A listless and alienated teenager decides to help his new friend win the class presidency in their small western high school, while he must deal with his bizarre family life back home.
Follows a group of high school students growing up in southern California, based on the real-life adventures chronicled by Cameron Crowe. Stacy Hamilton and Mark Ratner are looking for a love interest, and are helped along by their older classmates, Linda Barrett and Mike Damone, respectively. The center of the film is held by Jeff Spicoli, a perpetually stoned surfer dude who faces off with the resolute Mr. Hand, who is convinced that everyone is on dope.Written by
Rick Gregory <rag.apa@email.apa.org>
Although Ron Johnson (stereo salesman) is portrayed as much older than Stacy, actor D.W. Brown is actually only 7 months older than Jennifer Jason Leigh. See more »
Goofs
As Damone hands the boys the tickets to the Van Halen concert, there are two people behind them buying admission to the movies. In the next shot, they are gone. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Perry's Pizza Waitress:
Linda, Linda, there he is. There's that guy from the stereo store. Don't you think he looks like Richard Gere?
Linda Barrett:
Did you see his cute little butt?
See more »
Crazy Credits
Before the credits roll, brief scenes of the characters are shown listing what happened to them following the events of the movie. See more »
Alternate Versions
Brad's Bud (played by Nicolas Cage) has a much larger role in the TV network version whereas in the theatrical version he has virtually no dialogue. His first (and best) line in the TV version is: "Brad, your sister's turning into a fox!" said after Stacy and Brad's conversation about Mr. Hand, plus more dialogue between Brad and Brad's Bud during the cafeteria scene with Brad discussing their plans for the weekend. See more »
FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (1982) **** Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Ray Walston, Robert Rowanus, Brian Becker, Eric Stoltz, Anthony Edwards, Forest Whitaker, Vincent Schiavelli, Nicolas Cage. Hilarious and accurate depiction of life in 1980s high school that ranks among the best comedies of angst, anomie and above all - uncertainty - including "American Graffiti" and "Dazed and Confused". Vignettes with a fine ensemble of up and coming stars particularly Leigh (who's never been so innocent) and Penn as stoned surfer Jeff Spicoli ("People on ludes should not drive!" "Hey, Bud, huh, let's party!") is a comic gem of a performance. Great soundtrack and stable direction by Amy Heckerling and all too-knowing screenplay by future filmmaker Cameron Crowe ("Say Anything..."). Best bit: Mr. Hand convinced all are on drugs. Look sharp for Crowe's wife, rock singer Nancy Wilson, as the hot babe Reinhold tries to impress in traffic wearing his fast food pirate outfit.
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FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (1982) **** Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Ray Walston, Robert Rowanus, Brian Becker, Eric Stoltz, Anthony Edwards, Forest Whitaker, Vincent Schiavelli, Nicolas Cage. Hilarious and accurate depiction of life in 1980s high school that ranks among the best comedies of angst, anomie and above all - uncertainty - including "American Graffiti" and "Dazed and Confused". Vignettes with a fine ensemble of up and coming stars particularly Leigh (who's never been so innocent) and Penn as stoned surfer Jeff Spicoli ("People on ludes should not drive!" "Hey, Bud, huh, let's party!") is a comic gem of a performance. Great soundtrack and stable direction by Amy Heckerling and all too-knowing screenplay by future filmmaker Cameron Crowe ("Say Anything..."). Best bit: Mr. Hand convinced all are on drugs. Look sharp for Crowe's wife, rock singer Nancy Wilson, as the hot babe Reinhold tries to impress in traffic wearing his fast food pirate outfit.