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Fast Times

Fast Times at Ridgemont High

1982

Amy Heckerling

Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates ...

5.5

3,049

Comedy. Drama Follows a group of high school students growing up in southern California, based on the real-life adventures chronicled by Cameron Crowe. Stacy Hamilton and Mark Ratner are looking for a love interest, and are helped along by their older classmates, Linda Barrett and Mike Damone, respectively. The center of the film is held by Jeff Spicoli, a perpetually stoned surfer dude who faces off with the resolute Mr. Hand, who is convinced that everyone is on dope. [+]

	Media	Author	Review
		Emma Cochrane Empire	"Lewd, funny and immensely quotable, this is one of the very best high school dramas ever made (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times	"If this movie had been directed by a man, I'd call it sexist. Itwas directed by a woman, Amy Heckerling -- and it's sexist all the same (...) Rating: ★ (out of 4)"
		Janet Maslin The New York Times	Fast Times at Ridgemont High' is quite messily assembled in some places, and there are moments when the director's comic timing is conspicuously off."
		James Berardinelli ReelViews	"Fast Times will always be remembered for one thing: showing respect for and insight into the members of its core audience, something that was as rare in the 1980s as it is today."
		Variety Staff Variety	"Penn is a joy to watch at work, even when his role has no particular plot importance"
		Tasha Robinson AV Club	"It's just pure, lighthearted, relatively respectful fun. With boobs."
		Rita Kempley The Washington Post	"Heckerling lacks the intuition to let things flow. The actors seem rushed and the scenes incomplete"

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