History Film / FastTimesAtRidgemontHigh

* SenseiForScoundrels: Damone gives Rat plenty of sleazy advice on how to appear cool and pick up the girl he likes, then uses Rat's awkwardness to make himself look better in her eyes. Rat eventually calls him out on it and gets the girl.

* LastNameBasis: Jeff Spicoli, Mike Damone, Mark Ratner, and Charles Jefferson are all referred to almost exclusively by their last names.

* CelebrityImpersonator: Music/PatBenatar -- at the height of her fame -- is a style inspiration at Ridgemont.

-->'''Stacy''': Woah Linda, that girl looks just like Pat Benatar!\\

-->'''Brad:''' Doesn't anybody fucking knock?!

When the film was first released, it received mostly negative reviews from critics who wrote it off as just another teen SexComedy. These days, it's [[VindicatedByHistory often considered one of the best high school films ever made.]]

->''First of all Rat, you never let on how much you like a girl. "Oh, [[Music/{{Blondie}} Debbie]]. Hi." ''
->''Two, you always call the shots. "Kiss me. You won't regret it."''
->''Now three, act like wherever you are, that's the place to be. "Isn't this great?"''
->''Four, when ordering food, you find out what she wants, then order for the both of you. It's a classy move. "Now, the lady will have the linguini and white clam sauce, and a Coke with no ice."''
->''And five, now this is the most important, Rat. When it comes down to making out, whenever possible, put on side one of Music/LedZeppelinIV.''

* CurbStompBattle: Jefferson, mad from the destruction of his car ostensibly by Lincoln's team (actually by Spicoli), takes his rage out on them, sacking large numbers of players on the field.

''Fast Times At Ridgemont High'' is a 1982 ComingOfAge / SliceOfLife film written by Creator/CameronCrowe, based on his novel, and directed by Amy Heckerling. It follows the lives of a handful of high school students over the course of a school year, focusing mostly on Stacy Hamilton (Creator/JenniferJasonLeigh) and her eventual boyfriend, Mark "Rat" Ratner (Brian Backer). The other main characters are Stacy's brother, Brad (Judge Reinhold); her best friend, Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates); Rat's best friend, Mike Damone (Robert Romanus); Jeff Spicoli, a perpetual stoner in Stacy's history class (Creator/SeanPenn); and Mr. Arnold Hand, the history teacher who is frequently put upon by Spicoli's antics (Ray Walston).

** The scene where students are sniffing the tests? Probably lost on most people these days, but that actually used to happen. In the days before photocopy machines were commonplace (late '80s or so), most schools still used a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimeograph Mimeograph machine]] to copy hand-outs and tests. Sniffing fresh mimeo ink produces a mild high.

* ArtisticLicenseMusic: Despite being told to play side one of "Music/LedZeppelinIV" on his date, Mark ends up playing "Kashmir" from "Music/PhysicalGraffiti" instead. This is partly GeniusBonus (few outside of the truly devoted would know exact Zeppelin track listings) and partly ThrowItIn. The producers were unable to secure clearances for "IV" and it could be played off as Mark picking the wrong album.

** Says Mr. Hand, "What are you people? ''On DOPE?!?''" [[spoiler: In the end, he is convinced ''everybody'' is on dope!]]
* BurgerFool: Brad works at two of these, with varying levels of horribleness. He is fired from the first due to an UnsatisfiableCustomer and quits the second. There is another fast food joint which manages to be even worse; mostly mentioned only in dialogue, it is shown at the beginning of the film when one of its employees, Arnold, tries to operate a milkshake machine, only to have the mixture splash back in his face.
* TheCameo: [[Music/{{Heart}} Nancy Wilson]], Creator/CameronCrowe's girlfriend at the time, plays the woman in the car who laughs at Brad's ridiculous uniform (from his fast food job).

* CurbStompBattle: Jefferson, mad from the destruction of his car ostensibly by the Lincoln's team (actually by Spicoli), takes his rage out on them, sacking large numbers of players on the field.

* {{Leitmotif}}: Somebody's Baby by Jackson Browne whenever Stacy and sex is involved. In fact, [[MemeticMutation the song has at this point become synonymous with reckless teen sex]], to the point that ''Film/NotAnotherTeenMovie'' used a cover of it in one of their many gags.

* NoAntagonist: While some deeds of the characters are morally questionable at best, there is little real conflict between them (and whatever conflict there still was ended with reconciliation between parties).
* NonGivingUpSchoolGuy: Mr Hand is determined to educate Spicoli to the point where he turns up at his house on prom night and makes him go through a book until he gets it. It's implied that this happens with at least one student every year.
* {{Oktoberfest}}: Mark Ratner takes Stacy on a date to a German restaurant. The waitress who serves them is a rubenesque woman wearing lederhosen.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Mr. Hand. He's tough on his students, but does seem to genuinely want them to learn. Also, he lets Spicoli off the hook to go have some fun at the dance, despite Spicoli spending the entire year annoying him.

* SpeedSex: When Damone and Stacy get it on, Damone is only able to last for a few seconds before climaxing (and to make things even more cruel for Stacy, she ends up getting ''pregnant'' from that encounter).
* SternTeacher: Mr. Hand is pretty unforgiving to his students, and especially Spicoli, who arguably deserves it. In the end he gives him a chance at redemption. Some of his comments lean towards SadistTeacher territory but he seems to be a genuinely decent guy, just very strict. The novel says that "even some of the hardcore truants" respected his approach.

* WhatHaveIBecome: When Brad looks in his rear view mirror and sees himself dressed as a pirate while delivering an order of seafood, it causes him to realize just how low he's sunk.
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: The epilogue reveals what happened to the many of the characters after the end of the movie.

** [[spoiler:Jeff Spicoli - Saved Creator/BrookeShields from drowning. Blows reward money hiring Music/VanHalen to play his Birthday Party.]]

* SurferDude: Spicoli, again. This guy is, {{like|IsLikeAComma}}, TotallyRadical! He's a lot like TheStoner, except, like, mostly without the drugs, man. But, you know, he might smoke some pot once in a while, dude. Most of them don't actually surf, although some may own a surfboard for the sake of validity. But they're still most totally gnarly, bros. And they're most excellent in [[UsefulNotes/AmericanAccents Surfer Speak]]. They all tend to like, live in UsefulNotes/{{California}}, because California is, like, most excellent and all that. If not California dude, expect to be, like, UsefulNotes/{{Hawaii}}, UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}, or any cool place with a cool beach, with all the sun and the sand dude, and totally surfable waves with a lot'o rip. Plus, there are way many hot babes there, dude! [[Film/BillAndTed Most triumphant]]! You comparin' that to ValleyGirl, my man? And remember, LikeIsLikeAComma.

* TechnologyMarchesOn:
** The burglar disables the gas station's security camera by spray-painting the lens as he walks in. In 1982, chances are there [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup wasn't another camera]] in the store. Now, there'd almost certainly be several.
** Linda mentions that her neighborhood doesn't even have cable TV yet.
** Spicoli's dad is a television repairman.

[[quoteright:299:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fast_times_at_ridgemont_high_xlg_7288.jpg]]

-->-'''Linda:''' "God, he hardly even talks anymore."

* TechMarchesOn:

** [[spoiler:Rat & Stacy - Having a passionate love affair. But still haven't gone all the way.]]

** [[spoiler:Jeff Spicoli - Saved Brooke Shields from drowning. Blows reward money hiring Music/VanHalen to play his Birthday Party.]]

* SurferDude: Spicoli, again. This guy is, {{like|IsLikeAComma}}, TotallyRadical! He's a lot like TheStoner, except, like, mostly without the drugs, man. But, you know, he might smoke some pot once in a while, dude.
Most of them don't actually surf, although some may own a surfboard for the sake of validity. But they're still most totally gnarly, bros. And they're most excellent in [[UsefulNotes/AmericanAccents Surfer Speak]]. They all tend to like, live in UsefulNotes/{{California}}, because California is, like, most excellent and all that. If not California dude, expect to be, like, UsefulNotes/{{Hawaii}}, UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}, or any cool place with a cool beach, with all the sun and the sand dude, and totally surfable waves with a lot'o rip. Plus, there are way many hot babes there, dude! [[Film/BillAndTed Most triumphant]]! You comparin' that to ValleyGirl, my man? And remember, LikeIsLikeAComma.

* SurferDude: Spicoli, again.

* OneSceneWonder: The PoolScene [[ShipTease Ship Teasing]] Brad and Linda.

%%* EthicalSlut: Linda

%%* SurferDude: Spicoli, again.

When the film was first released, it received mostly negative reviews from critics who wrote it off as just another teen sex comedy. These days, it's [[VindicatedByHistory often considered one of the best high school films ever made.]]

* AluminumChristmasTrees: The scene where students are sniffing the tests? Probably lost on most people these days, but that actually used to happen. In the days before photocopy machines were commonplace (late '80s or so), most schools still used a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimeograph Mimeograph machine]] to copy hand-outs and tests. Sniffing fresh mimeo ink produces a mild high.

* BrickJoke: Near the opening, Damone remarks to some kid customers that as a result of some bad scalping, he was "this" close to working at 7-11. [[spoiler: In the film's WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue, it is mentioned that he was busted for scalping Ozzy Osbourne tickets and is now working at 7-11.]]

* CaughtWithYourPantsDown: Brad masturbates while daydreaming about Linda getting out of the pool and taking her top off. Unfortunately, the real Linda opens the door on him. He complains: "Doesn't anyone fucking knock anymore?"

-->'''Stoners:''' No shirt, no shoes, no dice! Ohhhh.
-->'''Brad Hamilton:''' Right. Learn it. Know it. Live it.
* DressedToPlunder: When Brad ends up working at a pirate-themed restaurant, he realizes how low his life has sunk when he catches a look at himself in his own rear view mirror making a delivery dressed as a pirate.

* EthicalSlut: Linda

* FictionalCounterpart: The fast food seafood restaurant where Brad works seems to be based on Long John Silver's.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Mr. Hand's first class session begins with an explanation of the rules - most importantly, no eating. He tells the class that they would not want him to come to their homes on their time to teach them. Spicoli has pizza delivered to the classroom at one point, and at the end of the year, Mr. Hand visits Spicoli at his home to teach him as a consequence of the time he had wasted in class.

* SharpDressedMan: As Brad fantasizes about Linda, he imagines himself kissing her while wearing a three piece suit [[RuleOfCool for some reason]]

* SurferDude: Spicoli, again.

* SenseiForScoundrels: Damone gives Rat plenty of sleazy advice on how to appear cool and pick up the girl he likes, then uses Rat's awkwardness to make himself look better in her eyes. Rat eventually calls him out on it and gets the girl.

* StonersAreFunny: Spicoli and his buddies. Upon seeing Spicoli entering the American History class, one student comments "That guy's been stoned since the third grade."