Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) Movie Review

 In Fast Times at Ridgemont High, a series of interconnected stories among high schoolers stand out. All of them have a goal that may prove trivial in their larger life stories. 

Fast Times is about as funny as one can expect from the teen comedy sub genre. All the performances are on the same wavelength: from Sean Penn as the stoner to Jennifer Jason Leigh as the young high schooler navigating her sexuality. 

While some aspects are dated, it’s no doubt the character-centric humor anchors the whole thing. Even the most ridiculous ideas (like the scene in the baseball dugout or the pool fantasy) are grounded in the sense that you know these characters well enough to know that’s how they think and act. 

That being said, your mileage may vary on how much you’re willing to put up with sexually or in terms of crudeness. While it is not AS crude as some of its later imitators (American Pie comes to mind) it still isn’t for everyone. 

Basically, if you like John Hughes teen movies, you may love to know that while this movie isn’t made by John Hughes, it is from the same decade. Really, it’s nice to know someone other than John Hughes made fun teen comedies.

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