Fast Times at Ridgemont High

This is a cult classic and a well deserved one. Lots of laughs and highlight moments. But to be honest I think of this movie as I was as a young teenager, watching what I at the time, considered the greatest scene in movie history. Phoebe Cates climbing out of a swimming pool!

Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a quality film. It's over 20 years old and has become one of those iconic teen movies and it's pretty easy to see why. It has everything you would expect; the bad hair, the bad clothes, the bad music, teenage awkwardness...all the clichés and stereotypes that we've seen repeated in basically every teen movie since then. And it has Sean Penn playing a stoner surfer. Sean. Penn. I'm pretty sure this movie is funnier now just because Sean Penn has had a successful career as a proper dramatic actor, and he plays the ultimate surfer dude perfectly. The grudge between himself and Mr Hand (Ray Walston) is great and probably produces the best (or at least funniest) moments of the film. All in all, Fast Times is fun. It might be because it's dated, cheesy, and clichéd, but it still does the job and it is entertaining.

I was a few years out of high school when this came out, and really hit close to home for me. After I saw it, I looked up some of my old friends, most of them also saw it too, and we said to each other, "that's us!" Many of the characters were a lot like the people I went to school with. I knew my share of stoners, studs, and girls who getting guys wasn't the biggest hang up in their life. Even today, I can sit, and watch this and I get fond memories of my old friends, and the fun we used to have. This was made during the post-disco, pre-greed era of the 80s that was far too short. I'm surprised to find out this movie is still popular considering it is far from being politically correct. I'll admit, I wouldn't want my kids to some of the things these high school kids did, but it is a reminder how much fun the era was.

Almost 22 years after it's release – this movie still remains to be great. Amy Heckerling gave us another hit in the 90's – Clueless – so it's no doubt that this too has become a cult classic. This movie being a high school movie evolving around teenagers, though made in the 80's, contained all the elements that a horny teenage movie would have – topless women, pot smoking, *, cheating on tests, virginity losing and all that sex talk and quite obviously teen pregnancy!!! However they were not extensively used unnecessarily with the intention to make people laugh – they were used at the right time and were very funny. Sean Penn was excellent – that was quite the performance as Jeff Spicoli – especially now considering he is an Oscar winner – that's quite the long road he has traveled. This was a great teenager movie – and for people who just love high school movies – this movie should next on their lit.

A fast-paced film with its share of laughs, Fast Times also takes time to sensitively handle many of the tough issues teens face. Abortion, trust, abandonment and sexual fears are all dealt with fairly and believably. An interesting snapshot into the world of teenagers--the great thing about this film is that it's not too stereotypically Californian. It could have been set anywhere in Canada or USA and still have been just as accurate. In addition, there are many scenes that will just have you doubled over with laughter--the carrot scene, as well as the interaction between rebel Sean Penn and angry Mr.Hand are just fantastic.