Amy Heckerling's Fast Times at Ridgemont High is less movie than cultural anthropology study, much like George Lucas' American Graffiti (1973) and Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused (1993): it's more interested in the personalities, hopes, dreams, failings, and successes of its high school characters than in any centralized story. The film is essentially a series of vignettes, some of them more interesting and entertaining than others. I particularly liked Sean Penn's burned out surfer dude who battles against a tyrannical history professor. But what I loved was the background historical details. Oh, to watch the opening montage of the goings-on in a suburban mall with a group of Generation Z'ers...
7/10
I've heard that Sean Penn has "disowned" Fast Times at Ridgemont High because it's a comedy and if true that is a shame. Loved him and Ray Walston! Speaking of cultural anthropology check out that totally awesome 80s soundtrack!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a total Sean Penn move...
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