the fresh films reviews

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Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Director:
Amy Heckerling
COUNTRY
USA
GENRE
Comedy/Drama
NORWEGIAN TITLE
Hæla i taket
RUNNING TIME
90 minutes
Producer:
Irving Azoff
Art Linson
Screenwriter (based on his novel):
Cameron Crowe


Cast includes:

CHARACTER ACTOR/ACTRESS RATING
Jeff Spicoli Sean Penn
Stacy Hamilton Jennifer Jason Leigh ½
Brad Hamilton Judge Reinhold ½
Mike Damone Robert Romanus ½
Mark Ratner Brian Backer ½
Linda Barrett Phoebe Cates ½
Mr. Hand Ray Waltson ½
Mr. Vargas Vincent Schiavelli
Charles Jefferson Forest Whitaker -
Stoner Bud Eric Stoltz
Brad's Bud Nicolas Cage

 

Review

It's hard for me to be completely objective when revisiting the beautiful stylistic mayhem that was the 1980s, like this film allows us to do. Amy Heckerling directs with ungracious vividness and creates a relentlessly funny and completely unsophisticated film from Cameron Crowe's bubbly script. It captures quite a bit of what being a youngster in the early eighties was about. And even if it does so in an uncomplicated manner, the film cares about its characters and the environments it depicts. It's a movie which feels like it's reporting from the inside – which knows and understands its characters' artless inner workings, youthful desperations and deepest secrets. And which also exposes them with total casualness. A wonderful slice of high school life, and in retrospect also a wonderful time travel. Another treat is the fine assembly of up-and-coming performers, from Jennifer Jason Leigh's alluringly reserved Stacy to Sean Penn's hilarious, over-the-top Spicoli. Great fun.

Copyright © 5.2.2005 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang [HAVE YOUR SAY]