Delayed Reaction: Fast Times at Ridgemont High

The Pitch: Before they were at Animal House...

It's hard to remember that I hadn't seen Fast Times before. It's such a famous movie that I've seen half the scenes and already know all the best jokes. That didn't end up being a problem though once I finally did get around to it, because the whole movie is episodic; a collection of smaller stories. If you map it out, it's a wonder that it plays together so well. At first glance, it's easy to lump Fast Times in with the rest of the teen sex comedies of the 80's. But, Cameron Crowe's script and Amy Heckerling's direction prevent that. There's an honesty to it that a Porky's lacks. The cast is as good as you will find for a high school comedy. I get why Sean Penn had to work so hard to get away from his Spicoli past. I didn't even recognize Jennifer Jason Leigh because she's so young. Judge Reinhold walks the line between an everyman and a creep. I'm bothered by the fact that Robert Romanus looks so familiar, but from checking IMDB, I can't place him in anything else I've seen, aside from a couple guest appearances. I definitely recognize him from something though. Am I really so familiar with this film going in that I already recognize the cast? And, Phoebe Cates. I have to say, that scene (you know which one) is a little different than I thought. Despite being so famous, it's pretty insignificant to the plot and comes and goes quickly. I think every other show and movie that has parodied it have been twice as long as the real thing. It doesn't take much digging to realize that much of the teen comedies of the 80s were complete crap (like any decade), but Fast Times deservedly stands out and holds up incredibly well.

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend