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1 / 21. ©Universal. “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” has endured as a classic of the genre, and it was also a career maker for many, both on and off the screen. We have 20 facts you might not ...
- Sean Hutchinson
- Fast Times at Ridgemont High began as a non-fiction book. While a freelance writer for Rolling Stone, screenwriter Cameron Crowe spent a year secretly embedded at Clairemont High School in San Diego, California under an assumed name (and in cooperation with the school’s administration) to gather stories for a non-fiction book with the same title.
- The inspiration for Mark “The Rat” Ratner would go on to become a real-life computer guru. Crowe based the geeky Rat on then-Clairemont High School student Andy Rathbone.
- Fast Times is Amy Heckerling’s directorial debut. Heckerling, who would go on to direct Look Who’s Talking and Clueless, was hired to direct Fast Times at Ridgemont High based on her AFI thesis film.
- Jennifer Jason Leigh also did a bit of undercover work to prepare. Twenty-year-old Leigh took a job at the actual Perry’s Pizza in the Sherman Oaks Galleria mall, where parts of the movie were shot, to get into character as Stacy Hamilton.
- The Film’S Screenwriter Went Undercover in A High School to Research The Movie
- Producers Originally Wanted David Lynch to Direct
- Director Amy Heckerling Had Never Made A Full-Length Movie Before
- Sean Penn Originally Auditioned to Play Brad
- The Film Had A ‘Spiritual Sequel’ Which Completely Flopped
- The Character of Jeff Spicoli Single-Handedly Popularised Vans
- There Was A Very Short-Lived Television Spin-Off
- Many Cast Members Were Hired Just Because They Knew The Writer and Director
- A Male Nude Scene Was Cut So The Film Could Get An R-Rating
- Brian Backer and Jennifer Jason Leigh Were Roommates During Filming
Besides Say Anything…, Ridgemont High screenwriter Cameron Crowe is probably most well-known for Almost Famous, the film documenting a young music journalist’s rock and roll exploits as he followed a popular band around on tour. The movie was semi-autobiographical, as Crewe himself was a teenage music journalist who worked for Rolling Stone, and wh...
Amy Heckerling ended up being the perfect director for Fast Times At Ridgemont High, since she had a real affinity for stories about high school and teenagers. She later proved this affinity by writing and directing Clueless, another teen hit that was praised for accurately portraying the slang and priorities of high schoolers of the time. With tha...
When producers were choosing the perfect director for Fast Times At Ridgemont High, they seemed to go from one extreme to the other. After asking the very well-established and prolific David Lynch, they approached Amy Heckerling on the strength of one project alone. At the time that she was chosen to direct Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Heckerling ...
It’s hard to imagine Sean Penn playing anybody but the laidback Jeff Spicoli, but he originally auditioned to play the uptight Brad, the role that went to Judge Reinhold. However, casting directors looked at him and became immediately convinced that he would make the perfect Jeff, and it didn’t take long to convince him. After a short conversation,...
Fast Times At Ridgemont High made $27 million against a budget of $4-5 million, meaning it was a resounding success. As a result, Crowe was pretty confident in his idea to follow up the movie with a spiritual sequel called The Wild Life. The Wild Life had a similar tone but followed slightly older teenagers, with a cast that included Rick Moranisan...
Many teen movies end up having a huge impact on fashion, whether it’s the iconic goth looks of The Craft or the blazers and plaid skirts of everything from Heathersto Clueless. However, when you think of teen movies that inspired fashion trends, Fast Times At Ridgemont High probably isn’t the first film to spring to mind. Despite this, the film is ...
When a movie does well at the box office, it’s not unusual for the studio to consider making a spinoff TV show, to keep the hype going as well as bring in new fans. Sometimes these shows become acclaimed and loved in their own right, but often they fall into relative obscurity. Unfortunately, it became clear pretty quickly that the Fast Times At Ri...
Fast Times At Ridgemont High didn’t have a minuscule budget, but it was by no means a blockbuster either. That might explain why the cast had kind of a family atmosphere, with everyone knowing each other and being hired as a favour to someone else. As well as the soundtrack being comprised of bands managed by one of the film’s producers, many of th...
Fast Times At Ridgemont High was so successful precisely because it was real, and didn’t shy away from the goofy or uncomfortable aspects of being a high school student back in the 80s. With that said, the first version of the movie was significantly edgier than the one that ended up in cinemas, thanks to one particular scene that got cut. The scen...
We’ve already established that while a few of the actors in Fast Times At Ridgemont High were the kids of more established performers, most were right at the start of their careers. This meant that, with a few exceptions, they didn’t exactly have money to burn while shooting the film. In particular, Brian Backer was struggling with funds at the tim...
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age comedy film directed by Amy Heckerling (in her feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Cameron Crowe, based on his 1981 book Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story, and starring Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Brian Backer, Robert Romanus ...
Aug 13, 2022 · 1982's teen comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High was the debut or breakthrough role for many famous Hollywood actors, including Nicolas Cage.
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Stories. Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 comedy based on the book Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story by Cameron Crowe. The film stars Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Judge Reinhold. Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a simple story detailing the escapades of teenagers in Southern California who center their lives around sex ...