Fast Times at Ridgemont High
The first film portraying a raunchy look at the inner dealings of high-school, including all the various cliques, moral dilemmas, sticky situations and juvenile dialogue that goes along with it. Although, it’s pretty tame compared to today’s standards. It’s shocking to see so many current well-known actors appear in such limited roles, yet each one is given enough screen time to make a lasting impression. The heavy-handed subject material can be overemphasized at times – especially noticeable when revolving around Jennifer Jason Leigh’s naive character – but Amy Heckerling injects everything with an earnest appreciation for the laws and regulations that accompany a high-school setting.
Why it should be left alone: Recapturing the film’s spirit now just wouldn’t seem plausible. We are too used to R rated teenage comedies and the filth that is dragged along with them. Phoebe Cates coming out of that pool in slow motion, had more of a mind-blowing impact for an adolescent male in the 1980s than it would have today. Nudity and the teasing of sexual content is too mainstream now, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High helped influence this to become reality.
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