‘Fast Times’ are here again

By Luciano Marano • July 25, 2017 8:30 am
Image courtesy of Universal Pictures | “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” the iconic 1982 coming-of-age film written by Cameron Crowe and directed by Amy Heckerling, will return to the big screen at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2 at Bainbridge Cinemas. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures | “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” the iconic 1982 coming-of-age film written by Cameron Crowe and directed by Amy Heckerling, will return to the big screen at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2 at Bainbridge Cinemas. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures | “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” the iconic 1982 coming-of-age film written by Cameron Crowe and directed by Amy Heckerling, will return to the big screen at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2 at Bainbridge Cinemas. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures | “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” the iconic 1982 coming-of-age film written by Cameron Crowe and directed by Amy Heckerling, will return to the big screen at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2 at Bainbridge Cinemas.
Image courtesy of Universal Pictures | “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” the iconic 1982 coming-of-age film written by Cameron Crowe and directed by Amy Heckerling, will return to the big screen at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2 at Bainbridge Cinemas. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures | “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” the iconic 1982 coming-of-age film written by Cameron Crowe and directed by Amy Heckerling, will return to the big screen at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2 at Bainbridge Cinemas. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures | “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” the iconic 1982 coming-of-age film written by Cameron Crowe and directed by Amy Heckerling, will return to the big screen at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2 at Bainbridge Cinemas. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures | “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” the iconic 1982 coming-of-age film written by Cameron Crowe and directed by Amy Heckerling, will return to the big screen at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2 at Bainbridge Cinemas.

Dude!

“Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” the iconic 1982 coming-of-age film written by Cameron Crowe and directed by Amy Heckerling, will return to the big screen at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2 at Bainbridge Cinemas.

Based on the 22-year-old Crowe’s undercover exposé on life in an actual Southern California public high school, this groundbreaking effort presents alternately poignant and funny looks at episodes from the lives of some of the students as they prepare themselves for life in the outside world, especially sophomores Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Mark Ratner (Brian Backer), and their older friends Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates) and Mike Damone (Robert Romanus), who believe themselves wiser in the ways of romance than the younger girls.

There are also two subplots: Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn), a perpetually stoned surfer, facing off against uptight history teacher Mr. Hand (Ray Walston), and Brad (Judge Reinhold), a senior who works at a series of entry-level jobs, who is pondering ending his relationship with his girlfriend (Amanda Wyss).

Many additional popular stars made their debuts in the film, including Anthony Edwards, Forest Whitaker, Nicolas Cage and Eric Stolz.

Tickets, on sale now, are $11 each. Visit www.farawayentertainment.com for more information.

In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Penn’s portrayal of the stoned Spicoli especially has proven to have cultural resonance.

In the book “Vans-Off The Wall: Stories of Sole,” Doug Palladini wrote that Penn’s performance is the first notable instance of the typical Southern California “surfer stoner” being portrayed on film as culturally distinct from other “stoner” characters such as Cheech and Chong. Penn’s wearing onscreen of his own pair of black-and-white checkered Vans slip-on tennis shoes is credited by the company’s Steve Van Doren for broadening the brand and its uniquely Californian sociological roots to worldwide awareness.