#22: Brad, Your Sister's Turning Into a Fox!

(Fast Times at Ridgemont High, 1982, Amy Heckerling)

Fast Times at Ridgemont High has gained most of its fame and notoriety from one particular scene in which Phoebe Cates, clad only in a skimpy red bikini, emerges from a swimming pool and proceeds to unclasp the front of that red bikini and reveal her breasts. In 1982 that scene fueled the fantasies of thousands, perhaps millions, of high school boys, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High went down in history because of it. Well, that, and the fact that it was one the first film roles for future Oscar-winner Sean Penn, who plays perpetually stoned surfer dude Jeff Spicoli. But it's mostly famous for that bosom-baring scene, which I suppose is completely understandable.

The Guardian justifies Fast Times at Ridgemont High's placement on The List by saying that "everybody here became a star, down to minor player Forest Whitaker," which I guess is also completely understandable. Sean Penn and Forest Whitaker have both gone on to win the Oscar for Best Actor, Phoebe Cates went on to star in another popular 80's movie in which she didn't show her boobs, Judge Reinhold had various parts in various comedies and family films, and Jennifer Jason Leigh continued to be hot in a bunch of movies and TV shows. Also, Nicholas Cage has a very small role, and we all know the career he's had since 1982. So yes, Fast Times at Ridgemont High is certainly studded with future stars and Phoebe Cates's breasts, but I'm just not sure that's justification enough.

I choose to believe that the most remarkable thing about the film is its source material. At the age of 22 Cameron Crowe was writing for Rolling Stone and decided to go back to high school and document his experiences there. The book that he wrote ended up becoming Fast Times at Ridgemont High. However, the character of "Cameron Crowe, undercover writer" is noticeably absent from the film. That's because while he was writing the book he decided to leave himself out of it for fear that it would negatively impact his ability to accurately portray what high school was like for the people he was observing. Which is pretty cool, I guess. I just ended up not finding the film all that compelling or exciting. It was a portrait of high school experiences, sure. But the high school life that was shown in the film was radically different from mine, so I found it hard to connect or even care.

However, I think what irks me the most about Fast Times at Ridgemont High's appearance on The List is The List's lack of Almost Famous, a film that is based on Cameron Crowe's early experiences as a writer for Rolling Stone and is also written and directed by Crowe himself. While the film is fictionalized and not a literal retelling of his life, it is a version of his life told through his own filter. It also happens to perfectly encapsulate a life that I occasionally wish that I had; the sometimes unglamorous but never unexciting life of a music journalist. Like Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Almost Famous is an essentially true story translated to film. Unlike Fast Times, Almost Famous has a structured plot and characters that I actually found myself caring about and sympathizing with. As such, I feel it is more deserving of a place on The List. But, alas, I do not get a say in that.

The rundown is this: I don't think that a film which is primarily famous for the presence of boobs is a legitimate addition to a list of films to see before you die. Sure, if you're attracted to girls that kind of thing is great fun, but I'd wager that it's safe to say that approximately half of the movie-watching population isn't attracted to girls, so this movie doesn't need to be on the list. Almost Famous should be. And for those who are uncertain about my logic, let me say this: there are boobs in Almost Famous, too. There are just interesting characters and an engaging plot as well.