Romanus), both of whom believe themselves wiser in the ways of romance than their younger counterparts. The ensemble cast of characters form two subplots with Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn), an irresponsible stoned surfer, facing off against uptight history teacher Mr. Hand (Ray Walston), and Stacy's brother, Brad (Judge Reinhold), a senior who works at a series of entry-level jobs in order to pay off his car, and who is pondering easing out of his relationship with his girlfriend.
Directed by:
Amy Heckerling
Produced by:
Art Linson
Irving Azoff
Cast:
Amanda Wyss
Anthony Edwards
Blair Tefkin
Brian Backer
D.W. Brown
David Price
Eric Stoltz
Forest Whitaker
James Bolt
James Russo
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Judge Reinhold
Kelli Maroney
Lana Clarkson
Martin Brest
Nicolas Cage
Phoebe Cates
Ray Walston
Reginald Farmer
Robert Romanus
Scott Thomson
Sean Penn
Stanley Davis Jr.
Tom Nolan
Vincent Schiavelli
What, you ask, is this movie of movies? This one which you've heard about? It's an eighties thing, with not much appeal for the modern troupe because its slower paced, less funny, than what you might see today. But, like a lot of eighties movies, it holds its own merit. This adaptation of the book by Cameron Crowe (don't know who he is? I'll give you a hint. He wrote and directed the famous line 'Did you know the human brain weighs eight pounds?' That's right, the maker of Jerry Maguire and Singles) is a coming-of-age drama about a young girl making the choice all of us make, sex or a relationship.
Sure, we tell ourselves that both can exist, and they can, but there is the line that she draws: if she wants to sleep around or if she wants to have something to hold onto. And the movie, in a nutshell, is about that. It follows her and her friends during their last year in High School in the small town of Ridgemont. Where each one of them ends up with their troubles, ranging from no girlfriend to an abortion to adultery. It sounds serious, right?
That's not quite on target.
The movie has its serious moments, but it has its funny moments too: from two girls practicing blow jobs on a carat at a lunch table to a guy cruising for chicks dressed in a pirate cap. The movie is sublimely funny. And interesting. It's very sad, in my mind, that those things are so rarely seen in the 90s.
