Fast Times at Ridgemont High

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

Fast Times at Ridgemont Highis a 1982 Americancoming-of-agecomedyfilm directed byAmy Heckerling(in herfeature directorial debut) from a screenplay byCameron Crowe,based on his 1981 bookFast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story,and starringSean Penn,Jennifer Jason Leigh,Judge Reinhold,Phoebe Cates,Brian Backer,Robert Romanus,andRay Walston.Crowe went undercover atClairemont High SchoolinSan Diegoand wrote about his experiences.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Amy Heckerling
Screenplay by	Cameron Crowe
Based on	Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story by Cameron Crowe
Produced by	Irving Azoff Art Linson
Starring	Sean Penn Jennifer Jason Leigh Judge Reinhold Phoebe Cates Brian Backer Robert Romanus Ray Walston
Cinematography	Matthew F. Leonetti
Edited by	Eric Jenkins
Production company	Refugee Films
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	August 13, 1982(1982-08-13)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$5 million
Box office	$27.1 million(domestic)or $50 million

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. Theensemble castof 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, includingNicolas Cage,Eric Stoltz,Forest Whitaker,andAnthony Edwards(the first two in their feature film debuts).

In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United StatesNational Film Registryby theLibrary of Congressas being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Plot

In theSan Fernando Valleytown of Ridgemont, the lives of 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 1960Buick LeSabreis almost paid for, and he plans to break up with his girlfriend Lisa so he can be single for his senior year. His younger sister Stacy, a 15-year-old freshman, works at Perry's Pizza at Ridgemont Mall alongside her friend Linda Barrett, a fellow senior of Brad. Stacy envies Linda's supposed promiscuity, so Linda - who claims to be engaged to an older man named Doug - gives her pointers. Mike Damone is a smooth-talker who fancies himself a worldly ladies' man and earns money taking sports bets andscalpingconcert tickets. Mark "Rat" Ratner, Damone's shy but amiable best friend, works as an usher at the movie theater across from Perry's Pizza. 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 strict history teacher Mr. Hand when he shows up late for class. A 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, sheloses her virginity to himin the dugout of a baseball field. Ron sends her flowers the next day, but quickly loses interest in her.

Rat meets Stacy in biology class (run by the awkwardSanka-drinking Mr. Vargas), is smitten with her, and takes her to a German restaurant. Though he is awkward throughout, Stacy invites Rat to have sex with her, but he nervously leaves before they can proceed beyond kissing. Stacy mistakenly interprets his shyness as lack of interest. Linda advises her to move on and find another boy. Brad is fired from his job after threatening an obnoxious businessman and using profanity. He realizes he needs Lisa from this, but she breaks up with him the same way he planned to do to her.

Spicoli accidentally wrecks the 1981Chevrolet Camaroof Ridgemont star football player Charles Jefferson while driving Jefferson's younger brother to a concert for which Jefferson got them tickets from Damone. He 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. This causes Jefferson to make numerous brutal tackles in a game against Lincoln, blowing them out 42-0. Brad gets a new job at Captain Hook Fish & Chips, but soon rethinks his job situation when he is frequently mocked for his pirate-themed uniform, and quits.

Rat and Damone later drop by Stacy's house to join her and Linda in the swimming pool, while Brad masturbates to an imagination of Linda undressing, only to get caught by her. Stacy decides to rebound from Rat with Damone, and 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. Embarrassed, Damone avoids her, though Stacy is oblivious to the reason.

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. 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. Brad promises not to tell their parents, but she does not divulge who got her pregnant. Stacy instead tells Linda, prompting Linda to paint the insult "Prick" on his car and his school locker as revenge. With the situation now known around school, Rat angrily confronts Damone about his involvement with Stacy, and nearly get into a fight over it.

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's behavior, and they make amends. Realizing she wants an actual relationship instead of sex, Stacy professes feelings for Rat. Brad takes a job at a convenience store called Mi-T-Mart and foils an armed robbery with some help from Spicoli, who stumbles out of the store's bathroom giving Brad time to distract the robber.

Apostscriptstates that Brad was promoted to manager of Mi-T-Mart on June 12. Damone was busted for scalpingOzzy Osbournetickets and now works at a7-Eleven.Mr. Vargas switched back to coffee. Linda attends college in Riverside and lives with herabnormal psychologyprofessor. Rat and Stacy are in love, but they still haven't gone all the way. Mr. Hand is convinced thateveryoneis on dope. Spicoli savedBrooke Shieldsfrom drowning and blew the reward money hiring rock bandVan Halento play at his birthday party.

Cast

• Sean Pennas Jeff Spicoli, a stoner teenager who is an expert surfer
• Jennifer Jason Leighas Stacy Hamilton, a 15-year-old freshman and Brad's younger sister who works at Perry's Pizza
• Judge Reinholdas Brad Hamilton, the older brother of Stacy who works entry-level jobs
• Robert Romanusas Mike Damone, a smooth-talking teenager who takes bets and scalps concert tickets
• Brian Backeras Mark "Rat" Ratner, Damone's best friend who works as an usher at the movie theater at Ridgemont Mall
• Phoebe Catesas Linda Barrett, Stacy's best friend and her co-worker at Perry's Pizza
• Ray Walstonas Mr. Hand, the history teacher at Ridgemont High
• Scott Thomsonas Arnold, a friend of Brad's
• Vincent Schiavellias Mr. Vargas, the science teacher at Ridgemont High
• Amanda Wyssas Lisa, Brad's girlfriend
• D.W. Brownas Ron Johnson, a 26-year-old stereo salesman
• Forest Whitakeras Charles Jefferson, a star football player at Ridgemont High
• Kelli Maroneyas Cindy Carr
• Tom Nolan as Dennis Taylor, the manager of All-American Burger
• Blair Ashleighas Pat Bernardo
• Eric Stoltzas one of Spicoli's stoner buds
• Stanley Davis Jr. as Jefferson's younger brother
• James Russoas a man who tries to rob Mi-T-Mart
• James Bershad as Greg Adams
• Nicolas Cage(credited as Nicolas Coppola) as Brad's Bud, an unnamed friend of Brad and co-worker at All-American Burger
• Reginald H. Farmer as the Vice-principal of Ridgemont High

Other minor appearances include:

• Anthony Edwardsas one of Spicoli's stoner buds
• Pamela Springsteenas Dina Phillips
• Stuart Cornfeldas the Pirate King, the proprietor of "Captain Hook's Fish & Chips"
• Michael Wyle as Brad's Bud
• Sonny Carl Davis as an obnoxious businessman who argues with Brad about his order that led to Dennis firing Brad
• David E. Price as Desmond
• Patrick Brennan as Curtis Spicoli, Jeff's younger brother.
• Stu Nahanas himself
• Duane Tucker as Dr. Brandt
• Martin Brestas Dr. Miller
• Taylor Negronas the pizza delivery person from the "Pizza Guy" restaurant
• Nancy Wilsonas a beautiful girl in a car
• Ellen Fenwick as Brad and Stacy's mother
• Lana Clarksonas Mrs. Vargas, the wife of Mr. Vargas
• Roy Holmer Wallac as a Mall Santa Claus
• Jason Bernardas the gym teacher (uncredited)
• Hallie Toddas Carrie Fraser (uncredited), a friend of Linda

Production

Writing and development

The film is adapted from a book Cameron Crowe wrote after having spent a year atClairemont High Schoolin 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-studentAndy Rathbone,on whom the character Mark "Rat" Ratner was modeled.

Universalexecutives recommendedDavid Lynchas a director, and Crowe met with Lynch. Though Lynch liked the idea, he passed on directing.ProducerArt Linsonshowed 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. "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.Said Crowe, "Amy completely got it and we were up and running."

Casting

Nicolas Cagemade his feature-film debut, portraying an unnamed co-worker of Brad's at All-American Burger, credited as "Nicolas Coppola".Cage originally auditioned for the role of Brad Hamilton, but he was not cast in the role due to his age.It was also the film debut forEric Stoltzand provided early roles forAnthony EdwardsandForest Whitaker.Crowe's future wife,Nancy WilsonofHeart,has a cameo as the "Beautiful Girl in Car" who laughs at Brad in his Captain Hook uniform during a traffic-light stop.

Tom Hankswas considered for the role of Brad Hamilton.Justine Batemanwas offered the role of Linda Barrett, but she turned it down to star inFamily Ties.Matthew Broderickwas offered the role of Jeff Spicoli, but he turned it down.Jodie Fosterwas considered for the role of Stacy Hamilton.Ally Sheedy,Meg Tilly,andRalph Macchioalso auditioned for roles but were not cast.Fred Gwynnewas offered the role of Mr. Hand, but turned it down as he felt that the script had "too much nasty stuff".In a scene in Spicoli's dream where he was originally going to be onThe Tonight Show,Johnny Carsonpassed on a cameo appearance, as didTom Snyder.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 theSherman Oaks GalleriaPerry's Pizza restaurant for three weeks.

Filming

Mall scenes were filmed at theSherman Oaks Galleriaduring after hours.Principal photography began on November 2, 1981, and lasted for a total of 8 weeks.Scenes at Ridgemont High School took place atVan Nuys High School.

Universal test-screened an early cut of the film inOrange 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."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.

Soundtrack

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic

The soundtrack albumFast Times at Ridgemont High: Music from the Motion Picturewas released byElektra Recordson July 30, 1982.It peaked at #54 on the USBillboard200album chart.The soundtrack features the work of many quintessential 1980s rock artists.

Several of the movie's songs were released as singles, includingJackson Browne's "Somebody's Baby",which reached #7 on theBillboardHot 100singles chart.Other singles were the title track bySammy Hagar,a cover ofThe Tymes' "So Much in Love"byTimothy B. Schmitwhich reached #59 on theBillboardHot 100singles chart, "Raised on the Radio" by the Ravyns and "Waffle Stomp" byJoe Walsh.In addition to Schmit and Walsh, the album features solo tracks by other members of theEagles:Don HenleyandDon Felder.The soundtrack also included "I Don't Know (Spicoli's Theme)" byJimmy Buffettand "Goodbye Goodbye" byOingo Boingo(led byDanny Elfman).

Five tracks in the film not included on the soundtrack are "Moving in Stereo"bythe Cars;"American Girl"byTom Petty and the Heartbreakers;"We Got the Beat"bythe Go Go's,which is the movie's opening theme;Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir";and"Winter Wonderland"byDarlene Love.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"andSam the Sham's "Wooly Bully".

TheDonna Summertrack "Highway Runner", was recorded in 1981 for her double album titledI'm a Rainbow;however, the album was shelved byGeffen Recordsbut ultimately released in 1996 byMercury Records.

Todd Rundgrenalso recorded the song "Attitude" for the film at Crowe's request. It was not included in the film, but was released on Rundgren'sDemos and Lost Albumsin 2001. A track titled "Fast Times" was recorded byHeartbut was not used in the film. The track ended up on their 1982 albumPrivate Audition.

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

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.Irving Azoff,one of the film's producers, was the personal manager for the Eagles andStevie Nicks.

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Performer	Length
1.	"Somebody's Baby"	Browne Danny Kortchmar	Jackson Browne	4:05
2.	"Waffle Stomp"	Walsh	Joe Walsh	3:40
3.	"Love Rules"	Henley Kortchmar	Don Henley	4:05
4.	"Uptown Boys"	Goffin Janna Allen	Louise Goffin	2:45
5.	"So Much in Love"	George Williams Bill Jackson Roy Straigis	Timothy B. Schmit	2:25

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Performer	Length
6.	"Raised on the Radio"	Rob Fahey	Ravyns	3:43
7.	"The Look In Your Eyes"	McMahon	Gerard McMahon	4:00
8.	"Speeding"	Jane Wiedlin Charlotte Caffey	The Go-Go's	2:11
9.	"Don't Be Lonely"	Marv Ross	Quarterflash	3:18
10.	"Never Surrender"	Felder Kenny Loggins	Don Felder	4:15

Side three

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Performer	Length
11.	"Fast Times (The Best Years of Our Lives)"	Squier	Billy Squier	3:41
12.	"Fast Times at Ridgemont High"	Hagar	Sammy Hagar	3:36
13.	"I Don't Know (Spicoli's Theme)"	Buffett Michael Utley	Jimmy Buffett	3:00
14.	"Love Is the Reason"	Nash	Graham Nash	3:31
15.	"I'll Leave It Up to You"	Rusty Young	Poco	2:55

Side four

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Performer	Length
16.	"Highway Runner"	Giorgio Moroder Summer	Donna Summer	3:18
17.	"Sleeping Angel"	Nicks	Stevie Nicks	4:43
18.	"She's My Baby (And She's Outta Control)"	Dave Palmer Phil Jost	Palmer/Jost	2:53
19.	"Goodbye, Goodbye"	Danny Elfman	Oingo Boingo	4:34
Total length:				65:50

Release

The film was initially given anX ratingby theMPAAdue to a protracted sex scene and briefmale frontal nudityduring the pool house scene.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.To secure theR ratingneeded for commercial release, the sex was drastically shortened in editing, and Heckerling re-cropped the full-frontal male nude scene in question.Leigh expressed disappointment that the re-cut version "eliminated the sense of awkward hesitancy between the two characters".

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 TanenandSid Sheinbergthat said the future of the studio was in doubt if we are making movies like thishigh school movie."Tanen stood by releasing the film theatrically, and it was given a limited theatrical release.It was not given a big marketing push due to a lack of marquee names and concerns over its sexual content.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."

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

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,six times its $4.5 million budget, and later gaining popularity through television and home video releases.

Home media

Fast Times at Ridgemont Highwas released to DVD on December 21, 1999.The DVD included audio commentary with Heckerling and Crowe, as well as the making-of documentary "Reliving Our Fast Times at Ridgemont High".It was released on Blu-ray on January 10, 2012.On May 11, 2021, a digitally restored4Kversion was released on Blu-ray and DVD throughThe Criterion Collection.The Criterion release restores Heckerling's original cut of the film.

Reception

Critical response

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

On its initial release, multiple critics dismissed the film as just the latest in a wave ofteensploitationfilms such asPorky'sandThe Last American Virgin.Roger Ebertwas 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.In later years, Ebert reevaluated his opinion of the film and became a big supporter of Cameron Crowe's directorial career.Richard CorlissofTimecompared the film negatively to another teen coming-of-age movie,American Graffiti.Janet MaslinofThe New York Timeswrote that it was "a jumbled but appealing teen-age comedy with something of a fresh perspective on the subject."

In contrast,LA Weeklypraised the film, particularly its screenplay, direction, and the performances of Leigh and Penn. The review read, "While neither as slapstick asAnimal House,nor as apocalyptic and biting asOver the Edge,Fast Times at Ridgemont Highis both serious and funny enough to hold its own in their company. "The review added the film presents "a portrait of modern school life that speaks lightly but truly to the fears and trials ofpost-Watergateteens ".

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."

As time went on, however, the film was increasingly seen as a classic. In an essay written for theCriterion Collectionedition in 2021, criticDana Stevenswrote, "Fast Timesis 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. "

InCollider,Grace Neave noted that in teen comedy films likePorky's,the women are typically objectified and are chased after by the male characters; however, inFast Times,Stacy and Linda are fully formed characters that also pursue the guys.Neaves added that unlike most teen comedies of its time, which tended to "encouragemisogynyas a comical gag "," Stacy's enthusiasm about sex is never shamed or used as a plot point to cast judgment over her character. "

Fast Timeshas 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.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."

For the film's 40th anniversary in 2022, criticRichard Roepersaid 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."

Accolades

Crowe's screenplay was nominated for aWGAAward for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium.The film ranks No. 15 onBravo's "100 Funniest Movies"and No. 2 onEntertainment Weekly's list of the "50 Best High School Movies".

The film is recognized byAmerican Film Institutein these lists:

• 2000:AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs– #87

National Film Preservation Board

• 2005:National Film Registry,Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Legacy

Television spin-off

Main article:Fast Times

The film inspired a short-lived 1986 television series titledFast Times.Ray WalstonandVincent Schiavellireprised their roles as Hand and Vargas on the show. Other characters from the movie were played by different actors, most notablyPatrick Dempseyas Mike Damone.

2020 table read

During theCOVID-19 pandemic,as a fundraiser for CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort), a nonprofit charity co-founded by Sean Penn, atable readwas organized for the film.After the table read,Cameron CroweandAmy Heckerlinghosted a discussion about the film.

• Brad Pittas Brad
• Jennifer Anistonas Linda
• Julia Robertsas Stacy
• Matthew McConaugheyas Mike
• Shia LaBeoufas Spicoli
• Dane Cookas Mark
• Henry Goldingas Mr. Vargas
• John Legendas Charles Jefferson and Little Charles
• Ray Liottaas Mr. Hand
• Jimmy Kimmelas various roles
• Sean Pennas Pizza guy
• Morgan Freemanas the narrator

See also

• Fast Times at Barrington High,an album by the bandThe Academy Is...,is a play on the title of the film.
• "Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High",aFamily Guyepisode from Season 4.
• Fast Times at Fairmont High,a novella byVernor Vinge,is named in reference to the film.
• "Stacy's Mom",a song byFountains of Waynewhich pays homage to the film.
• The Last American Virgin,a remake ofLemon Popsicleand a film released in the same year with similar themes.
• "Phoebe Cates" from the albumLechuza,a song by the bandFenix TXaboutPhoebe Cates' role in the film.

External links

Quotations related toFast Times at Ridgemont Highat Wikiquote

• Fast Times at Ridgemont HighatIMDb
• Fast Times at Ridgemont HighatRotten Tomatoes
• Fast Times at Ridgemont Highat theTCM Movie Database
• Production Notesat TheUncool
• Eagan, Daniel (2010)."Fast Times at Ridgemont High".America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry.A & C Black.pp.777–778.ISBN978-0826-42977-3.
• Fast Times at Ridgemont High:A Kid's-Eye View– an essay byDana StevensatThe Criterion Collection