Pluskylang Great Film overall

SincereFinest disgusting, overrated, pointless

BallWubba Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Bluebell Alcock Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

ericrnolan "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982) is a pop-culture scared cow that needs to be skewered. I'd rate it a 2 out of 10 for being a surprisingly inept and poorly scripted 1980's "classic."I just don't understand the fervent popular reverence for this movie among people in my age bracket. It was a minor legend when I was growing up. I was a fourth grader in 1982, and gradeschool boys could be divided into two groups: 1) those who had seen the "Phoebe Cates pool scene" and 2) those who had not, but wished they had. When I mentioned on social media a couple of months ago this year that I'd never actually gotten around to seeing this movie, my friends were roundly astonished.Why do they think this film is indispensable viewing? Maybe there's something I'm missing. I'm tempted to group "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" together with other beloved 80's films that just don't resonate with me -- like the understandably campy "Tron" (1982) or the unexpectedly sleep-inducing "The Big Chill" (1983). (I couldn't even finish the latter.) But I can't compare, because I know those movies are objectively good in a lot of ways, even if they weren't to my taste.Nor am I squeamish about raunchy sex comedies. (C'mon.) I pretty fondly remember "Porky's" (1981), "Porky's II: The Next Day" (1983), and "Revenge of the Nerds" (1984). I mentioned "Porky's" to the friend with whom I watched "Fast Times" -- I told her that it wasn't highbrow entertainment, but I still remember it being crudely, blasphemously funny.This movie was just a thinly scripted small collection of vignettes, with no overall plot outside of teenagers having sexual encounters that are ... awkward and bluntly sad, for the most part. (Sean Penn's character does drugs.) The dialogue is terrible. None of the characters are likable -- even the story's nerdy, well-meaning protagonist is grating.I didn't really laugh once at anything the director intended -- I only laughed at the haircuts and the clothes. I just can't believe that the screenwriter here was Cameron Crowe, who also wrote what is possibly my favorite movie of all time -- the widely but unfairly maligned "Vanilla Sky" (2001). (Crowe apparently adapted the screenplay from a novel he wrote.)There is some enjoyment to be had in watching Penn's stoner character. It was fun seeing a well known serious actor in an early comedic role. Penn is a decent character actor, and it looks like he was having fun. I do get why kids in the 80's found him funny.It's also fun seeing the handful of other young actors who would go on to great careers (Judge Reinhold is always funny) but, again, this is something that the filmmakers can't take credit for.Hey, if you want a slice-of-life dramatic comedy about teenagers in the 1980's, then go rent "The Breakfast Club" (1985). It wasn't perfect, but it was damn good movie that tackled many of the same issues as this movie, but with intelligence and effective humor. Or, try the oddball "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (1986). Both movies portray teenagers in the 80's who are smart, likable and emphathetic, in varying degrees. I myself went to high school in the 1980's, and I assure you they were around.

giopirozzi With the right casting, could be great. The addition of smartphones alone is crazy. Sean Penn as Mr. Hand is a no brainer. Any thoughts? The cars, the music, the teachers. Mark "Rat" Ratner as the science teacher? It basically writes itself. We gotta get Kristen Stewart to play all the parts of the Pat Benatar role :)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN1SB7SzaRI

Trenton Lazorchak Fast Times at Ridgemont High takes place in a high school in California during the 80's. The movie is meant to show the lives of highschoolers that you don't see and just go into their lives. The movie is a very entertaining movie with many laughs in it. The story however is very minor and takes the backseat to the comedy. You can relate to the characters very well if you are in high school, even though they look at least 10 years older, and the film is definitely geared towards the younger teenage audience. In order to enjoy this film you can't take it seriously and just enjoy it. It is a quick movie and it is a very easy movie to watch and i would recommend it to any young person looking for a funny movie to watch.

Prismark10 Fast Times at Ridgemont High now boasts three Oscar winners with Sean Penn, Forest Whitaker and Nicolas Cage in a blink and you will miss him role.The sweetest and brightest performance is by Jennifer Jason Leigh who plays Stacy who works in the fast food restaurants in a LA shopping mall talking with friend and co-worker Linda (Phoebe Cates) about sex and men.Mark (Brian Backer) fancies Stacy but when he goes out with her gets nervous. His friend a ticket tout Mike (Robert Romanus) who gives Mark lots of advice on women does get an opportunity to have sex with Stacy and gets her pregnant. It results in Stacy having an abortion.Stacy's brother Brad (Judge Reinhold) is having problems with his own girlfriend and also fantasises about Linda that results in an embarrassing situation in the bathroom. Brad also works in fast food but becomes increasingly irritated by the uniforms he has to wear.However the film is not about high school kids hanging about in malls or working fast food. It is about Ridgemont High, where wall to wall MOR music is played and all the girls give that 'come on' smile to the boys. In fact the entire film is women giving that kind of smile to men which is rather unrealistic. With the tits and ass on show in this film it comes as a surprise that the film was actually directed by a woman.The plot is flimsy, Stacy wants to lose her virginity but realises that she just needs a good friend. Brad goes through a succession of fast food jobs because in this recession hit Reagan's early 1980s USA where jobs are easy to come by. Mark and Mike try to resolve their differences over Stacy.The most interesting character is surfer dude and prototype Bill & Ted slacker Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn) who has been permanently stoned for years and orders pizza while he is class. His relationship with Mr Hand brings some spark to the movie.The film bounces along because of the soundtrack, seeing some famous actors in early roles even though a few of them look too old to be still at high school. It is a fantasy version of a high school, I doubt even Hollywood High is like this.