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== Release ==
== Release ==
The film was initially given an [[X rating]] by the [[Motion Picture Association|MPAA]] due to a protracted sex scene and brief [[Nudity in film|male frontal nudity]] during the pool house scene.<ref name="King" /><ref name="Salon">{{Cite web |last=Wyman |first=Bill |date=2000-06-26 |title="Fast Times at Ridgemont High" |url=https://www.salon.com/2000/06/26/ridgemont/ |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=[[Salon (website)|Salon]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Criterion" /> The original scene was longer, as Heckerling wanted to portray what she felt was the awkwardness of teen sexuality realistically, and with gender equality when it came to showing nudity, as X-rated films up to that point had mostly shown only nude women.<ref name="King" /> To secure the [[Motion Picture Association film rating system|R rating]] needed for commercial release, the sex itself was drastically shortened in editing, and Heckerling re-cropped the full-frontal male nude scene in question.<ref name="King" /><ref name="Salon" /><ref name="Criterion" /> Leigh expressed disappointment that the re-cut version "eliminated the sense of awkward hesitancy between the two characters".<ref name="AFI" />
The film was initially given an [[X rating]] by the [[Motion Picture Association|MPAA]] due to a protracted sex scene and brief [[Nudity in film|male frontal nudity]] during the pool house scene.<ref name="King" /><ref name="Salon">{{Cite web |last=Wyman |first=Bill |date=2000-06-26 |title="Fast Times at Ridgemont High" |url=https://www.salon.com/2000/06/26/ridgemont/ |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=[[Salon (website)|Salon]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Criterion" /> The original scene was longer, as Heckerling wanted to portray what she felt was the awkwardness of teen sexuality realistically, and with gender equality when it came to showing nudity, as X-rated films up to that point had mostly shown only nude women.<ref name="King" /> To secure the [[Motion Picture Association film rating system|R rating]] needed for commercial release, the sex was drastically shortened in editing, and Heckerling re-cropped the full-frontal male nude scene in question.<ref name="King" /><ref name="Salon" /><ref name="Criterion" /> Leigh expressed disappointment that the re-cut version "eliminated the sense of awkward hesitancy between the two characters".<ref name="AFI" />


Universal was not confident the film would be a box office success and was considering shelving the film. Crowe said, "What happened is somebody wrote a memo shortly before the [release]...to [Universal executives] [[Ned Tanen]] and [[Sidney Sheinberg|Sid Sheinberg]] that said the future of the studio was in doubt if we are making movies like this [[Teen film|high school movie]]."<ref name="King" /> Tanen stood by releasing the film theatrically, and it was given a limited theatrical release.<ref name="King" /><ref name="Slate" /> It was not given a big marketing push due to a lack of marquee names and concerns over its sexual content.<ref name="Gajewski">{{Cite web |last=Gajewski |first=Ryan |date=2022-08-13 |title=‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ Turns 40: Director, Stars on Concerns Over Sexuality and Its Surprise Success |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/fast-times-at-ridgemont-high-40th-film-annivesary-1235195242/ |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Slate" /> Actor Judge Reinhold recalled, "We were really heartsick because somebody high up said, 'This is pornography, and there's no way that Universal's going to release [it]. We didn't see it as this horny high school movie at all. We saw it as having the opportunity to do something authentic that was based on the actual experiences of the kids that Cameron chronicled for that whole year."<ref name="Gajewski" />
Universal was not confident the film would be a box-office success and was considering shelving the film. Crowe said "What happened is somebody wrote a memo shortly before the [release]...to [Universal executives] [[Ned Tanen]] and [[Sidney Sheinberg|Sid Sheinberg]] that said the future of the studio was in doubt if we are making movies like this [[Teen film|high school movie]]."<ref name="King" /> Tanen stood by releasing the film theatrically, and it was given a limited theatrical release.<ref name="King" /><ref name="Slate" /> It was not given a big marketing push due to a lack of marquee names and concerns over its sexual content.<ref name="Gajewski">{{Cite web |last=Gajewski |first=Ryan |date=2022-08-13 |title=‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ Turns 40: Director, Stars on Concerns Over Sexuality and Its Surprise Success |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/fast-times-at-ridgemont-high-40th-film-annivesary-1235195242/ |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Slate" /> Actor Judge Reinhold recalled, "We were really heartsick because somebody high up said, 'This is pornography, and there's no way that Universal's going to release [it]. We didn't see it as this horny high school movie at all. We saw it as having the opportunity to do something authentic that was based on the actual experiences of the kids that Cameron chronicled for that whole year."<ref name="Gajewski" />


The film opened on August 13, 1982, playing in 498 theaters.<ref name="BOM">{{Cite Box Office Mojo|access-date=2023-01-14}}</ref> Positive word-of-mouth, with audiences showing up to repeat viewings and quoting dialogue from the film, prompted the studio to expand the release.<ref name="King" /><ref name="Slate" />
The film opened on August 13, 1982, playing in 498 theaters.<ref name="BOM">{{Cite Box Office Mojo|access-date=2023-01-14}}</ref> Positive word-of-mouth, with audiences showing up to repeat viewings and quoting dialogue from the film, prompted the studio to expand the release.<ref name="King" /><ref name="Slate" />

Revision as of 13:44, 3 December 2023

"Ridgemont High" redirects here. For high schools called Ridgemont High, see Ridgemont High School (disambiguation).

Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAmy Heckerling
Screenplay byCameron Crowe
Based onFast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story
by Cameron Crowe
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMatthew F. Leonetti
Edited byEric Jenkins
Production
company
Refugee Films
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • August 13, 1982 (1982-08-13)
Running time
90 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$5 million[2]
Box office$27.1 million (domestic) or $50 million[2]

Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age comedy film directed by Amy Heckerling (in her feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Cameron Crowe, based on his 1981 book Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story, and starring Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Brian Backer, Robert Romanus, and Ray Walston. Crowe went undercover at Clairemont High School in San Diego and wrote about his experiences.[3]

The film chronicles a school year in the lives of sophomores Stacy Hamilton and Mark Ratner and their older friends Linda Barrett and Mike Damone, both of whom believe themselves wiser in the ways of romance than their younger counterparts. The ensemble cast of characters form two subplots with Jeff Spicoli, a perpetually stoned surfer facing off against history teacher Mr. Hand, and Stacy's older brother Brad, a popular senior who works in entry-level jobs to pay for his car and ponders ending his two-year relationship with his girlfriend Lisa.

In addition to Penn, Reinhold, Cates, and Leigh, the film marks early appearances by several actors who later became stars, including Nicolas Cage, Eric Stoltz, Forest Whitaker, and Anthony Edwards (the first two in their feature film debuts).

In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[4][5]

Plot

In the San Fernando Valley town of Ridgemont, the lives of various teenagers who attend Ridgemont High School intersect. Brad Hamilton, a popular senior, looks forward to his final year of school. He has a job at All-American Burger, his 1960 Buick LeSabre is almost paid for, and he plans to break up with his girlfriend Lisa so he can be completely free for his senior year. His younger sister Stacy, a 15-year-old freshman, works at Perry's Pizza at Ridgemont Mall alongside her older friend, Linda Barrett. Stacy desires to be as sexually experienced as Linda. Mike Damone is a smooth-talker who fancies himself a worldly ladies' man; he earns money taking sports bets and scalping concert tickets. Mark "Rat" Ratner, Damone’s shy but amiable best friend, works as an usher at the movie theater across from Perry's Pizza. Lastly, Jeff Spicoli is a carefree stoner and slacker who lives only for surfing and getting high.

On the first day of school, Spicoli runs afoul of history teacher Mr. Hand when he shows up late for class. An ongoing battle of wits ensues between the two with Mr. Hand attempting to get Spicoli to take school seriously. At work, Stacy is asked out by 26-year-old stereo salesman, Ron Johnson. Stacy agrees to go out with him and lies about her age, claiming she is 19. On their date, she loses her virginity to him in the dugout of a baseball field. Ron sends her flowers the next day but quickly loses interest in her.

Rat meets Stacy in science class and is smitten with her. He takes her to a German restaurant; afterwards, at Stacy’s home, she invites Rat into her bedroom and they begin to kiss, but he nervously leaves before they can proceed further. Stacy mistakenly interprets his shyness as disinterest. Linda advises her to move on and find another boy. When Rat and Damone later drop by Stacy’s house to join her and Linda in the swimming pool, Stacy becomes infatuated with Damone. One afternoon, she invites him to her home, where they have sex in the pool house. Their encounter is cut short when Damone ejaculates early and immediately leaves. After this incident, Damone avoids her.

Spicoli accidentally wrecks the 1981 Chevrolet Camaro of Ridgemont star football player Charles Jefferson during a joyride with Jefferson's younger brother. He successfully conceals his role in the damage by making it look like the car was destroyed by fans of Ridgemont's sports rival, Lincoln High School. Meanwhile, Brad is fired from his job after threatening a customer with profanity. When he realizes he needs Lisa, she confesses she wants to date other guys. He gets a new job at Captain Hook Fish & Chips, but rethinks the position when a beautiful older woman laughs at his pirate-themed uniform while he is making a food delivery.

Stacy later confronts Damone to inform him she has gotten pregnant from their one-time encounter. She asks if he can cover half the cost of an abortion and provide her with a ride to the clinic, and he agrees. However, Damone is unable to come up with his half, and he ends up abandoning Stacy on the day of her appointment. Stacy asks Brad to drive her and lies that she is going to a bowling alley to meet friends, but he sees her cross the street to the abortion clinic. After the appointment, Brad confides to Stacy that he knows the truth. Stacy makes Brad promise not to tell their parents, but does not divulge who got her pregnant. When Linda finds out about Damone flaking on Stacy, she paints the insult "Prick" on his car and his school locker as revenge. Rat angrily confronts Damone about his involvement with Stacy. They get into a fight in the boys’ locker room, but a teacher breaks it up.

On the evening of the end of the year school dance, Mr. Hand visits Spicoli's house and informs him that he must make up the eight hours of class time he has wasted over the school year. They have a history session that lasts until Mr. Hand is satisfied that Spicoli has understood the lesson. Rat makes peace with Damone and resumes his relationship with Stacy. Brad takes a job at a convenience store called Mi-T-Mart and foils an armed robbery with some help from an oblivious Spicoli, who stumbles out of the bathroom just in time to distract the robber.

A postscript states that Brad was promoted to manager of Mi-T-Mart. Damone was busted for scalping Ozzy Osbourne tickets and was forced to take a job at a 7-Eleven. Linda attends college in Riverside and lives with her Abnormal psychology professor. Rat and Stacy are in love but are taking their romance slow. Spicoli saved Brooke Shields from drowning and blew the reward money hiring rock band Van Halen to play at his birthday party.

Cast

  • Sean Penn as Jeff Spicoli, a stoner teenager who is an expert surfer
  • Jennifer Jason Leigh as Stacy Hamilton, a 15-year-old freshman who works at Perry's Pizza
  • Judge Reinhold as Brad Hamilton, the older brother of Stacy
  • Robert Romanus as Mike Damone, a smooth-talking teenager who takes bets and scalps concert tickets
  • Brian Backer as Mark "Rat" Ratner, Damone's best friend who works as an usher at the movie theater at Ridgemont Mall
  • Phoebe Cates as Linda Barrett, Stacy's best friend and her co-worker at Perry's Pizza
  • Ray Walston as Mr. Hand, the history teacher at Ridgemont High
  • Scott Thomson as Arnold, a friend of Brad's
  • Vincent Schiavelli as Mr. Vargas, the science teacher at Ridgemont High
  • Amanda Wyss as Lisa, Brad's girlfriend
  • D.W. Brown as Ron Johnson, a 26-year-old stereo salesman
  • Forest Whitaker as Charles Jefferson, a star football player at Ridgemont High
  • Kelli Maroney as Cindy Carr
  • Tom Nolan as Dennis Taylor, the manager of "All-American Burger"
  • Blair Ashleigh as Pat Bernardo
  • Eric Stoltz as Jeff's stoner bud
  • Anthony Edwards as Spicoli's stoner bud
  • Stanley Davis, Jr. as Jefferson's brother
  • James Russo as the Mi-T-Mart Robber
  • James Bershad as Greg Adams
  • Nicolas Cage as Brad's Bud (credited as Nicolas Coppola)
  • Reginald H. Farmer as the Vice-principal of Ridgemont High

Other minor appearances include:

Production

Writing and development

The film is adapted from a book Cameron Crowe wrote after having spent a year at Clairemont High School in San Diego, California. He went undercover to do research for his 1981 book, Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story, about his observations of the high school and the students that he befriended there, including then-student Andy Rathbone, on whom the character Mark "Rat" Ratner was modeled.[6]

Universal executives recommended David Lynch as a director, and Crowe met with Lynch. Though Lynch liked the idea, he passed on directing.[7] Producer Art Linson showed Crowe's script to Amy Heckerling, who at that point had directed only student films. Heckerling then met with Crowe, and the two began brainstorming different ideas for the film. Heckerling thought the book "had just such an amazing wealth of material" that could be incorporated more into the script."[7] She liked how much of the book's action is centered around a mall, and suggested featuring the mall setting even more prominently in the film.[7] Said Crowe, "Amy completely got it and we were up and running."[7]

Casting

Nicolas Cage made his feature-film debut, portraying an unnamed co-worker of Brad's at All-American Burger, credited as "Nicolas Coppola".[8] It was also the film debut for Eric Stoltz and provided early roles for Anthony Edwards and Forest Whitaker. Crowe's future wife, Nancy Wilson of Heart, has a cameo as the "Beautiful Girl in Car" who laughs at Brad in his Captain Hook uniform during a traffic-light stop.

Tom Hanks was considered for the role of Brad Hamilton.[9] Justine Bateman was offered the role of Linda Barrett, but she turned it down to star in Family Ties. Matthew Broderick was offered the role of Jeff Spicoli, but he turned it down.[7] Jodie Foster was considered for the role of Stacy Hamilton.[10] Jennifer Jason Leigh stated that she prepared for the role of Stacy by rereading her own high school diaries and letters, as well as taking a job at the Sherman Oaks Galleria Perry's Pizza restaurant for three weeks.[11]

Filming

Mall scenes were filmed at the Sherman Oaks Galleria during after hours.[7][11] Principal photography began on November 2, 1981, and lasted for a total of 8 weeks.[11] Scenes at Ridgemont High School took place at Van Nuys High School.[11]

Universal test-screened an early cut of the film in Orange County, California. Heckerling said feedback from audiences and the studio was worrying because "people were like, 'We teenagers are not like that,' 'You think all we care about is sex and drugs,' and blah, blah, blah. And we were worried that we would have to cut out a lot of stuff."[12] However, producer Linson, who maintained that conservative audiences in Orange County were not the film's target audience, ensured that no major cuts or edits were done.[7]

Soundtrack

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]

The soundtrack album Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Music from the Motion Picture was released by Elektra Records on July 30, 1982.[14] It peaked at #54 on the US Billboard 200 album chart.[15] The soundtrack features the work of many quintessential 1980s rock artists.

Several of the movie's songs were released as singles, including Jackson Browne's "Somebody's Baby", which reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[16] Other singles were the title track by Sammy Hagar, a cover of The Tymes' "So Much in Love" by Timothy B. Schmit which reached #59 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, "Raised on the Radio" by the Ravyns and "Waffle Stomp" by Joe Walsh. In addition to Schmit and Walsh, the album features solo tracks by other members of the Eagles: Don Henley and Don Felder. The soundtrack also included "I Don't Know (Spicoli's Theme)" by Jimmy Buffett and "Goodbye Goodbye" by Oingo Boingo (led by Danny Elfman).

Five tracks in the film not included on the soundtrack are "Moving in Stereo" by the Cars; "American Girl" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; "We Got the Beat" by the Go Go's, which is the movie's opening theme; Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir"; and "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms. In addition, the live band at the prom dance during the end of the film played two songs also not on the soundtrack: The Eagles' "Life in the Fast Lane" and Sam the Sham's "Wooly Bully".

The Donna Summer track "Highway Runner", was recorded in 1981 for her double album titled I'm a Rainbow; however, the album was shelved by Geffen Records but ultimately released in 1996 by Mercury Records.

Todd Rundgren also recorded the song "Attitude" for the film at Crowe's request. It was not included in the film, but was released on Rundgren's Demos and Lost Albums in 2001. A track titled "Fast Times" was recorded by Heart but was not used in the film. The track ended up on their 1982 album Private Audition.

In some countries, the album was released as a single LP with 10 tracks.[17]

Heckerling, in the DVD audio commentary, states that the 1970s artists, like the Eagles, were insisted upon inclusion in the film by one of the producers. Coincidentally, Irving Azoff, one of the film's producers, was the personal manager for the Eagles and Stevie Nicks.[18]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)PerformerLength
1."Somebody's Baby"Browne, Danny KortchmarJackson Browne4:05
2."Waffle Stomp"WalshJoe Walsh3:40
3."Love Rules"Henley, KortchmarDon Henley4:05
4."Uptown Boys"Goffin, Janna AllenLouise Goffin2:45
5."So Much in Love"
  • George Williams
  • Bill Jackson
  • Roy Straigis
Timothy B. Schmit2:25
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)PerformerLength
1."Raised on the Radio"Rob FaheyThe Ravyns3:43
2."The Look In Your Eyes"McMahonGerard McMahon4:00
3."Speeding"Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte CaffeyThe Go-Go's2:11
4."Don't Be Lonely"Marv RossQuarterflash3:18
5."Never Surrender"Felder, Kenny LogginsDon Felder4:15
Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)PerformerLength
1."Fast Times (The Best Years of Our Lives)"SquierBilly Squier3:41
2."Fast Times at Ridgemont High"HagarSammy Hagar3:36
3."I Don't Know (Spicoli's Theme)"Buffett, Michael UtleyJimmy Buffett3:00
4."Love Is the Reason"NashGraham Nash3:31
5."I'll Leave It Up to You"Rusty YoungPoco2:55
Side four
No.TitleWriter(s)PerformerLength
1."Highway Runner"Giorgio Moroder, SummerDonna Summer3:18
2."Sleeping Angel"NicksStevie Nicks4:43
3."She's My Baby (And She's Outta Control)"Dave Palmer, Phil JostPalmer/Jost2:53
4."Goodbye, Goodbye"Danny ElfmanOingo Boingo4:34
Total length:65:50

Release

The film was initially given an X rating by the MPAA due to a protracted sex scene and brief male frontal nudity during the pool house scene.[7][19][20] The original scene was longer, as Heckerling wanted to portray what she felt was the awkwardness of teen sexuality realistically, and with gender equality when it came to showing nudity, as X-rated films up to that point had mostly shown only nude women.[7] To secure the R rating needed for commercial release, the sex was drastically shortened in editing, and Heckerling re-cropped the full-frontal male nude scene in question.[7][19][20] Leigh expressed disappointment that the re-cut version "eliminated the sense of awkward hesitancy between the two characters".[11]

Universal was not confident the film would be a box-office success and was considering shelving the film. Crowe said "What happened is somebody wrote a memo shortly before the [release]...to [Universal executives] Ned Tanen and Sid Sheinberg that said the future of the studio was in doubt if we are making movies like this high school movie."[7] Tanen stood by releasing the film theatrically, and it was given a limited theatrical release.[7][12] It was not given a big marketing push due to a lack of marquee names and concerns over its sexual content.[21][12] Actor Judge Reinhold recalled, "We were really heartsick because somebody high up said, 'This is pornography, and there's no way that Universal's going to release [it]. We didn't see it as this horny high school movie at all. We saw it as having the opportunity to do something authentic that was based on the actual experiences of the kids that Cameron chronicled for that whole year."[21]

The film opened on August 13, 1982, playing in 498 theaters.[22] Positive word-of-mouth, with audiences showing up to repeat viewings and quoting dialogue from the film, prompted the studio to expand the release.[7][12]

Box office

On its opening weekend, the film earned $2.5 million. The release was widened to 713 theaters, earning $3.25 million. The film ranked 29th among U.S. releases in 1982, earning $27.1 million,[22] six times its $4.5 million budget, and later gaining popularity through television and home video releases.[7]

Home media

Fast Times at Ridgemont High was released to DVD on December 21, 1999.[23] The DVD included audio commentary with Heckerling and Crowe, as well as the making-of documentary "Reliving Our Fast Times at Ridgemont High".[19] It was released on Blu-ray on January 10, 2012.[23] On May 11, 2021, a digitally restored 4K version was released on Blu-ray and DVD through The Criterion Collection.[24] The Criterion release restores Heckerling's original cut of the film.[20]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 78% of 60 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The website's consensus reads, "While Fast Times at Ridgemont High features Sean Penn's legendary performance, the film endures because it accurately captured the small details of school, work, and teenage life."[25] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[26]

On its initial release, multiple critics dismissed the film as just the latest in a wave of teensploitation films such as Porky's and The Last American Virgin.[20] Roger Ebert was highly critical of the film's vulgar humor and called it a "scuz-pit of a movie". Though he praised the performances of Leigh, Penn, Cates, and Reinhold, he lamented that Leigh's character is put through "humiliating" situations that he found degrading to young women.[27] In later years, Ebert reevaluated his opinion of the film and became a big supporter of Cameron Crowe's directorial career.[28] Richard Corliss of Time compared the film negatively to another teen coming-of-age movie, American Graffiti.[29] Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote that it was "a jumbled but appealing teen-age comedy with something of a fresh perspective on the subject."[30]

In contrast, LA Weekly praised the film, particularly its screenplay, direction, and the performances of Leigh and Penn. The review read, "While neither as slapstick as Animal House, nor as apocalyptic and biting as Over the Edge, Fast Times at Ridgemont High is both serious and funny enough to hold its own in their company."[31] The review added the film presents "a portrait of modern school life that speaks lightly but truly to the fears and trials of post-Watergate teens".[31]

Speaking on earlier negative reactions to the film due to the sexual content, Heckerling said, "The whole theme, of even the title, is things are going too fast for young people. They shouldn't have to worry so much about sex at such an early age."[21]

As time went on, however, the film was increasingly seen as a classic. In an essay written for the Criterion Collection edition in 2021, critic Dana Stevens wrote, "Fast Times is the polar opposite of exploitation. Deep in its horny heart, this is the story of one fifteen-year-old girl's clumsy and sometimes painful introduction to the world of sex, related without judgment or preconception or the least hint of sentimentalization. Heckerling's film is a raunchy crowd-pleaser replete with stoner humor, a masturbation gag, and a blow-job tutorial that makes use of school-cafeteria carrots. But it is also attuned to the emotional lives of teenagers—girls and boys—in ways that place it far ahead of its time."[20]

The film is considered notable for foregrounding its young female characters as having agency. In Collider, Grace Neave noted that in teen comedy films like Porky's, the women are typically objectified and are chased after by the male characters; however, in Fast Times, Stacy and Linda are fully formed characters that also pursue the guys.[32] Neaves added that unlike most teen comedies of its time, which tended to "encourage misogyny as a comical gag", "Stacy's enthusiasm about sex is never shamed or used as a plot point to cast judgment over her character."[32]

Fast Times has also received praise for its realistic depiction of the abortion scene, foregoing judgement or moralizing about the act itself and instead focusing on Damone's failure to support Stacy.[20][32][33][34] Of Heckerling's decision to depict the scene, Crowe later said, "She said 'you know what, this is life. I want to shoot this like life.' She just quietly did it, and in an almost European way, she put this young girl's life onscreen in a way for you to judge — this is just how life is. And it meant a lot when she did it at the time, and it still means a lot. It was a very courageous thing to do, and it actually is the one thing about the movie that I'm probably happiest about at this point."[28]

For the film's 40th anniversary in 2022, critic Richard Roeper said that out of all the raunchy teen comedies of the 1980s, Fast Times "continues to resonate as a substantial time capsule of the period, capturing the music, the fashions, the attitudes and the social mores of the time", and called it "the best ribald teen comedy ever made."[33]

Accolades

Crowe's screenplay was nominated for a WGA Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium.[35] The film ranks No. 15 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies"[36] and No. 2 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the "50 Best High School Movies".[37]

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

National Film Preservation Board

Legacy

Television spin-off

Main article: Fast Times

The film inspired a short-lived 1986 television series titled Fast Times. Ray Walston and Vincent Schiavelli reprised their roles as Hand and Vargas on the show. Other characters from the movie were played by different actors, most notably Patrick Dempsey as Mike Damone.

2020 table read

During the COVID-19 pandemic, as a fundraiser for CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort), a nonprofit charity co-founded by Sean Penn, a table read was organized for the film.[39] After the table read, Cameron Crowe and Amy Heckerling hosted a discussion about the film.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Fast Times at Ridgemont High (15)". British Board of Film Classification. September 9, 1982. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Brown, Peter H. (January 20, 1985). "We're Talking Gross, Tacky and Dumb". Los Angeles Times. p. 6.
  3. ^ "15 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Fast Times At Ridgemont High". IFC.com. October 13, 2014. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Librarian of Congress Adds 25 Films to National Film Registry". Library of Congress. December 20, 2005. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  5. ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  6. ^ Russell, Lisa (March 13, 1995). "Geek God: Once the Butt of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Best-Selling Author Andy Rathbone Becomes a Computer Guru". People. Archived from the original on March 30, 2011. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n King, Susan (August 10, 2017). "'Fast Times' at 35: Cameron Crowe, Amy Heckerling on Courting David Lynch, Sean Penn's Method Acting, Genital Equality". Variety. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  8. ^ Schutte, Lauren (February 14, 2012). "Nicolas Cage on Turning Down 'Dumb & Dumber,' Winning Another Oscar and the Movie that Made Him Change His Name". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  9. ^ "The Lost Comedy Roles of Tom Hanks". Vulture. December 22, 2011.
  10. ^ Evans, Bradford (March 29, 2012). "The Lost Roles of Fast Times at Ridgemont High". Vulture.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c d Stevens, Dana (May 27, 2021). "The Test Screening That Almost Killed Fast Times at Ridgemont High". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  13. ^ "Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Original Soundtrack)". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 3, 2012.
  14. ^ "Various – Fast Times At Ridgemont High • Music From The Motion Picture". Discogs. 2012. Archived from the original on March 3, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  15. ^ Duquette, Mike (March 4, 2011). "Friday Feature: "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"". The Second Disc. WordPress.com. Archived from the original on May 28, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  16. ^ "Jackson Browne chart history". Billboard. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
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