Review of Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) by Vickie D — 14 Mar 2011

This movie has got to have one of the strangest origins of all time. Cameron Crowe a Rolling Stone writer whose experiences with the Allman Brothers Band inspired Almost Famous and who wrote the screenplay for Jerry Maguire, in 1981 went undercover as a High School student to get a gauge on the youth of the day and wrote a novel about his experiences on which the film is based. This may be hard to believe, when you consider it was directed by Amy Heckerling of Clueless fame and partially due to Sean Penn's star making but actually relatively minor role it's developed a bit of a reputation as a campy and over the top depiction of High School. So I suppose the question arises when you look at Crowe's impeccable credentials what went wrong from book to movie if indeed anything did? Yes, inversely the question arises does this movie have a false reputation? Is it in fact a startlingly honest and uncompromising look at teenagers in the 80s? Well Bud, Let's Party...er, take a look. That was probably my weakest introduction ever I apologize.

Alright so the story if indeed it does have a center, seems to focus on young Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh, who brings a surprising amount of strength as well as youthful innocence to her character) a freshman who has just gotten a job at a Pizza place with her self important friend Linda (the unbelievably sexy Phoebe Cates, who helped a lot of guys through puberty). She's worried she may not be attractive enough to hook up with any guys and engages in risky sexual exploits including with a 25 year old stereo salesman. She inevitably hooks up with theater usher and socially awkward Mark Ratner (Brian Backer, an uninspired but solid performance) who just wants date and not have sex but she's not satisfied with that and ends up seducing his best friend, loudmouth, ticket scalper Mike Damone (Robert Romanus giving my favorite performance in the movie, I kid you not) and regrettably getting pregnant. During this surprisingly dark and well...grounded High School drama we also see a few other characters fleshed out and given memorable adventures as well. The two that probably stuck with most people were Stacy's brother Brad (Judge Reinhold at his very best) is attempts to keep a job and pot smoking surfer dude Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn in that iconic teen role) is poignant quest to party.

The movie does have moments of pure camp and teen movie cheesiness. While undeniably legendary and surprisingly enjoyable Penn's performance is nothing more than the surfer archetype which had been done before, though perhaps not as great or loveably. The ending too where it does the whole cliche, subtitles of what happens to every character feels a little cheesy but this still stands as one of my all-time favorite teen movies. The acting from EVERYONE involved is phenomenal, the character are flawed but all very memorable and likeable and the directing makes me want to give Clueless a second chance. The color scheme is so vibrant and what I associate with 80s and every scene feels so elegantly set up to me. Especially the opening scene where Damone struts through the mall and into the glass elevator with "We Got the Beat" blaring in the background, that to me encapsulates the 80s. Her directing also had a surprisingly artistic quality about it, no shot feeling wasted, and especially with the scene where Damone and Stacy have sex in the changing room and she's poised on the sofa some of them are even set up in a way that recalls to me something in a painting. The movie more than makes up for its dumber moments with its smart ones and through its meaty run time manages to keep you sufficiently entertained.

In summation this is one of the greats, that with a few exceptions takes its material and its audience seriously. It deals with some dark substance for typical teen movies of the time like sex, drugs and even abortion with a surprising amount of tact and no melodrama. It doesn't show off the fact that it features these ideas, and it sure as hell doesn't callously pretend it's no big deal. The movie is a successful representation of the culture of its time and also as a timeless tale of adolescence that the generations that followed have actually enjoyed. What else needs to be addressed I think is how far ahead of John Hughes hey-day this was. Hughes often gets the credit for his teen movies in the 80s, the got genuine reactions from teenagers and had real quality to them. This was before Hughes became prominent though a full three years before his masterpiece "The Breakfast Club" which I see this as superior too. I respect Hughes and his work, but this movie is more ballsy, intelligent, well directed and devoid of camp than anything he ever did. I hate to make it seem like I'm speaking ill of the dead, I love Hughes but this movie did his shtick better and it did it first. Just something to think about.