Molecules to Movies: Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Pretty much all my movie posts contain spoilers. I assume you've seen the movie already and are looking for interesting perspectives and discussion in the comments. I'm not writing reviews. There are already plenty of those out there. Instead I will focus on a particular observation about a film.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High is directed by Amy Heckerling with a screenplay by Cameron Crowe adapted from his own book. At age 22, Cameron Crowe posed as a high school student and wrote about his experience. Well, I guess that is kind of creepy.

This film is about that frustrating time between childhood and adulthood. Amongst each other, they see themselves as grown up. They have jobs. They dress to impress (each other). As far as their world is concerned, they are the grown-ups in relationship to anyone below their grade level. But in their interactions with adults, they are repeatedly treated as children, which they still are in many respects.

This is particularly present in the set design for the date scene between Rat and Stacy. The chairs they are sitting in are ridiculously high and they can barely reach the table. This is obviously done on purpose to make them look out of place, children playing at being grown-up. Notice that everyone else in the background sit well above the backs of their seats.

For another example of these age-based power dynamics, look at the way Mr. Hand treats Jeff Spicolli with contempt. Spicolli daydreams about being a celebrated champion surfer. Is it any coincidence that the man interviewing him in his daydream is similar in age to Mr. Hand?

Judge Reinhold's character, Brad, is a perfect example of a teenager wanting to break out into adulthood, who is constantly beaten down by adults asserting power over anyone younger. Despite being employee of the month, his temper is easily flared up by a grown man demanding a refund for his breakfast. It's easy to imagine that this customer works a shitty office job and regrets the decisions he made for his career. It absolutely makes his day to get an ambitious person like Brad fired.

Watching this film again with these thoughts in mind, I really appreciate the final scene where a man attempts to rob the convenience store Brad is now working at. I used to think it was just an unnecessary scene tagged on to the end. It's actually the perfect comeuppance. Similar to the scene in the burger joint, Brad has to deal with someone on the other side of the counter who has irrational demands. He has probably wanted to throw a hot pot of coffee in the faces of many customers throughout many of his jobs. In this case, his very appropriate response is rewarded with a promotion. It is just completely exhilarating to finally see him stand up for himself.