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Fast Times at Ridgemont High
1982
Comedy, Drama
1h 30m
Follows a group of high school students growing up in southern California, based on the real-life adventures chronicled by Cameron Crowe. Stacy Hamilton and Mark Ratner are looking for a love interest, and are helped along by their older classmates, Linda Barrett and Mike Damone, respectively. The center of the film is held by Jeff Spicoli, a perpetually stoned surfer dude who faces off with the resolute Mr. Hand, who is convinced that everyone is on dope. (imdb)
Directed by:
Amy HeckerlingScreenwriter:
Cameron CroweFast Times at Ridgemont High
1982
Comedy, Drama
1h 30m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 53.26% from 3669 total ratings
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Rated 28 Jul 2019
85
83rd
Pavlov'd me so well that anytime I hear Jackson Brown's "Somebody's Baby" I immediately start wincing because something awful is about to happen to Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Rated 28 Jul 2019
Rated 02 Feb 2021
85
92nd
Rewatch. Definitive '80s high school comedy includes the negative consequences of sex (sort of). Sean Penn is prominently featured but I found his character annoying. Judge Reinhold was much more relatable and a better protagonist. Jennifer Jason Leigh looked really young. I liked that we skimmed many aspects of Hollywood high school life. My problem is that I'm blending parodies with the source. Fav scenes: Phoebe Cates' signature scene, but Backer confronting Romanus is great too.
Rated 02 Feb 2021
Rated 05 Mar 2010
85
94th
Convinced that 'The Breakfast Club' was the best teen movie of the 80s (the kids in 'Stand by Me' were younger, right?), this came as a great surprise to me. I wonder if Crowe made cliffnotes in his favorite script of mine for musical cues. Together with Heckerling he completely nails high school in a way I have seldomly seen onscreen (Linklater's 'Dazed and Confused' deserves mention) and their ensemble cast act out situation upon situation which are both familiar and fresh. Absolutely amazing.
Rated 05 Mar 2010
Rated 08 Feb 2008
91
94th
Rated 07 Feb 2007
73
64th
Maybe not the best movie ever made, but you know what, its a cult favorite among everybody. Any teenager who has seen this movie can instantly connect to one of the characters. A really fun and enjoyable film.
Rated 07 Feb 2007
Rated 02 Aug 2023
90
62nd
An actually relatable high school movie! It will always feel like it was made in 1982, but the dialogue and characters are still so relevant and realistic all these years later. I don’t know that you’d have a much different movie had this exact script been produced today. Everyone is handled with so much nuance, and Heckerling’s directing is gentle and clever, but the screenplay never forgets to be raunchy and hilarious in all of the right places. I loved the characters and laughed quite often!
Rated 02 Aug 2023
Rated 12 Aug 2019
90
87th
This film has aged very well. It wasn't terribly well received in it's day, mostly, I would say, because it's has a fairly formless, episodic plot and balances at least two tones quite precariously. You have to live with a film like this for quite some time to notice how well it does what it does. It's both a fairly raunchy comedy and a pretty realistic examination of some dark topics. It balances this well.
Rated 12 Aug 2019
Rated 15 Sep 2011
59
62nd
Stupid, silly, and enjoyable. If you can survive the initial overwhelming wave of pure 80-ness, you'll have a good time; the character ensemble is broad enough that you should identify with at least one of them.
Rated 15 Sep 2011
Rated 18 May 2008
83
83rd
Wacky, funny, and all around fun. The best part of this movie is Sean Penn's character--he should have done more like this.
Rated 18 May 2008
Rated 14 Aug 2007
8
93rd
Classic, if more dated than most of John Hughes' work. I like the comedic parts a lot more today than the occasionally melodramatic darker parts. Sean Penn is classic, as is the Phoebe Cates nude scene.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
89th
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a hilarious and realistic look at high-school times and how awkward they are. The deeper themes are well presented, and the lighter ones, like employment for high-school kids and history class, are funny and easy to relate to even decades later. Awesome!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 15 Jan 2022
85
81st
Made before language changed into what it is today, meaning it is less politically correct. I actually enjoyed that. Jokes that may not have been funny then to me (if I was alive) are funnier today because we don't get to hear it much. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this and how much I cared about certain characters. It just never stops throwing stuff at the viewer and while it doesn't all connect, the misses didn't really matter much to me. I understand the iconic status.
Rated 15 Jan 2022
Rated 10 Sep 2021
85
76th
The characters are great and cast excellently. I really appreciate just how direct and upfront Crowe wrote the screenplay. Especially the way he tackles certain themes and subject matter that usually receive more overly sensitive treatment. Also the "where are they now" epilogue was a surprisingly perfect summation for each character. Still I think the screenplay could have benefited from one more pass. The Run time could have been longer and overall the jokes could have used some punching up.
Rated 10 Sep 2021
Rated 16 Nov 2020
95
96th
Perhaps, the first and last time Sean Penn was funny. I guess him writing that novel is funny, but not in the way he intends.
Rated 16 Nov 2020
Rated 08 Jul 2014
70
72nd
Rated 20 Jun 2011
60
42nd
It's great to see something that so clearly has inspired other youth films in recent decades. It's quite funny, but only Sean Penn is really funny. Unlike the new youth film, though, FTARH doesn't hesitate to make young people drink, fornicate and smoke the weed in a van on schoolday mornings. Like people do in real life. Modern films tend to drag everything to the end, only focusing on that precious first f*ck - FTARH is a bit more realistic on that account.
Rated 20 Jun 2011
Rated 30 May 2010
60
54th
I sometimes wake up screaming - it happens quite often - and realize that they didn't do the movie, with just sean penn in it.
Rated 30 May 2010
Rated 10 Jan 2010
40
33rd
Rated 14 Aug 2007
1
6th
An unfunny, uncreative, mediocre piece of shit. Just about every cliche you can think of is unironically packed into this movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
84th
Phoebe Cates = best topless scene EVER.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 18 Mar 2007
77
54th
Really important movie to teen comedies. That being said, it's not perfect by any means.
Rated 18 Mar 2007
Rated 07 Apr 2024
68
88th
"Fast Times at Ridgemont High" vividly portrays high school life in the early '80s, capturing the diverse cliques and stereotypes among students and adults. This expertly crafted journey into the past stands as a genuine classic. Moreover, its soundtrack perfectly complements the film, enhancing the overall experience.
Rated 07 Apr 2024
Rated 20 Jan 2024
75
56th
I have mixed feelings about the high school nostalgia films from this period, but this is a pretty fun one. The cast is likable and it's often fun. Penn's Spicoli is the highlight, as you'd expect from the film's reputation. I don't know that it's something I'll remember all that well, but it's an enjoyable time.
Rated 20 Jan 2024
Rated 28 Nov 2023
71
57th
The intro rivals freaks and geeks where you’re able to capture the vastness of the school experience but focuses in on key character and themes within two or so minutes time (aka the length of American girl). Theres some decent laughs and it doesn’t hurt to have JJL anchoring your teen movie. Making it quite warm and endearing even if the struggles she’s going thru are much more difficult than what’s on the surface. Her relationship with Reinhold in particular was v sweet
Rated 28 Nov 2023
Rated 21 Nov 2023
4
51st
Loved the opening scene set to American Girl. A fun watch for sure filled with a palpable energy but does any of this feel all that relatable? Get this feeling it’s regarded as such when everything works out a little too serenely for my taste. No one has to fucking die or anything but I could use a little more depth. Dazed and confused it is not in that department.
Rated 21 Nov 2023
Rated 06 Aug 2023
9
22nd
People think that those of us who lived through the 1980s loved the big movies; the answer is NO, we saw them as being as plastic and crowd-pandering as the shopping malls or Wall Street jobs. This film is the usual fedposted LARP of being anti-establishment that basically confirms the System view that everyone is a sick whore who needs to be controlled to pacify them lest anyone discover reality. No hope here, and really, kind of a tedious, gross, and sweaty movie.
Rated 06 Aug 2023
Rated 11 Apr 2023
60
35th
Eh. It's okay, but incredibly forgettable. Some of the characters feel very weak and stereotypical - but the heavy topics are dealt with pretty well.
Rated 11 Apr 2023
Rated 22 Feb 2023
6
43rd
Tackles teenage sex in a realistic way, so stands the test of time as a reflection of the 1980’s. It is a little clunky standing between a comedy and a drama but maybe that is the teenage experience.
Rated 22 Feb 2023
Rated 22 Feb 2023
60
69th
Enjoyable throughout, like the original "American Pie". Must have made quite the impression in '82.
Rated 22 Feb 2023
Rated 19 Feb 2023
3
65th
Decent coming-of-age story. Many of the nuances of teenage romance are spot on.
Rated 19 Feb 2023
Rated 31 Jan 2023
65
86th
#23#, [Uncut], rw3, popcorn, "Project 100-80-60-40-20"-1982#2, oldies(3) }*{ #80s#, popcorn, story
Rated 31 Jan 2023
Rated 22 Oct 2022
60
8th
A scummy guy fucks his good friend's girl, gets her pregnant, and doesn't show up to take her to the abortion clinic. No comeuppance, no shame... just forgiveness for him? Ridiculous. Sean Penn vs Mr. Hand was mildly entertaining, but his character was very annoying.
Rated 22 Oct 2022
Rated 08 Sep 2022
80
42nd
At the time, it was hilarious. Doubt it would hold up today.
Rated 08 Sep 2022
Rated 29 Jul 2022
65
48th
watching this for the first time on its 40th anniversary, it becomes clear how influential it's not only on the genre but also on the filmmakers who were among the target audience at the time of its release. you can see linklater and pta (as he himself tells this in the q&a) in there- or how bill & ted is based on sean penn character here. it's a fun movie that probably redefined the genre, but beyond that, it's just okay. or maybe it's too american for my taste.
Rated 29 Jul 2022
Rated 27 Feb 2022
56
32nd
i just didnt like it as much as other 80' films
Rated 27 Feb 2022
Rated 20 Aug 2021
66
70th
There's something endearing about Fast Times at Ridgemont High, as it straddles the line between 80's bravado & somewhat authentic characters. The plot is neither deep nor complex, but manages to capture the darker trials & tribulations of high-schoolers. Leigh, Cates, Reinhold & Romanus do most of the heavy lifting. Cage & Whitaker's brief appearances were fun. Penn is a little much. Most of the comedic moments land, but the film works because its the right balance of fun, sweet & cringe.
Rated 20 Aug 2021
Rated 02 Aug 2021
5
24th
Rated 19 Mar 2021
81
79th
Sean Penn won 3 Oscars for his role in this.
Rated 19 Mar 2021
Rated 26 Aug 2020
83
97th
Really entertaining flick that is quite funny at times and moves along at a good pace. There are a few really memorable scenes and many young actors who went on to established careers after this.
Rated 26 Aug 2020
Rated 08 Aug 2020
50
30th
Penn is as unlikeable as Reinhold is likeable. Great soundtrack, okay film.
Rated 08 Aug 2020
Rated 12 Apr 2020
70
46th
Rated 23 Oct 2019
97
92nd
One of the best raunchy comedies of the 80s, Fast Times is incredibly quotable and endearing. The titillation is also top-tier and still holds up even in the internet age, if you're into that kinda thing.
Rated 23 Oct 2019
Rated 12 Jul 2019
60
12th
Has some fun characters and it is obvious the amount of influence it has had on later movies in the genre, but it has not stood the test of the time. The acting is often bad and the direction is clunky.
Rated 12 Jul 2019
Rated 25 Mar 2018
90
93rd
Theygotthebeat!+pennextrabeavislmao+gumLOL+iwishhighschoolthislive+bangolderguyoutsidelol+mrhandsuchadickLOL+thoseguysarefags!LOL+nerdpussyoutbanginher-thinkshedontlikeher+specolicrash-dontworryuncletvrepairlmao+babe-caughtjackinlol+specoliorderpizzainclasslmao-ourtime+friendbangher-cumrightawaylol+LOLshereallypreg+hepussyouttakinherabortion-brosees+wooliebully!
Rated 25 Mar 2018
Rated 24 May 2017
70
56th
There are enough characters that it's hard not to relate to at least one of them. It helps that, barring a few examples, it doesn't fall into stereotype territory too terribly for the characters or story. I expected to like it more than I did when I saw it, but I do have the feeling I would like it more on a rewatch.
Rated 24 May 2017
Rated 28 Dec 2016
80
62nd
Rated 21 Apr 2016
60
45th
60 points for Penn alone, couldn't really care less for the rest
Rated 21 Apr 2016
Rated 28 Nov 2015
100
92nd
This sums up my high school experience. Only without Phoebe Cates.
Rated 28 Nov 2015
Rated 02 Nov 2015
88
57th
Your normal 80s romp. Great fun. Sean Penn holds the whole movie together.
Rated 02 Nov 2015
Rated 14 May 2015
65
48th
Impressive performance by Nicholas Cage
Rated 14 May 2015
Rated 24 Aug 2014
66
68th
Enough weird and charming moments to secure the reputation as one of the better high school comedies. Plenty of terrible acting.
Rated 24 Aug 2014
Rated 06 Jun 2014
87
58th
I wonder what happened to Nicolas Coppola
Rated 06 Jun 2014
Rated 26 Aug 2013
70
57th
The acting was impressive and it was funny, but the plot seemed random, and having so many main characters hindered the potential for character development.
Rated 26 Aug 2013
Rated 27 Jun 2013
52
42nd
A sort of independent teen comedy with lots of now-famous names attached to it. It feels fresh and good natured compared to both modern and it's contemporary films of this genre. It has many good things going for it, but it feels dull. I would hardly consider it worthy of cult status.
Rated 27 Jun 2013
Rated 18 Mar 2013
69
49th
It was kind of weird seeing actors like Sean Penn and Nicolas Coppola cast in this movie. It's a pretty entertaining little assembly of sometimes-interconnecting stories, but I think one of the biggest flaws is that it sometimes tries to mix tones, with pretty awkward results. A scene of a stoner burnout guy having pizza delivered to the classroom kind of clashes with a scene about a girl getting an abortion.
Rated 18 Mar 2013
Rated 03 Mar 2013
88
81st
oooooohh gnarly
Rated 03 Mar 2013
Rated 28 Dec 2012
60
62nd
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a very easy watch, one that has difficulty riling anyone up. You can put it on and shut off your brain, enjoying it for the simple experience that it is. It has a fun cast of characters, it treats everyone with respect, and it rises above a lot of other teen flicks as a result. It could have done with tighter editing and possibly the removal of one or two goofy skits, but on the whole, it's a fun and easy watch.
Rated 28 Dec 2012
Rated 19 Dec 2012
40
7th
Nothing went anywhere and then it ended.
Rated 19 Dec 2012
Rated 22 Nov 2012
92
86th
Infectiously good-natured teen comedy; bests most of the 'frat house' comedies churned out in the 80s by placing lovable, believable characters in the midst of a screenplay which intelligently examines the teen experience circa 1982. Eclectic cast of future stars and 80s burn-outs are all terrific, with Reinhold's portrait of delusion and Leigh's good-girl-gone-bad the highlights, though film is stolen by Penn's out of character turn as a goofy stoner; his ongoing war with Walston is priceless!
Rated 22 Nov 2012
Rated 04 Nov 2012
5
38th
Very accurately captures an era (I'm told). Otherwise it has quickly become dated and irrelevant. A lot of the humour is also simply not my thing.
Rated 04 Nov 2012
Rated 18 Jun 2012
72
36th
Very over-rated
Rated 18 Jun 2012
Rated 25 Mar 2012
75
51st
Enjoyable movie. Very breezy. It truly lives up to its name; scene after scene, the story plays like a teenage highlight reel. It was very funny and enjoyable watching a young Sean Penn.
Rated 25 Mar 2012
Rated 18 Feb 2012
82
91st
I'd watched this many times in my high school and college years, but recently gave this a revisit. There's a lot that I appreciate that I didn't before, and it's just as funny as ever. Its reputation as a classic of the teen genre is well deserved.
Rated 18 Feb 2012
Rated 17 Feb 2012
71
75th
It's more a tale about teen discoveries and all the fragility of these personal journeys -- virginity, career, relationships -- than the expected raunchy sex comedy. Sean Penn, as this tanned, hey-wanna-get-high? dude, is genius: I mean, he can order some pizza and learn about Cuba at the same time. This is classy.
Rated 17 Feb 2012
Rated 23 Jan 2012
75
60th
It has its moments. Love the 80s vibe.
Rated 23 Jan 2012
Rated 06 Oct 2011
62
17th
Surprisingly upfront about sex for the time. It's pretty cheesy, but it's got a heart and there's a lot of fun to be had spotting so many actors in early roles.
Rated 06 Oct 2011
Rated 15 Sep 2011
60
32nd
It's lodged firmly in dramedy limbo, in need of a focus, an angle, or at least a gimmick. There's a car wreck, a shitty fast food job, swimming pool hijinks, an abortion. The usual bad decisions are made and things turn out neither for better nor for worse. And the scholastic activities depicted are wearyingly unrealistic: the Platt amendment? Up close and personal with cadavers? Did Crowe ever actually attend a public school or was he born straight into college?
Rated 15 Sep 2011
Rated 03 Sep 2011
75
34th
Pretty silly stuff overall, but it's a fun way to spend 90 minutes. Rather unfocused, which kind of works in its favour. Fairly accurate as far as portraying high school life, and its 80s-ness is funny as hell.
Rated 03 Sep 2011
Rated 03 Sep 2011
87
94th
Managed to catch a midnight screening of this and it definitely improved my enjoyment of the movie. Hilarious on it's own but having a rowdy audience helps it out. I like how Nicolas Cage is the first name under "Starring", for all five seconds of screen time he has.
Rated 03 Sep 2011
Rated 28 Aug 2011
40
54th
High school sucked way more than this movie. Where were all the sexually aggressive, nerd-mounting girls during my four year stint? Nowhere, that's where.
Rated 28 Aug 2011
Rated 07 Jun 2011
93
93rd
"Aloha Mr. Hand."
Rated 07 Jun 2011
Rated 26 Mar 2011
30
23rd
Stereotypes and cliches, and more disturbing than anything else. Funniest parts were seeing a couple frames of a young nicolas cage, and what happened Sean Penn, you used to be cool :( The 5 minute bit on abortion was a highlight. "Uh oh, I'm pregnant. Guess I gotta get an abortion. ... Great, I'm done. Just don't tell my parents."
Rated 26 Mar 2011
Rated 23 Mar 2011
71
50th
Entertaining, music-filled drama. Corny, but populated by amusing characters and sometimes very sensitive in depicting their growing pains.
Rated 23 Mar 2011
Rated 11 Feb 2011
6
57th
Rated 20 Jan 2011
60
20th
This film is just good fun. It's not cinematic gold in any way, nor is it comedic gold. It's just a fun little movie that should be experienced. Sean Penn is, of course, great in this film. It's a caricature that has lived on for decades.
Rated 20 Jan 2011
Rated 07 Jan 2011
70
4th
Rated 23 Dec 2010
78
56th
Phoebe Cates +10
Rated 23 Dec 2010
Rated 23 Dec 2010
73
45th
Very good coming of age high school movie. Sean Penn totally steals the show in this
Rated 23 Dec 2010
Rated 15 Dec 2010
82
70th
A monumental film in terms of narrative dysfunction, used in appropriation. The representation of these purposely aimless lives is perfect; the audience are dared to forget context as scenes come and go and are intended to be enjoyed for what they are (identical to how the characters feel about their lives). This is most definitely evident in the last scene, one of the most perplexing, but audacious endings in cinematic history.
Rated 15 Dec 2010
Rated 21 Sep 2010
69
73rd
Completely dated now and some atrocious acting, but still has enough broad stereotypes to hit home with most viewers. A lot of recognizable faces in minor roles. Cates is drop dead gorgeous and helped many a teen in the 80's become men.
Rated 21 Sep 2010
Rated 13 Aug 2010
85
51st
The granddaddy of all teen movies. Fantastic cast with a great realistic screenplay. Lots of laughs and definitely worth a watch.
Rated 13 Aug 2010
Rated 15 Jul 2010
80
63rd
Rated 12 Jul 2010
82
68th
An entertaining early entry into the gross out teen comedy genre that would be so prevalent in years to come. Here, though, the movie actually has heart. Due to a great script, I actually cared about these characters.
Rated 12 Jul 2010
Rated 08 Jun 2010
93
90th
This movie was such a defining movie for that time. This movie is funny, touching and just like looking into a scrapbook. Its the most awkward situations you face...and done in a amusing way..
Rated 08 Jun 2010
Rated 07 Mar 2010
70
64th
Fun 80s comedy with some interesting characters.
Rated 07 Mar 2010
Rated 02 Feb 2010
50
34th
Liked it at the time, not so much now
Rated 02 Feb 2010
Rated 22 Dec 2009
80
42nd
Very entertaining youth movie.
Rated 22 Dec 2009
Rated 03 Sep 2009
42
20th
As a teen movie in the early 80s, the nudity and dialogue about sex must have rocked everyone's world at the time. Now, after a slew of American Pie-like teen comedies, Fast Times shows its age: it's tame, and unfunny. The only brilliant qualities of the film are Sean Penn and the 5-minute take on abortion (basically: "Uh oh, I'm pregnant. Guess I gotta get an abortion. ... Great, I'm done. Just don't tell my parents.")
Rated 03 Sep 2009
Rated 21 Aug 2009
95
93rd
Rated 19 Aug 2009
85
75th
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Directed by:
Amy HeckerlingScreenwriter:
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