Growing Up Too Fast
Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Universal Pictures (1982). Image by Nick M.W.
By R. J. F.
Fast Times At Ridgemont High defines what it’s like to be in high school in the 80s.
Before there was a genre called “raunchy teen movies”, there was Fast Times at Ridgemont High (FTARH). Even though it’s considered a comedy, and there are plenty of funny scenes, it also captures what it’s like to be a teenager. Every moment of figuring out who you are, pining after someone who just could care less about your affections, shitty afterschool and weekend jobs, fake friends, real friends, and everything in between, FTARH touches upon the terrible and painful growing pains that every teenager goes through. In the aftermath, this movie has become iconic.
FTARH is known for having some of the most recognizable scenes from a teen movie. One scene, in particular, has spawned a lot of discussion over the years. Phoebe Cates, who plays Linda, is a total babe, a real dude magnet. Judge Reinhold, who plays Brad, is obsessed with Linda, but he’s just some guy who is easily overlooked; he’s not even a blip on Linda’s radar.
The scene in question revolves around Brad spying on Linda in her bikini, then drifting off into his fantasy world where she seductively gets out of the pool and shows him her breasts. Did I forget to mention that while he’s spying on her and fantasizing about her, he’s jacking off? A lot of people point to this scene as part of their sexual awakening, citing Cates as a goddess. Some people can relate to this scene because Brad gets caught rubbing one out by the object of his desire. Other people have debated on whether Brad is a creep or not because of his masturbating while being within fairly close proximity to Linda. Either way you look at it, this is definitely not your John Hughes territory.
The most well-known and remembered character in this movie is Jeff Spicoli, played by Sean Penn. This is the role that launched Penn into the spotlight as he played a super stoner surfer dude. Anyone that has seen this movie can never forget the infamous scene where Spicoli has a pizza delivered to his classroom, only to have the pizza intercepted by his most-hated teacher, who then gives away slices of the ‘za to everyone but Spicoli. This is obviously before the days of secure campuses because, as a teacher, I would love it if I could get some pizza delivered to my classroom in the middle of the day.
The thing I always think about is how Penn did a complete 180º with the characters he’s played in the last 40 years or more since his role in FTARH. Spicoli made him famous, but it’s almost like Penn turned his back on playing any more comedic characters. I guess he could’ve ridden the Spicoli wave longer and done comedy after comedy, but that’s not the path he chose. In the end, we have a glimpse of one of the most celebrated modern dramatic actors in a role that was totally tubular.
Even though this movie is mostly comedic, it takes a serious turn when Jennifer Jason Leigh’s character, Stacy, gives it up to Mike, a guy she’s been trying to get to notice her for what seems like forever. She ends up getting pregnant and choosing to have an abortion. Stacy is just a kid in high school who thought that Mike had true emotions for her, but he just wanted to get laid. Had Richard “The Night Stalker” Ramirez made his rounds 10 years before the release of this movie, Robert Romanus, who portrays Mike, could’ve played him in a made-for-television movie. But, I digress; back to the seriousness. I can’t think of any other teen comedy that tackled abortion. Do movies like this cover awkward, teenage sex? Yes. Do they have the female character get pregnant and have an abortion? Hell no. I find this especially relevant now more than ever because of what’s currently going on with the taking away of women’s healthcare rights. I find it kind of refreshing that audiences were shown this kind of storyline, especially because we look back at previous eras as being more conservative than the one we are currently living in.
A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that my local theater was going to have a one night screening of FTARH. I was not able to make it, but I would be curious to know how many people went to that screening. I think this film lives in the minds of people who have seen it as a pivotal teenage movie, one that defines what it’s like to be a kid in high school, especially if you grew up in the early 80s.
Although it’s categorized as a comedy, I think it’s more than that, I think it’s a film that many adults can watch and say, “God, I remember a kid like that!”, or, “Man, I totally know what that feels like.” because of how honestly it represents all the wonderful and horrendous moments of being a teen, which I think we all can agree we never want to revisit again.
