Movie Flashback: Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Another 80′s classic!

Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 Comedy.

The film was written by Cameron Crowe and is based on the 1981 book of the same name. Crowe was a freelance writer for Rolling Stone Magazine and had gone undercover at a San Diego High School. He then wrote of his experiences in the book.

Crowe went on to be a successful screenwriter and Director, having done films such as “Say Anything“, “Jerry Maguire“, “Vanilla Sky“, “Almost Famous” and others.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High starred:

Sean Penn – Jeff Spicoli
Jennifer Jason Leigh – Stacy Hamilton
Judge Reinhold – Brad Hamilton
Robert Romanus – Mike Damone
Brian Backer – Mark Ratner
Phoebe Cates – Linda Barrett
Ray Walston – Mr. Hand
Forrest Whitaker – Charles Jefferson
Eric Stoltz – Stoner Bud
Anthony Edwards – Stoner Bud
Nicolas Cage – Brad’s Bud (Billed as Nicolas Coppola)
Nancy Wilson – Beautiful girl in car

The teen comedy featured three actors that would later go on to win Academy Awards for Best Actor later in their careers…

Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas)
Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)
Sean Penn (Mystic River, Milk)

The high school featured in the film was Van Nuys High School in Van Nuys, California.

The mall featured in the film is the Sherman Oaks Galleria.

Entertainment Weekly Magazine ranked it as the #2 High School Comedy of All-Time.

Nancy Wilson, of the rock group “Heart“, has a cameo as “Beautiful girl in car”. She has been married to Cameron Crowe since 1986 and was his girlfriend at the time the film was being made.

Actress Lana Clarkson has a tiny role as “Mrs. Vargas”. She was the actress found dead in the mansion of music producer Phil Spector. Spector was tried for murder and was convicted after a long trial in 2009.

Those considered for the role of Stacy, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh, included Brooke Shields, Ellen Barkin, Diane Lane, and Jodie Foster.

Other’s considered for the role of Linda, played by Phoebe Cates, included Melanie Griffith, Justine Bateman, and Tatum O’Neal.

Other actors that auditioned for roles in the film included Mathew Broderick, Michelle Pfeiffer, Geena Davis, Rosanna Arquette, and Ally Sheedy.

The film was directed by first-time director Amy Heckerling. She would later go on to direct films such as “Look Who’s Talking“, “Clueless“, and “European Vacation“, among many others.

The music playing in the infamous “Pool Scene” is “Moving in Stereo” by The Cars.

The pool scene is the top reason on why most American Men over the age of 40 will still refuse to wear a Pirate Costume, no matter the occasion.

Stacy’s character works at “Perry’s Pizza” in the mall. Jennifer Jason Leigh herself worked at Perry’s Pizza prior to landing her role in the film.

This is THE HIGH SCHOOL movie of All-Time in my book. I was a Senior in High School when this flick came out and it captured that era perfectly. Due to the influence of Jeff Spicoli, I still use the words “Dude“, and “Awesome“, on a daily basis. Who would have ever thought that the unknown kid playing Spicoli….would go on to win Two Oscars for Best Actor.

Only in Hollywood!