Review of Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) by David F — 25 Jun 2013

This unusually mature film about teenagers in the 1980s features a large ensemble cast of rising stars, many of whom have become household names including Sean Penn as the perpetually stoned surfer Spicoli and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Stacy, an open-minded, promiscuous high school student who works at a pizza restaurant in the local mall.

It's in that mall, in high school, and in the neighborhoods of the San Fernando Valley where the action unfolds consisting of multiple coming of age stories involving school, love, sex and work. There is a carefully balanced tone of bittersweet comedy achieved by director Amy Heckerling which suits the setting and the characters perfectly.

With it's 80s fashions, music, and lifestyles this is a time capsule but it also tells a timeless story of growing up which has an enduring appeal.