Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)
Average Rating: 6.8/10
Reviews Counted: 46
Fresh: 37 | Rotten: 9
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.
Average Rating: 3.7/10
Critic Reviews: 7
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 5
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.
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Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 148,389
Movie Info
Amy Heckerling's adaptation of Cameron Crowe's Fast Times at Ridgemont High is often considered one of the finest films of a disreputable genre (the teen sex comedy), and kick-started the careers of many future stars. The center of this ensemble film is Jennifer Jason Leigh as Stacy Hamilton. She is a young, innocent high-school student who, as the film opens, is asking for advice from her friend, the sexually outspoken Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates). Stacy takes a liking to nebbish Mark Ratner
Aug 13, 1982 Wide
Nov 2, 2004
Universal Pictures
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Sean Penn
Jeff Spicoli -
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Stacy Hamilton -
Judge Reinhold
Brad Hamilton -
Robert Romanus
Mike Damone -
Brian Backer
Mark Ratner -
Phoebe Cates
Linda Barrett -
Ray Walston
Mr. Hand -
Scott Thomson
Arnold -
Vincent Schiavelli
Vargas -
Amanda Wyss
Lisa -
James Bershad
Greg -
D.W. Brown
Ron Johnson -
Nicolas Cage
Bit Part -
Lana Clarkson
Mrs. Vargas -
Sonny Carl Davis
Businessman -
Anthony Edwards
Stoner Bud -
Ava Lazar
Playmate -
Kelli Maroney
Cindy -
Douglas Brian Martin
Angry Twin -
Stu Nahan
Himself -
Taylor Negron
Himself -
Tom Nolan
Dennis Taylor -
Virginia Peters
Waitress -
James Russo
Robber -
Pamela Springsteen
Dina Phillips -
Eric Stoltz
Stoner Bud -
Lori Sutton
Playmate -
Michael Wyle
Brad's Bud -
Martin Brest
Dr. Miller -
Stuart Cornfield
Pirate King -
David F. Price
Desmond -
Forest Whitaker
Charles Jefferson -
Patrick Brennan
Curtis Spicoli -
Duane Tucker
Dr. Brandt -
Reginald H. Farmer
Vice Principal -
Steven M. Martin
Twin -
Nancy Wilson
Girl in Car
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All Critics (46) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (9) | DVD (27)
Director Amy Heckerling has failed to provide the raunch or poignancy that would interest young moviegoers, all of whom have seen American Graffiti and its 467 imitators. Ridgemont High? A nice place to visit, but who would want to transfer there?
Fast Times will always be remembered for one thing: showing respect for and insight into the members of its core audience, something that was as rare in the 1980s as it is today.
The nice thing is that Crowe and director Amy Heckerling have provided something pleasant to observe in all of these characters though they really are sadly lacking in anything gripping.
Was never all it was cracked up to be.
Lacks the frenzied energy which allowed Porky's to beat all competitors in its field.
Top CriticHow could they do this to Jennifer Jason Leigh? How could they put such a fresh and cheerful person into such a scuz-pit of a movie?
Fast Times is a brilliant, funny and often challenging examination of teenage life in the early 1980s.
Teen movie is full of sex, drugs, and misbehavior.
A cult classic.
Great fun if not quite the great teen pic some believe it to be.
A brashly funny yet sensitive comedy that has become a cult favorite.
Director Amy Heckerling almost encourages the film's shapelessness, letting the individual moments speak for themselves, rather than molding a cohesive whole.
[Penn] sets the tone of fun for the whole movie.
This R-rated comedy captured the natural humor of high school life, while also addressing serious topics.
Sean Penn's calling never left Mr. Hand's classroom.
overrated
The great high-school comedy that spawned a thousand rip-offs.
The comedy captured the brutal realism of post-sexual-revolution high school life and has been imitated often, rarely equaled, and surpassed only once.
The filmmakers' attempts to capture the "real" high school experience run hot and cold, while the comedy quotient just doesn't cut it.
Pretty dated now, but it's early Penn.
Audience Reviews for Fast Times At Ridgemont High
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Jeff Spicoli: Alright Hamilton!
-
- Jeff Spicoli: Alright Hamilton!
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- Brad Hamilton: Hey, you guys had shirts on when you came in here.
- Jeff Spicoli: Well, somethin' happened to 'em, man.
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- Jeff Spicoli: Hey, I know that dude.
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- Jeff Spicoli: Hey, Bud, let's party!
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| Dear Douchebag Ebert | 23 days ago | 1 |
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Movie: ID: 120401662 Title: Fast Times At Ridgemont High Release Date: 1982-08-13 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 4 Status: 1
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Foreign Titles
- Fast Times at Ridgemont High (DE)
- Fast Times at Ridgemont High (UK)
