Music N' More: Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Monday, June 18, 2012

Fast Times at Ridgemont High

-1982 American teen comedy written by Cameron Crowe
-Tells the story of the lives of teenagers Stacy Hamilton(Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Mark Ratner(Brian Backer), their older friends Linda Barrett(Phoebe Cates), Mike Damone(Robert Romanus).
-Stars Sean Penn as Jef Spicoli, a stoned surfer dude who faces off against his history teacher Mr. Hand(Ray Walston), Judge Reinhold as Brad Hamilton, a senior who works a variety of jobs to pay for his car

Did You Know?
-For the movie, Nicholas Cage appears under the name Nicholas Coppola, his uncle's name
-Cameron Crowe based Mark "Rat" Ratner on a student he knew named Andy Rathbone, who is famous for writing the "For Dummies" series of books
-Filmed at Van Nuys High School in Van Nuys, California
-Stacy works at a place called Perry's Pizza. The actress actually worked at a Perry's Pizza location a month after she was chosen to play Stacy
-Nicholas Cage lied about his age to get a bigger part. Soon producers found out he was only 17

-Actress Lana Clarkson appears as Mr. Vargas' wife in the high school dance scene. She was the woman murdered by music producer Phil Spector in 2003
-There are numerous references to rock bands throughout the film. Including shirts worn by characters, posters on walls, Damone being a ticket scalper). This was because Cameron Crowe was a writer for Rolling Stone Magazine. And a poster depicting the Tattoo You album by the Rolling Stones appears. It's on the wall in Damone's room.
-In the scene where the woman in the convertible is laughing at Brad's pirate costume is Nancy Wilson from the band Heart

Plot
-Brad Hamilton(Judge Reinhold) is a senior looking forward to his last year of schol and almost ahs his car paid off. He is a popular kid, in large because of his part time job at a local burger joint where his girlfriend Lisa (Amanda Wyss) also works. Brad is wondering how to end his relationship with her so he can play the field during his senior year. Brad is fired though, for using profanity to a customer. Brad quits his next job because of having to wear a pirate costume. Later on, he gets a job at the Mi-T Mart, where he stops an attempted armed robbery by throwing hot coffee in the face of the robber.

-Brad's sister, Stacy(Jennifer Jason Leigh) is a 15 year old freshman. She is worried that she's not beautiful or experienced enough to meet, or have relationships with guys. While working at the Perry's Pizza parlor in the mall, she meets a 26 year old stereo salesman who asks her out(after she says she's 19). She sneaks out to meet him at a local place called "The Joint" and they have sex. she tells her popular friend Linda Barrett(Phoebe Cates) she lost her viriginity, who assures her it will hurt less the more she does it. Mike Damone(Robert Romanus) earns money by scalping tickets and as a bookmaker, he thinks he's a charming ladies man. He lets his younger best friend, Mark "Rat" Ratner(Brian Backer) in on his ways of charming the ladies. He sees that Rat has a crush on Stacy, so he cons Rat into asking her out to dinner. Stacy invites Rat into her house into her room, but Rat being shy, avoids getting too intimate. Later on, Damone walks Stacy into backyard for a swim in the pool. This leads to sex in the poolhouse, where Damone ejaculates preamturely, running in embarrassment. Later, Stacy informs him that she is pregnant and suggests an abortion if he agrees to pay for half and drive her to the clinic. Desparate, Stacy is able to catch Brad as he is leaving and tells him to drop her off at the bowling alley. As he is driving away, he sees her going to the hospital. Being the good brother he is, Brad waits for Stacy outside, and she is scared he'll tell. He drives her to get her something to eat, which I think is what would make him the perfect older sibling. Her friend Lind finds out and paints an obscenity on Damone's car and locker. And word quickly spreads.

-Jeff Spicoli(Sean Penn) is a surfer and marijuana user who is in Stacy's American history class. He has constant run ins with the strict teacher, Mr. Hand(Ray Walston). He has no patience for Spicoli's behavior and wasting of class time. On the evening of the graduation dance, Mr. Hand shows up at Spicoli's house and tells him that he has wasted 8 hours of class time and they intend to make it up. Mr. Hand and Spicoli eventually come to a good point where he feels Spicoli has understood and are at a point of mutual respect. Outside school, Spicoli wrecks a car belonging to the school's star quarterback Charles Jefferson(Forest Whitaker). To avoid the pounding of a lifetime, Spicoli puts the car in front of the school, paints the car with messages supposedly written by Ridgemont's rivals, Lincoln high School. During the game, Jefferson is seeming with rage that his school wins. As the final credits roll, it says Spicoli saved Brooke Shields from drowning and blew his allowance money hiring Van Halen to play his birthday party.