Gen Z Reviews Classic Movies | 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High': Sean Penn-starrer sex comedy is a drab affair
If raunchy movies aren't your cup of tea, then 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' may be somewhat of an uncomfortable movie experience. However, if that kind of film is exactly what you go for, then it is likely to quickly bore you once Sean Penn's stoner surfer impression stops being funny. 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' is a forgettable movie that has little going on for it besides its early appearances of some of Hollywood's greatest actors, and impossible to get through without having to tell yourself that "it was a different time" at least every other scene.
Though the Amy Heckerling-directed film came out in 1975, it has a lot more in common with '90s high school films that glorified the partying, drugs, and sexually active lifestyles of what was assumed to be the average American teenager. There is a lot of uncomfortable sexuality going on and although the actors themselves were all above 18 for the film, they're nearly all meant to be playing 14-15-year-olds. There is a lot of nudity taking place between lukewarm comedy about high school life, the kind of scenes you'd see play out on the less interesting SNL skits.
While the film may have been sold as one starring Sean Penn as Jeff Spicoli, Jeff is more of a minor character with the single gag of always being stoned, late for class, and extremely reluctant to wear a shirt. It's fascinating to see a Sean Penn this young the first time it happens, worth a chuckle when his surfer bro accent comes into play, and a boring retread by the third scene he's in.
Much more importance in the film is given to Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a girl who goes on a journey of sexual exploration that leads to her realizing that she wants romance, not sex, after an encounter forces her to have an abortion. Interspersed with her story are scenes involving other high schoolers at Ridgemont High as they deal with after-school jobs, how to talk to girls, and what drag classes are. Aside from the nudity and Jeff Spicoli's one-note character, the movie doesn't have a lot going on for it. There are one or two rare moments of charm that crop up in moments you least expected them to, but they're quickly drowned out by the bland, low-brow humor that makes up the rest of the movie.
High school films and TV series have never stopped being a source of fascination for America, and there's no end to the variety of films and shows that have come out in the years since. This film may feature the first appearance of Forest Whittaker, who plays a jock that gets angry when his car is smashed and not much else, as well as Nicholas Cage as an extra you wouldn't recognize even if you were looking for him. 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' is definitely a product of its time and the past is where it deserves to stay.