Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

In Amy Heckerling's and Universal Pictures' R-rated cult teen, low-budget, coming-of-age youth sex comedy (after the success of Porky's (1981)) - it was Heckerling's directorial debut feature film from a script by free-lance journalist and future film-maker Cameron Crowe. Heckerling would go on to helm films such as Johnny Dangerously (1984), (National Lampoon's) European Vacation (1985), Look Who's Talking (1989) and Clueless (1995).

[Note: Crowe had gone undercover for a year - 1979 - at Clairemont HS in San Diego, and subsequently wrote and published Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story in 1981 that became the basis for his first script, for the movie Fast Times. Crowe went on to greater fame as a director and/or screenwriter for other teen-oriented films including Say Anything... (1989), Singles (1992), Jerry Maguire (1996), and Almost Famous (2000).]

This classic teen film (about Generation X-ers) came years before two other esteemed coming-of-age 'brat-pack' films: John Hughes' The Breakfast Club (1985), and Joel Schumacher's St. Elmo's Fire (1985).

A talented young ensemble cast was assembled to tell the frank, episodic story of Southern California teens in the Los Angeles area (specifically San Fernando Valley) who were preoccupied with sex, getting stoned, rock music, entering the work-force with fast-food jobs, and other "fast times" - with some scenes of frank sex talk, and unglamorous first-time sex (especially for the female involved). Told from a feminine perspective, Fast Times is now regarded as the quintessential teen comedy and seminal high-school film of the 80s, that perfectly and authentically captured the era of youth culture exhibited in shopping malls, fast-food joints, and HS classrooms, and the casual and loose attitudes at the time toward having sex.

A number of future stars made early appearances or were springboarded to popularity in this "Me Decade" film, including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, Judge Reinhold, Sean Penn, Nicolas Cage (credited as Nicolas Coppola) as Brad's friend, Eric Stoltz and Anthony Edwards as Spicoli's stoner friends, and Forest Whitaker as football star Charles Jefferson. Popular songs of the time were cleverly interwoven into the narrative, and some became identified with a specific character: Stacy: Jackson Browne's "Somebody's Baby," Brad: Joe Walsh's "Waffle Stomp," Jeff Spicoli: Jimmy Buffett's "I Don't Know (Spicoli's Theme)," and Linda: The Cars' "Moving in Stereo."

On a budget of $4.5 million, the cultural touchstone film defied low expectations and grossed over $27 million - a substantial total. One of its major poster taglines was: "At Ridgemont High, Only the Rules Get Busted!" Although originally rated by the MPAA with an X-rating, it was revised to an R-rating after Heckerling shortened the film's major sex deflowering pool-house scene and trimmed a brief instance of full-frontal male nudity (the director wanted it to depict both sexes equally). See Sex in Films for uncensored version:

• the popular early 80s film followed the exploits of a number of San Fernando Valley (CA) HS students in and out of the classroom, including these very relatable and identifiable characters:
  • Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a virginal, introverted and naive 15 year-old sophomore, sexually-inexperienced but curious, who believed in storybook romance; she worked in the Ridgemont Mall at Perry's Pizza Parlor
  • Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates), Stacy's 17 year-old senior friend and her more experienced and out-spoken sexual-mentor and co-worker at Perry's Pizza at the Ridgemont Center Mall; slightly air-headed; involved in a relationship with an older man named Doug (who worked for the airlines in Chicago)
  • Brad Hamilton (Judge Reinhold), Stacy's semi-nerdy older brother - a senior, working at All-American Burger, who has an unfulfilled crush on Linda, while involved in a long-term relationship with co-worker/girlfriend Lisa
  • Mark "Rat" Ratner (Brian Backer), a sophomore, and a movie-theatre usher at the Ridgemont Mall, who was Stacy's off-and-on eventual boyfriend
  • Mike Damone (Robert Romanus), a smooth-talking, smarmy, slick hustler who was friends with Mark, and often scalped rock concert tickets to pay his rent and bills; the local 'bad-boy' senior was often a know-it-all and boastful about his sexual experiences with women
  • Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn), a sophomore, a perpetually-stoned, carefree, arcade-player, and often truant and tardy, happy-go-lucky, bleached-blonde California surfer slacker-dude (with trademark Vans sneakers, and a Colt 45 yellow T-shirt with a drunk-horse graphic) who was in constant conflict with his draconian history teacher
• in the opening title-screen montage sequence set at the Ridgemont Mall (filmed at the Sherman Oaks Galleria), Ridgemont HS teens (the film's characters) were informally introduced, to the tune of "We Got the Beat" (by The Go Go's)
• Brad Hamilton was skating through his last year at Ridgemont HS (filming was at Van Nuys HS), while working an entry level, fast-food job at All-American Burger, where his girlfriend of two years Lisa (Amanda Wyss) was also employed
• the 'worldly', experienced, sexually-outspoken high-school, liberated sexpot Linda Barrett claimed she had sex for the first time when she was 13; she often tutored co-worker Stacy about the finer points of sex
• Jeff Spicoli often arrived late at school; he tumbled out of his VW mini-van (filled with pot-smoke), and then disrupted his American history class taught by stern and exasperated Mr. Hand (Ray Walston) - and was kicked out for tardiness and for calling the teacher a "dick"

Slacker Jeff Spicoli's Arrival at School in VW Van And His First Day at School with History Teacher Mr. Hand

• one of the earliest scenes occurred in a crowded school cafeteria, when Linda demonstrated for Stacy how to perform oral sex ("blow jobs"): ("There's nothin' to it. It's so easy...Relax your throat muscles. Don't bite. And slide it in...Good. Push it slowly in and out. You got it"); the naive Stacy then asked: "When a guy has an orgasm, how much comes out?" Linda revealed her tendency to exaggerate: "A quart or so," but then claimed she was just kidding

Linda's Lesson - With a Carrot

• the lecherous, boasting, ticket-scalper Mike Damone spoke to inexperienced and shy movie-theater usher Mark "Rat" Ratner who was secretly in love with Stacy, emphasizing to him that he must have attitude:
  • "The attitude dictates that you don't care whether she comes, stays, lays, or prays. I mean whatever happens, your toes are still tappin'. Now when you got that, then you have the attitude."
• during the chronicling of one school year, the virginal but curious Stacy was sexually taken advantage of twice; there were two uncomfortable, awkward and devastating scenes of Stacy's sexual initiation - to "cure" her of her virginity; both times were highlighted by Jackson Browne's "Somebody's Baby":
  • in the first instance, a night scene in a dilapidated softball dugout at the Point, Stacy had snuck out for a date with older 26 year-old Pacific Stereo audio consultant Ron Johnson (D. W. Brown) whom she had met at her job at Perry's Pizza; he asked: "Am I gonna get to first base?" and then wondered if the innocent-looking Stacy was really 19 years old as she claimed; Stacy was painfully and uncomfortably deflowered in the field's dugout; from her point of view, Stacy looked up at the graffiti-covered ("SURF NAZIS") concrete walls during intercourse - the words would become her indelible memory of the distressful incident; the next day at school, she shared the experience with Linda ("I like Ron. But it hurts so bad"), who responded: "Don't worry. Keep doing it, it gets a lot better, I swear"; although she received a bouquet of red flowers from Ron, he didn't keep in contact with her, and Linda comforted her friend at Perry's Pizza parlor where they worked in the Ridgemont Mall: "It's his loss"

Stacy Having Sex in a Dugout with Older Audio Consultant Ron Johnson
Linda to Stacy: "Don't worry. Keep doing it, it gets a lot better, I swear"

• in early scenes during his work at the All-American Burger joint, Brad contemplated ending his long-term, two year relationship with his co-worker girlfriend Lisa so that he could experience "freedom" in his senior year: ("I just feel like I need my freedom now, you know?"); when he began to discuss things with her on the job, she told him: "I don't want to have to use sex as a tool, Brad," and then refused to talk any further: "I don't want to talk about it here"; he practiced delivering a speech to Lisa in the rest-room
• after three weeks in Mr. Hand's class, when Spicoli was late again, Mr. Hand asked him: "Why do you shamelessly waste my time like this?"; Spicoli said he didn't know; Mr. Hand used his response for a lesson written on the chalkboard: "I Don't Know"
• in a dream-fantasy sequence, Jeff gave a surfing interview to sportscaster Stu Nahan (as Himself) including his fantasy dream of glory and fame as a championship-winning, world-class surfer - while surrounded by two bikinied Playmate babes (Ava Lazar and Lori Sutton); Jeff delivered his answer to the question: "When you get out there, do you ever fear for your life?":
  • "Well Stu, I'll tell ya, surfing's not a sport, it's a way of life. No hobby. It's a way of lookin' at that wave and sayin', 'Hey bud, let's party! Ha, ha, ha'."
• after being fired from his job by his manager Dennis Taylor (Tom Nolan) at All-American Burger for poor customer service, after Brad used profanity and threatened violence against a complaining patron (who demanded a refund for allegedly under-cooked food), he felt that his life was crumbling around him; during a basketball game, he confided in Lisa that he actually really needed her, but she reversed things on him and dumped him; she told him exactly what he had been planning to tell her: "And I think we owe it to ourselves to be free, to go out with other people. I still want to be friends"
• after Mark made a date to take out his crush Stacy, Mike offered "for free" his 'five-point plan' to inexperienced Mark, about how to successfully make-out and score with girls - by plaing side one of :
  • "All right, now pay attention. First of all, Rat, you never let on how much you like a girl. 'Oh, Debbie. Hi.' Two, you always call the shots. 'Kiss me. You won't regret it.' Now three, act like wherever you are, that's the place to be. 'Isn't this great?' Four, when ordering food, you find out what she wants, then order for the both of ya. It's a classy move. 'Now, the lady will have the linguini and white clam sauce, and a Coke with no ice.' And five, now this is the most important, Rat. When it comes down to makin' out, whenever possible, put on side one of Led Zeppelin IV."
• however, soon after, Mark was driving and taking Stacy on their first date; he was playing "Kashmir" on his car stereo to impress Stacy, per Mike's advice [Note: Mark was mistaken - the song "Kashmir" was not on the Led Zeppelin IV album, but on Physical Graffiti.]
• at a German restaurant, Mark disastrously forgot his wallet; later in Stacy's bedroom after she had changed into a white robe, Stacy made an attempt at seducing him and partially succeeded when they kissed, but then - feeling fearful and awkward since she was in control - he shyly and abruptly claimed that he had to leave; she assumed that he had no interest in her and explained the aborted experience to Linda: "I made the first move, I made the second move. I made a complete jerk out of myself, is what I did"; when Linda suggested that she date someone older, Stacy admitted: "But I was really beginning to like him"
• Brad acquired another job at Captain Hook's Fish & Chips, but hated work (later, he quit this second job due to his disgust for wearing the required silly pirate uniform)
• Linda was sunbathing at Stacy's house swimming pool, where she claimed that she always climaxed with her older boyfriend Doug: "He's no high-school boy"; they were joined by Mike and Mark; when Stacy's depressed and dejected brother, senior-year student Brad came home and saw Linda and Stacy at the pool, he retreated to the house
• in the film's most memorable fantasy, slow-motion sequence (to the tune of The Cars' hit "Moving in Stereo"), Linda was mentally disrobed when Brad imagined the emergence of Linda speaking seductively to him: "Hi, Brad! You know how cute I always thought you were"; she slowly opened and shed her bright red-bikini top from the middle as she walked over to Brad and toplessly kissed him; the scene has regularly been voted as one of the sexiest scenes ever filmed in the 80s - and of all-time
• it was actually revealed that Brad was spying through the nearby pool-side bathroom window and fantasizing about Linda while pleasuring himself. In reality, she dove into the pool, got water in her ear, and went to look for Q-tips in the pool-side bathroom to remove the water. She barged into the bathroom and was shocked to catch Brad pleasuring himself; humiliated, he asked himself after his privacy was invaded: ("Jeez. Doesn't anybody f--king knock anymore?")

Brad's Pool Party Fantasy Scene with Linda (Phoebe Cates) - To the Tune of "Moving in Stereo" by The Cars

• there were further encounters in Mr. Hand's history class during the film; after Spicoli ordered a double cheese and sausage pizza delivered to his desk by "Pizza Guy" delivery man (Taylor Negron) during a class lecture, the incident caused major outrage: (Mr. Hand: "Am I hallucinating here? Just what in the hell do you think you're doing?" - Spicoli's laid-back response: "Learning about Cuba, and having some food"); Mr. Hand confiscated the pizza pie and shared some of the pieces with other students: ("Mr. Spicoli has been kind enough to bring us a snack. Be my guest. Help yourselves")
• Stacy's 2nd painful and quick impregnation was by lecherous Mike Damone in her own poolhouse's changing room when she invited him in for iced tea and a swim; after he kissed her and she was complimented, "You're really a good kisser," she asked: "You want to take off your clothes, Mike?" He responded: "You first." She decided: "Both of us at the same time." After stripping off her top and her panties and lying down on a sofa, he laid on top of her and quickly and prematurely climaxed during love-less sex, causing her to ask: "Are you OK?" He said he had come ("I think I came, didn't you feel it?"), then hurriedly dressed and left ("See ya!") as she sat up and looked bewildered, used, unsatisfied and hurt
• the next day, Stacy unabashedly lied to Linda (as they both sliced a large phallic-shaped slab of salami) about how long Damone took to orgasm: "15 to 20 minutes." She was assured when Linda said: "That's not bad for a high school boy"
• however, intercourse had resulted in Stacy's pregnancy, and Mike had no interest in taking responsibility: "It was your idea. You wanted to do it. You wanted it more than I did"; Stacy arranged for a quick abortion at the Free Clinic for $150, but Mike reneged on splitting the fee ($150 dollars) with her and on offering her a ride; he was unsupportive toward Stacy and completely abandoned her
• in the film's minor sub-plot, Stacy was able to talk her brother into taking her to a bowling alley (close to the clinic) and after the procedure, he became suspicious ("Since when do you go bowling anyway?"), but promised not to tell their parents; to retaliate against Mike on Stacy's behalf, Linda spray-painted "Prick" on his car door and marked his school locker with "Little" Prick
• at the end of the school year, on the night of the HS graduation dance, Mr. Hand surprised malingering Spicoli by calling on him at home while he was lying in bed and getting high (with his room decorated with Playboy centerfolds) - to discuss "in great detail the Davis Agreement, all the associated treaties, and the American Revolution in particular"; his scheme was to vengefully compensate for 8 hours of wasted and lost history class time during the school year, and to delay Jeff from attending the dance

Mr. Hand's Final Class Lesson with Jeff In His Bedroom

Stacy to Linda: "I want a relationship. I want romance"

Stacy Showing Romantic Interest in Mark Ratner

• after Stacy's unfortunate dual experiences with sex, she explained at work to Linda how she wanted a relationship with romance: ("Linda, I finally figured it out. I don't want sex. Anyone can have sex. I want a relationship. I want romance."); Linda advised: "You want romance? In Ridgemont? We can't even get cable TV here, Stacy, and you want romance!"; to the tune of the Tymes" So Much In Love," Stacy waved and summoned nerdy Mark Ratner, across the way at the theater, to come over so she could give him a picture to remind him of her during the summer; as she was called away, she quickly kissed him; the film implied that she would soon have the possibility of fulfilling her wish; the epilogue mentioned that she and Rat were "having a passionate love affair --- but still haven't gone all the way"
• in the film's final scene, Brad was employed at Mi-T-Mart (a convenience store), where Spicoli entered (wearing his yellow Colt 45 T-shirt) as a customer and vowed he didn't need work: "All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine"; while Jeff was using the store's bathroom, Brad foiled an armed robbery heist committed by a thief (James Russo) by tossing a pot of hot coffee into his face, retrieving the gun, and holding the man at gunpoint - and thus became a hero in Spicoli's eyes: ("Awesome! Totally awesome!")
• in the film's postscript, inspired by the ending of American Graffiti (1968), the futures of each of the principal characters was described:
  • Brad was appointed the manager of the Mi-T-Mart
  • Mike Damone was busted for scalping Ozzy Osbourne tickets, and now worked at 7-11
  • Ridgemont HS science teacher Mr. Vargas (Vincent Schiavelli) switched back to coffee
  • Linda was attending college in Riverside, while living with an older man - her Abnormal Psych Professor
  • Rat and Stacy were having a passionate love affair, but still hadn't gone "all the way"
  • Mr. Hand was convinced that everyone was on dope
  • Spicoli saved Brooke Shields from drowning, but wasted his reward on Van Halen to play for his birthday party
• after the Mi-T-Mart and various shops in the mall were being closed down for the night and lights were extinguished, the words "THE END" were seen on Atari's 1980 Missile Command video arcade screen; "Goodbye, Goodbye" by Oingo Boingo was played during the scrolling of the end credits