Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Jeff Spicoli	Sean Penn
Stacy Hamilton	Jennifer Jason Leigh
Brad Hamilton	Judge Reinhold
Mike Damone	Robert Romanus
Mark Ratner	Brian Backer	½
Linda Barrett	Phoebe Cates
Mr. Hand	Ray Waltson	½
Mr. Vargas	Vincent Schiavelli
Charles Jefferson	Forest Whitaker	½
Stoner Bud	Eric Stoltz
Brad's Bud	Nicolas Cage

Review

It is hard for me to be completely objective when revisiting the beautiful stylistic mess that was 1980s, like this film allows us to do. Amy Heckerling directs with ungracious vividness and creates a relentlessly funny and completely unsophisticated film from Cameron Crowe's bubbly script. It captures quite a bit about what being a youngster in the early eighties was about, and even if it does so in a somewhat plain manner, the film cares about its characters and the environment it depicts. Still, in retrospect, the main treat here is the undeniably charismatic assembly of young up-and-coming performers. From Jennifer Jason Leigh's cutely reserved Stacy to Sean Penn's hilarious, over-the-top Spicoli. Great fun.