Fast Times at Ridgemont High

R

Released Aug 13, 1982

1 hr. 30 min.

Comedy

TRAILER

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

List

78%

60 Reviews

Tomatometer

80%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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Jay H

This "comedy" is about as funny as prediabetes.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/17/24

Full Review

Michael B

I mean...come on. Anyone growing up in the 70's and 80's shouldn't have been given an adult card without sharing in this experience.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/08/24

Full Review

Michael S

Without a doubt one of the most entertaining & quotable 80s flicks out there. A great high school comedy with hilarious jokes and memorable characters. An absolute classic from your parents' generation.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/01/24

Full Review

Augustine J

This movie is just straight eighties fun, well most of it. Jeff Spicoli and Brad Hamilton are some of my favorite characters in any comedy. Sean Penn and Judge Reinhold play them to perfection. This movie also has a bunch of simply great comedic moments that always get me chuckling. This movie dosen't have any discernible plot whatsoever which is perfect for this movie. I love the characters and many of the moments, and the completely non-existent plot. It's a classic from the eighties that you need to check out. If you haven't seen this movie, what are you? On dope?

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/16/24

Full Review

Jeff M

I figured I had no right to call myself an 80s movie buff without seeing this modern classic that premiered 40 years ago and remains one of the most iconic films of its decade. Perhaps my thoughts would have been different had I seen it when I was 18 rather than 48, but I found this a rather tedious experience that had me shaking my head at the antics and behavior of those darned teen-agers. I knew something was amiss when my favorite character was Mr. Hand. I had pretty much the same response when watching 2007's SUPERBAD, another acclaimed movie about teenagers albeit a different generation. I can't help but wonder if one's personal teenage experiences impact one's enjoyment of these types of movies. I was a miserable teenager who preferred to hang out with the teachers rather than my peers - so go figure. That being said, this is certainly a step above some of the other movies of its ilk like PORKYS... and PORKYS 2... and PORKYS 3. There is an underlying sweetness and sentiment to some of these characters even when their only goals seem to be getting loaded and/or laid. And watching many, MANY years later, it's undeniably fun to see several young actors who have gone on to great careers. Penn's role has become particularly iconic over the years, but even though he does it well, it becomes monotonous after a while. Leigh is the heart and soul of the movie, and hers is the performance I will remember the most. Her scenes with Brian Backer are my favorite. So, while this certainly isn't the worst teenage comedy of the 80s, I don't quite understand its seemingly eternal appeal.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/04/24

Full Review

Tim O

Classic 70s (80s release) high school comedy. Cameron Crowe did a year in an actual high school, passing for a regular student, as research for the book that forms the basis for this. For any student of the era, this (and Dazed and Confused) pretty much nails the original experience. Launched a boatload of well-known actor's careers. Wife & I watch it every anniversary (long standing tradition)

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/18/23

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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

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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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Paul Wagman

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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

Aug 15, 2022

Full Review

Richard Roeper

Chicago Sun-Times

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

Jul 30, 2022

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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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
Executive Producer: C.O. Erickson
Screenwriter: Cameron Crowe
Distributor: MCA, MCA/Universal Pictures [us], MCA/Universal Home Video
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Refugee Films
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 13, 1982, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2015

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