Fast Times At Ridgemont High Review

MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1982

Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a bona fide 80's teen comedy classic about the lives and experiences of a group of teenagers juggling the trials of work, school, sexuality and of course… partying. The movie has become one of the definitive snapshots of the decade, yet despite the film's 80's glitz it remains an extremely popular film today due to its fairly sincere and realistic approach to teenage life.

But the film was not without controversy, for it pushed the edges of social acceptability at the time by tackling subjects such as the loss of virginity, sexuality, abortion and teenage drug use.

Few films are able to transcend decades as well as Fast Times at Ridgemont High, a teen sex comedy whose greatest strength is also its greatest weakness; that of trying to take itself seriously at times by tackling true issues and mannerisms of 80's teenagers. The reason the movie is somewhat authentic is that it was actually based on Cameron Crowe's book of the same name that was released a year earlier. Crowe actually went undercover and attended a year of high school as a senior so that he could write an accurate account of teenage life.

Because the humor is injected with realism it's easier for the viewer to relate to the onscreen characters since all of us have been there. The awkward rituals of passage that all of us encounter during first dates and other teenage milestones are captured in this film with a sincerity that others like American Pie fail to grasp. It helps make Fast Times at Ridgemont High relatively timeless if you can push aside the 80's style clothing and lingo. This is the strength I alluded to earlier.

The most beloved character in this film is Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn), a perpetually stoned surfer dude that lives a carefree and irresponsible existence. Penn is generally not associated with comedy, and it can be difficult imagining him successfully performing such an over the top role if you've seen him in gritty performances such as The Thin Red Line or Mystic River, but he didn't just nail the role… he was the role.

His nemesis is the stern teacher Mr. Hand (Ray Walston), and the highlights of the film are watching these two opposites struggle for supremacy. Spicoli's constant truancy and irreverent antics such as having a pizza delivery sent to him in the midst of history class drives Mr. Hand into fits of rage, and I can't see many, if any, actors handling the role with as much fervent tenacity as Walston.

Judge Reinhold brings quite a few laughs to the table with his subdued performance as Brad Hamilton, a lovable fellow who has difficulties keeping a job. Those above three characters bring the heavy majority of the laughs; the rest of the characters are depicted much like how you would expect real teenagers to behave. Which leads to my criticism of the film…

It is incredibly difficult for a movie to successfully juggle comedy and dramatic topics such as abortion into a smooth flowing mix. Fast Times at Ridgemont High attempts to try this task, and ironically fails because it doesn't go far enough. The movie wanted to touch upon controversial subjects like a man sleeping with a minor and teenage abortion, but also glosses over them quickly as if afraid to smack the beehive too hard.

By making this decision, the handling of the topics is actually more offensive since Fast Times at Ridgemont High depicts abortion as a flippant convenience with no real repercussions. Another teenage sex comedy released that same year, The Last American Virgin, also looked at the dark sides of teenage promiscuity, but did so with such sincerity and emotional punch that there was no doubt about the downfalls of teenage pregnancy. Both films were successful in providing some great laughs, but only The Last American Virgin succeeded in infusing true bitter realism and sadness into the mix; the type that made the film equal parts laughs and tears.

So in the end although Fast Times at Ridgemont High is clearly an 80's classic that has survived the tests of time, I think the film is a bit overrated. That being said, I do recommend all fans of 80's comedies watch this movie due to the gut-busting hilarity of Sean Penn's performance. Other skits and movies such as Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and Wayne's World have attempted to capture the essence of Jeff Spicoli, but none can compare to the original stoned surfer dude.

Movie rating: 7 stars

If you enjoyed Fast Times at Ridgemont High you may also find the following films to be of interest:

• Porky's
• The Last American Virgin
• Revenge of the Nerds

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