Review of Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) by Brett C — 06 Jul 2014

Review In A Nutshell:

I don't think it would be possible for me to write down in this review, the film's premise as most of this feels quite plot-less and follows multiple characters that don't necessarily connect with one another.

The first thing I thought of after the film's credits was how much of it felt like Dazed and Confused and American Graffiti. All three films feature characters with stories that contain no plot connection, aside from the occasional dialogue interactions, and follow them during their final moments before they head off to the next chapter in their lives. The film's issue is the lack of emphasis it has with its thematic concerns. It seems to speak about the risks and ignorance of youth, putting themselves in shaky positions because they only care about the present. I wouldn't have minded the obviousness and stereotypical essence of its themes, as long as it is handled well; sadly this wasn't the case, the film just plainly cruises along through with its plot showing no signs of impact, and eventually leading to an ending that was lacklustre. The film essentially plays out more like a parody of the two films it is influenced by, and swirling it around with characters and stories that are more approachable for its target audience. I am aware though that the film is released during the height of its culture, so I shouldn't expect it to create any sense of nostalgia in its atmosphere, but that is no excuse to not give a film any sense of significance. The film should have at least given something for audience to appreciate and hold onto as the years pass during its release, or else it would just fall behind and risk itself from being irrelevant to new and contemporary audiences.

Luckily though, due to its accessibility, the characters were easier and fun to watch. That being said, not all of the film's characters are tolerable, as figures like Jeff Spicoli pushed my patience, reaching to the point of cliché and unnecessary. I can't at all enjoy any of the dialogue the character has said or the things he gets himself into because he is delivered in such a way that would have one spewing due to its awful conveyance. I understand the film's intention of parodying the culture but does it have to be this obvious and lowbrow? Even Ron Slater from Dazed and Confused played the typical stoner well, and he his performance was one of the more obvious ones from that film. The rest of the characters though, range from decent to entertaining. The right side of the spectrum include Stacy Hamilton, Brad Hamilton, Mike Damone, and Mark Ratner. They were interesting characters that actually served some sort of purpose to the film's themes and message. The left side of the spectrum include Linda Barrett and Mr. Hand; they didn't really do much to move the plot along, but at least they provided moments that were certainly memorable. I was quite surprised on how little emphasis the film gave on making Linda a sex symbol, she definitely was sexually charged in the film but the film doesn't use it to contain the audience's attention. The film resolves its characters in a similar fashion to the two films I have associated this film with, giving us a glimpse in text of what would become of these individuals in the future, but it doesn't take itself too seriously and instead coming off as irritatingly lazy. Even if I didn't rave about American Graffiti's ending, I still felt it had something to say and delivers it in a tone that was satisfying and appropriate.

The film features this low budget ambiance in its photography. It features basic shots that capture the scenes, showing very few moments that goes beyond the customary. The film's music on the other hand was actually one of the film's highlights as it features a soundtrack that sounds a tad different from most of the 80s high school films. Generally, films during that decade features music that was dominated by the synthesizer and artists like Duran Duran and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The film instead contains tracks that are considered, at least I do, mature and more simplistic tunes that preceded the peak of New Wave. It may not contain the most memorable of tracks when listened to individually, but as a whole it works quite well.

The acting in this film was at par with most of the high school/college films released during the time. I knew coming into this, that I was going to be treated with performances that are far from breaking any new ground, and because that is exactly what I got, therefore I cannot truly complain for the acting to not be ambitious or sophisticated as the bar was set pretty low. I do want to specify that I did not hate Sean Penn's performance in this as the surfing-loving stoner as that was expected of him from the director or writer, therefore he had to stay true to that character and at least one can see the fun he had playing the role. The other cast members also had fun in their roles, even the ones that are not particularly colourful in their personalities. It was interesting to watch a young Jennifer Jason Leigh, as I have always seen the actress in mature roles, and Phoebe Cates proved to be a bombshell in the film and actually didn't come off as annoying or features any sense of over-acting. As long as one knows what kind of film they are getting into, then one should be satisfied with the film's display in its cast' acting abilities.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High definitely has its audience, and they rave about how timeless and entertaining this film is. I somewhat agree with the latter, but it wasn't enough to actually make me want to come back to it time and time again. I guess I am glad that I saw it and finally witnessed the film's iconic scenes but I guess I was hoping for something a bit more.