Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Starring: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, Judge Reinhold, Forest Wittaker, Eric Stoltz, Nicholas Cage, Anthony Edwards,
Directed by: Amy Heckerling
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Box Office: $27,092,880
1982

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A group of high school teens all deal with the normal issues of growing up, including friendship, heartbreak, sex, and having fun. Based on the real life adventures of Cameron Crowe.

Review:
Tim: Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a very good teen high school comedy for the 1980s, but to some degree, still very enjoyable today. Cameron Crowe based this film on his own life and does a terrific job writing. All of the characters feel like people we knew in high school, so the whole film has a quality of familiarity to it.

The film also boasts many unforgettable characters. Most especially out of the bunch is Sean Penn. It is hard to imagine this is the same Sean Penn that would later receive the Academy Award for Best Actor for his dramatic role in Mystic River. Here, he plays a stoner that isn't too intelligent. It's a great performance, and interesting to watch. I also particularly liked Judge Reinhold. I don't know why I like this guy so much, but I'd watch almost anything with him in it. Phoebe Cates is also excellent in the film. The swimming pool scene is still famous today.

This film is a fun, not too intelligent (or serious) look at high school in the early 1980s. Today, the clothing is outdated, but the emotions and humor still hold up. Teens will find this film much more entertaining than adults(unless you went to high school in the 80s and remember these times). This is a classic teen comedy and deserving of a viewing.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, American Pie, Mystic River, Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous