Year of Release: 1982
Director: Amy Heckerling
Starring: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Robert Romanus, Brian Backer, Ray Walston, Vincent Schiavelli, Amanda Wyss, Forest Whitaker, Eric Stoltz, Anthony Andrews, Kelli Maroney, Scott Thomson, Nicolas Cage, D.W. Brown, Tom Nolan, James Russo, James Bolt, Stuart Cornfeld
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review:
"Fast Times at Ridgemont High" is by now well known for jumpstarting the careers of a series of well respected and critically acclaimed actors, but also of their creative team, including writers/directors Amy Heckerling and Cameron Crowe (who in this case, was only the writing force behind the feature, adapting his own book). The film, which takes place in the San Fernando Valley, follows a series of characters, including Brad Hamilton a popular senior, who works at a fast food restaurant, from which he gets fired, following an altercation with a customer. Stacy Hamilton, his younger sister, a sophomore, who works at a pizza parlor, alongside her older best friend, Linda Barrett (who is also more experienced sexually, and therefore provides plenty of recommendations to Stacy, who is still a virgin). Mike Damone and Mark Ratner are another duo of best friends, with Damone being the more outspoken one, earning money by taking sports bets and scalping concert tickets, while Mark is quieter and works as an usher at the movie theater. And there's also Jeff Spicoli, a stoner and surfer, who just wants to finish high school, but finds Mr. Hand, the history teacher, in his path. The film charts all their adventures, during the school year.
"Fast Times at Ridgemont High" is a film that has become something of a time capsule for what going to high school in the early 80s actually was like in North America. It's a film that evidences some of Cameron Crowe's focus themes, namely characters drifting in their lives, trying to find a sense of direction, intertwined with Amy Heckerling's point of view, simultaneously focused on young women coming of age, but also and to a certain extent, power struggles between sexes (something she would tackle as well in "Clueless" and even "Look Who's Talking"). "Fast Times..." manages to be successful in the sense that the director crafts the environment in which these teenagers live, and this gifted group of performers, bring these archetypes to life, providing them with enough quirks, longings, ambitions and fears, to make them distinctive, compelling and ultimately watchable. There is a vast array of high school films, and at times it's easy to dismiss them as either parodies or clichés, however "Fast Times..." and director Amy Heckerling manage to never condescend towards these characters, bringing humor and a humane aspect to all they go through. By humanizing them, she invites us all to embark on their journeys, even if at times they're rather shallow. Ultimately it's an insightful and entertaining snapshot, featuring solid performances from Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, Robert Romanus and Ray Walston. The cinematography from Matthew F. Leonetti (who went on to work with Kathryn Bigelow on "Strange Days") is solid, as is the score featuring songs from Stevie Nicks, Oingo Boingo, and The Go-Go's. Worth watching.
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