Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Widescreen Special Edition)
by Amy Heckerling
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Brian Backer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Robert Romanus, Sean PennDirector: Amy Heckerling
Brand: PENN,SEAN
Cinematographer: Matthew F. Leonetti
Editor: Eric Jenkins
Producer: Art Linson
Producer: C.O. Erickson
Producer: Irving Azoff
Writer: Cameron Crowe
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD-Video, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 90 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-11-02
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Universal Studios
Movie Reviews of Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Widescreen Special Edition)
Movie Review: Empty Comedy? Maybe Not.
Summary: 3 Stars
This is actually more of an interesting movie than we would be inclined to give it credit for. It basically shows us the lives of different types of high school students. (Not to mention some teachers.)
Stacey and Linda are interesting. Stacey is the young naive girl ever ready to shed her virginity. She follows the advice of her friend Linda (who means well), but does not think as much as she should. Stacey ends up getting hurt, but she grows to the point where she sees that having love and friendship is much nicer than simple sex.
Linda is the more sexually experienced girl, but rather predictably, she gets hurt with her own fascination.
Mark and Damone are an interesting pair. Damone is the ever sexual predator. But he carries a charm despite his repulsive actions. And to some extent, he does realize that some of his actions were wrong.
Mark is the 'geek.' But we also come to realize that he is not only on the smarter side, but he is in fact a really nice person. Undoubtedly, under Linda's advice, Stacey gets upset when Mark isn't ready for sex. But the truth is that just because Mark wasn't ready for sex, that did NOT mean he didn't care about Stacey. And soon afterwards, Stacey gets HURT badly. (Going back to Mark, there is something really funny about how everyone tries to see his answers during the final exam.)
Charles Jefferson is the one weak link here. He is a stereotypical Jock, and he offers no real personality. The wreck of his car is an annoying intrusion, and it really doesn't fit. Unlike the other characters, he does no real growing.
Undoubtedly, the favorite pair in this movie is Sean Penn and Mr. Hand. While they have a bad teacher/student relationship, at times it looks like a father/son relationship. Mr. Hand is hard, but he is fair: "Get used to doing your own business on your own time. You wouldn't want me to come to your house some evening and discuss U.S. History would you?" As hard as Mr. Hand gets, he is right when he says: "This class is for your own benefit." The reconciliation of Mr. Hand and Sean Penn is drawn rather well.
Moving on, Stacey's brother Brad is worth mentioning as well. He is probably the closest to a 'normal kid.' He works hard in jobs he really doesn't like; but he knows he needs the money. In an especially sympathetic moment, he is brutally fired from his job for a DUMB reason. And he is especially helpful to Stacey when she has BIG problem. In many ways, it's so appropriate that Brad has his moment of glory in the last scene.
Another character worth mentioning is the eccentric Mr. Vargas. He appears to be a strange teacher, but he is really likable: "Look, I am a little slow today. I just switched to SANKA. So PLEASE, have a heart." There is something utterly comical about how the students are shocked when they see that Mr. Vargas's wife is especially beautiful. Like Mark, he is strange, but nice, as well as smart.
In all honesty, this is not just empty comedy. It shows us real students who have weaknesses and problems. But they are also likable and even Damone has some notable redeeming qualities. The teachers are not without likable qualities either.
This movie is worthy of at least a chance.
Summary of Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Widescreen Special Edition)
No Description Available.Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: R
Release Date: 23-AUG-2005
Media Type: DVD
Before he became an overrated filmmaker, Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire) was a reporter for Rolling Stone who was so youthful looking that he could go undercover for a year at a California high school and write a book about it. He wrote the script for this film, based on that book, and it launched the careers of several young actors, including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, and, above all, Sean Penn. The story line is episodic, dealing with the lives of iconic teen types: one of the school's cool kids, a nerd, a teen queen, and, most enjoyably, the class stoner (Penn), who finds himself at odds with a strict history teacher (a wonderfully spiky Ray Walston). This is not a great movie but very entertaining and, for a certain age group, a seminal movie experience. --Marshall Fine
Before he became an overrated filmmaker, Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire) was a reporter for Rolling Stone who was so youthful looking that he could go undercover for a year at a California high school and write a book about it. He wrote the script for this film, based on that book, and it launched the careers of several young actors, including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, and, above all, Sean Penn. The story line is episodic, dealing with the lives of iconic teen types: one of the school's cool kids, a nerd, a teen queen, and, most enjoyably, the class stoner (Penn), who finds himself at odds with a strict history teacher (a wonderfully spiky Ray Walston). This is not a great movie but very entertaining and, for a certain age group, a seminal movie experience. --Marshall Fine
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