: English title) (informal short title) (UK) (video title)
Fast Times (Australia) (poster title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R (original rating) (cut) | Australia:M (re-rating) (uncut) | USA:R (edited for re-rating) | Portugal:M/16 | New Zealand:R18 | Canada:18+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-12 | Ireland:18 | Norway:16 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:11 | UK:18 | West Germany:12 | USA:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

24124 Welby Way, Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Refugee Films

Trivia:

It was filmed at Van Nuys High School in Van Nuys, California

Goofs:

Continuity: During the robbery at the Mi-T-Mart, the robber knocks the cookies off the counter and there are three cookies left. In the next shot, there are none.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Perry's Pizza Waitress: Linda, Linda, there he is. There's that guy from the stereo store. Don't you think he looks like Richard Gere?
Linda Barrett: Did you see his cute little butt?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Surf School (2006)

Soundtrack:

American Girl

Fairly Funny Time at Ridgemont High

: I was encouraged to see this because it was hailed as one of the best `teen comedies', a genre revived more recently by `American Pie'. This is an amusing but also touching tale of a bunch of teenagers caught between childhood and adulthood (as teenagers tend to be..).

The characters are, naturally, disparate (they always are). You've got the geek, the tender one, the surfing one, the `cool cat' one, et cetera. All these stock types can be bland but, when done well, really flesh out a movie. As in `American Pie', this is an example of the combination working to good effect. The issues dealt with, mild enough by today, were quite controversial for its time. They touch on concepts of underage sex, drugs, employment and so on and their relevance still resonates - despite its founding in 80s culture, the movie still has something to actually say. Cameron Crowe's script - based on his own book - is sharp. The characters actually have a depth (rather than being a one line joke as it is too often) and the humour is gentle, rather than of the bodily-fluid nature. The film is never preachy, merely saying, `This is how it is' and moving on. The structure is fairly conventional - follow a set of characters over a long period, and see how they fare in a final big event, but again that's okay.

Acting is quite good here, especially considering the genre. This is of course helped by some of these actors, such as Sean Penn and Nicholas Cage, having gone on to do bigger and better things with their talents. They all have a warmth and even Mike (Robert Romanus), who could appear sleazy if portrayed poorly, comes across as an ultimately affable man who is a good guy. The non-teen cast, principally the teacher Mr. Hand (Ray Walston) are all good as well and the only problem I may have is the occasional eighties styling (principally the haircuts and outfits) which tend to make me feel one step removed from the characters (but that's not a fault of the actors).

`Fast Times at Ridgemont High' surprised me with its depth. I had expected farce, but I got some genuine thought and characterisation, along with the requisite humour. It's not quite the laugh-fest I expected but it was good viewing. It still has meaning for today, although time has dulled its sharpness somewhat. Not a must, but certainly - given its short length - a good maybe. 6.9/10.