What are you people? On dope?

Utter any of the memorable lines from Fast Times At Ridgemont High and chances are someone within earshot will chime in and help finish the phrase. Without a doubt, this is one of the most memorable films of the early 80’s and I still can’t believe that it’s 20 years old. I dare not call it the original teen flick, but when you compare it to other releases of this nature, it shines as the reining king.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High isn’t your typical teen flick, that much is obvious. The sheer star power behind this film is mind boggling and sure fodder for trivia buffs. To this day there are still people that refuse to believe that Anthony Edwards, Nicholas Cage and Forest Whitaker are just a few of the stars that make up this tremendously talented cast.

The Plot

Clustered inside suburbia, a small group of hormone driven teens are put under a magnifying glass for your own personal enjoyment. The entire main cast is made up of less than 10 people but it’s their friends that make things interesting. One of the refreshing things about this film verses others is that you are getting the total educational package. From Brad and Lisa entering senior year to Stacy being guided through the potholes of dating by Linda. Don’t forget Mark Ratner and Mike Damone bouncing through sophomore year. Most of the time you get a film from the freshman perspective, which is too narrow – or the senior year, which is usually too broad.

From after school jobs to late night dates, this film has it all. The plot is very loose and if you’ve never seen it, chances are you will be able to pick out most of the scenes before they unfold. It’s the start of a new semester at Ridgemont and as much as some things change, some things stay the same forever. People fall in and out of love like clockwork, ignore homework assignments and always wish for something better to come along.

I could sit here and go through each scene and give you the complete plot, but that would take away from the overall impact of the film. To tell the truth, there is no defined plot – it’s the life and times of high school kids trying to find out what life is all about. To break it down to the bare bones - Fast Times At Ridgemont High is a realistic, yet padded, view of life in Southern California in the early 80’s. Not exactly the front-runner in teen angst but a nice variety of issues, situations and [clearing throat] things that happen to pop up. Considering that this was written at the beginning of the 80’s and filmed in 1981/82, it still has some controversial meat on its bone – abortion, drugs, premarital sex, and Pat Benetar look alikes. But don’t sit down with your popcorn and soda and expect to see something that will change your life, nurture your inner child or reveal the meaning of life – it’s a freakin’ comedy so just sit back and laugh your as_s off.

This is really one of the few films that you can watch from start to finish without having to have the remote control by your side. The scenes might seem a little choppy and slapped together, but you have to admit that this is a classic in every scene of the word.

The Stars

Look at the list of credits at the end of the film and you might be shocked to see how many major players took their first footsteps into the acting world through this film. I could literally sit here for three hours writing about the strength of each star so rather than bore you into submission, I’ll hit on the cream of the crop.

Stacy Hamilton
Jennifer Jason Leigh
[Rush, Easy Money, Hudsucker proxy]

Jennifer is one of those actresses that scares the sh_it out of me. She comes off looking like a cute, innocent little girl but delivers the total package. This was one of her early performances and thankfully she wasn’t typecast to this specific role. Her character is the token shy virgin, borderline obsessed with losing her virginity she doesn’t know all the rules to the game before she goes for the home run. She learns a few life lessons in the film and eventually ‘goes geek’. I’d like to say this was one of her stronger pieces on her resume, but when you look at what she has done since then – she gets a 7 out of a possible 10.

Linda Barrett
Phoebe Cates
[Drop Dead Fred, Gremlins, Princess Caraboo*]

I am not a guy, I don’t ever plan on being a guy but I just have to say – if I were a guy, I would have been on Phoebe Cates like a grease stain on white carpeting. Not only do you see her [cough cough] “tutoring” Stacy in the cafeteria, but you are treated seeing that red bikini strapped to her in the pool scenes. Now, you have to remember, this flick is 20 years old and at that time if you didn’t have HBO or Cinemax – this was pretty much as good as it got. Linda Barrett was your typical ‘girl next door’ kicked up a few notches. She has the style, older boyfriend and sexual knowledge that every girl dreamed of. Even so, she still had her own troubles to deal with – then again – doesn’t every teenager?

Jeff Spicoli
Sean Penn
[U Turn, Bad Boys, Taps]

At the ripe age of 22, Penn already had one major film under his belt, Taps. Departing from the conformed military lifestyle he nailed in that film – he landed the part of the “ever stoned” Jeff Spicoli. With his ratty hair, pigpen bedroom and mandatory Vans tennis shoes – Penn brought to life a character that seemed almost unreal. I’d like to say that this specie does not exist in Southern California these days, but there are clones of this character at almost every beach on the coast. It’s unclear if Penn was stoned through the entire movie or did extensive research on being high 24 hours a day. He’s a good actor, but not that good.

Honorable Mentions

Anthony Edwards
[Top Gun, Heart Like A Wheel, Revenge of the Nerds]
~Character Unnamed~

I’m not sure if he would want people to remember him as the stoner friend of Spicoli – after all he’s Dr. Mark Greene on televisions hit ER. You only get to see him [and his hair] in a few scenes – so make sure you don’t blink.

Forest Whitaker
[Light It Up, Bloodsport, Platoon]
~Charles Jefferson~

As the hard-hitting football star of Ridgemont, Whitakers character is pretty bland. Sure he manages to single handedly destroy the opposing team, but he sure lacks the all-important ‘people skills’.

Nicolas Cage
[Valley Girl, 8MM, Moonstruck]
~Character Unnamed~

While most people still argue the fact that the name on some versions reads “Nicolas Coppola” rather than ‘Nicolas Cage’ – it’s all water under the bridge. It’s the same person, in his first major film appearance. Get over it already.

Eric Stoltz
[Mask, Anaconda, 2 Days In The Valley
~ Character Unnamed~

Ever since he played Rocky Dennis in Mask* [1985], he’s always taken on parts that demanded the best of his talent. However in this film he doesn’t even warrant a name.

Who Would Love This

Anyone who loves a good comedy, longs for ‘days gone by’ or just wants to watch a “no brainer” type of film – look no further. There are only a handful of films that don’t require a remote control to be within arms reach – and this is one of them. Since there’s some sexual situations and apparent drug use, this isn’t something for the kiddies. I’d suggest over 18 in most situations but the edited version is suitable for those 16 and older.

Edited Version

Since I mentioned the edited version – here’s a little information for those interested. The edited version contains five minute more footage than the unedited version. This is only on the VHS version, not the DVD version. In the edited version almost all of the sexual situations are deleted as well as about 75% of the drug references. The time gap [roughly 20 minutes] is made up with extra footage of the high school, fast food restaurants and scenes at Perry’s Pizza at the mall.

DVD Easter Eggs

Available only on the non edited version of the DVD there are hidden and deleted scenes as well as still shots and quotes of the film. Click on any of the footprints you see on the screen, highlight them and press 'enter'. This will take you to any number of hidden screens and give you the option to go directly to that scene in the film.

Bottom Line

If you have never seen this I can only ask – what have you been doing the past 19 and 3/4 years??? This is one of the few films that captures an era in an almost perfect light. It doesn’t paint a pretty little picture of spoiled rich kids, nor does it dwell on the shortcomings of the characters. If you haven’t seen it, check your local cable television listings, the edited version is on almost every weekend on some channel – but for the full effect and to enjoy 100% of the film – I highly recommend that you rent the DVD instead.

The Stats

Rating: R
[Adult Content, Drug Use, Language]
Released May 14, 1982
Run Time: 92 Minutes
Directed By: Amy Heckerling
Written By: Cameron Crowe
Distributed By: Universal Pictures

Prices as of January 30, 2002

Amazon.com:

DVD: $15.99
VHS: $9.98

DVD and VHS titles are also available with Spanish sub titles for the same price.


* - Princess Caraboo. This is not a misspelling.

* - Mask Thanks to Pogomom for pointing out my error. When I first submitted this, I listed the movie as 'Mark" instead of Mask. A simple typo, but I am glad she pointed it out to me.