Fast Times at Ridgemont High

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Fast Times at Ridgemont High

R

Released Aug 13, 1982

1h 30m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

78%

Tomatometer

59 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is a pretty, but inexperienced, teen interested in dating. Given advice by her uninhibited friend, Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates), Stacy gets trapped in a love triangle with nice guy Mark Ratner (Brian Backer) and his more assured buddy Mike Damone (Robert Romanus). Meanwhile, Stacy's classmate Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn), who lives for surfing and being stoned, faces off against Mr. Hand (Ray Walston), a strict teacher who has no time for the slacker's antics.

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Critics Consensus

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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Paul Wagman

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The movie ends up with no clear identity; it doesn't work as anything.

Aug 15, 2022

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Richard Roeper

Chicago Sun-Times

The best of the racy teen comedies perfectly preserves the fashions and attitudes of the ’80s.

Jul 30, 2022

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Ernest Leogrande

New York Daily News

What it doesn't have is a clear point of view, something that would make it of more interest than leafing through a high school yearbook.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 12, 2015

Full Review

Brian Susbielles

InSession Film

Order a pizza and learn about Cuba in an all-time teen comedy classic by Amy Heckerling and scripted by Cameron Crowe.

Mar 6, 2023

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Stephen Silver

Tilt Magazine

In the perfect wheelhouse of teen movies: Sexually frank, right up to the inclusion of an abortion subplot, but not too crass or exploitative. (40th anniversary)

Rated: 4/5

Aug 26, 2022

Full Review

Joe Lipsett

Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr Podcast

40 years on, Heckerling's film is as iconic as ever. Fast Times...features no shortage of stand-out characters and memorable moments, but where the film truly excels is how refreshingly candid it is about sex, dating and abortion.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 4, 2022

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THE NASHVILLE I

The original teen high school epic. Fast Times wasn’t trying to overdo anything…instead, it gives the most refreshing, yet cathartic and relateable experience that seriously every high schooler can relate to. Pressure, lust, nerves, heartbreak, thrills. Not to mention, this soundtrack struck gold and lightning in a bottle! Do yourself a favor and dive in.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/12/25

Full Review

john h

A spectacular comedy high school classic starring a row of talented actors and actresses. FTRH is one with the great nostalgic comedies alongside American Graffiti and Dazed and Confused. It has a dazzling sense of humor, loveable relatable characters and a groundbreaking looksie into what it felt like to live out the glorified 80s.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/01/25

Full Review

Brent A

10% rating ... Storyline was awful. Hate to say it, but the only thing that's memorable from this film was the infamous Phoebe Cates red bikini scene.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/25/25

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Horror fan 4

One of the greatest 80's movies of all time. The music, characters and story are amazing. Tim Treakle

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/24/25

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Double A

Only a few other movies share the air that Fast Times floats in. Flawless teen movie that captured 1981-82 EXACTLY as it was. I know because I lived it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/22/25

Full Review

Emma F

This movie is a trip down memory lane for 1980s American teens, based on an undercover report by Cameron Crowe, who also wrote the script.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/19/25

Full Review

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Amy Heckerling

Director

Sean Penn

Jeff Spicoli

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Stacy Hamilton

Judge Reinhold

Brad Hamilton

Robert Romanus

Mike Damone

Brian Backer

Mark "Rat" Ratner

Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Official Clip - He's Gonna Kill Us!

2:12

Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Official Clip - Spicoli Orders a Pizza

1:54

Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Official Clip - Spicoli's Surfer Dream

1:29

Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Official Clip - Brad Gets Canned

2:24

Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Official Clip - Carrot Practice

1:58

Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Official Clip - No Shirt, No Shoes, No Dice

1:05

Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Official Clip - Mi-T Man

2:00

Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Official Clip - Spicoli Meets Mr. Hand

2:39

Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Official Clip - Jefferson Makes Lincoln Pay

2:00

Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Official Clip - I Don't Know

2:29

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Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) Presented by TCM: Fathom Events Trailer

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Synopsis

Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is a pretty, but inexperienced, teen interested in dating. Given advice by her uninhibited friend, Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates), Stacy gets trapped in a love triangle with nice guy Mark Ratner (Brian Backer) and his more assured buddy Mike Damone (Robert Romanus). Meanwhile, Stacy's classmate Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn), who lives for surfing and being stoned, faces off against Mr. Hand (Ray Walston), a strict teacher who has no time for the slacker's antics.

Director: Amy Heckerling
Producer: Art Linson, Irving Azoff
Screenwriter: Cameron Crowe
Distributor: MCA, MCA/Universal Pictures [us], MCA/Universal Home Video
Production Co: Refugee Films, Universal Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 13, 1982, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2015
Runtime: 1h 30m

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