“Fast Times at Ridgemont High”
Released Aug. 13, 1982
Directed by Amy Heckerling

Teenage culture evolves at a rapid pace, and it’s because of that that even classic high school films become encased in amber after depicting the scene a few years after release. So how can we evaluate the relevancy of “Fast Times at Ridgemont High?”

“Fast Times” stands alongside “Rebel Without a Cause,” “Heathers,” “Dazed and Confused,” “Clueless” and “Mean Girls” as classics of the genre, all of which succeed because of their skill in depicting teenage culture in that time and place. They were also made before the advent of smart phones. At some point, you have to wonder what would be the point of sitting today’s teenagers in front of a screen to show them coming-of-age stories from decades past without feeling like The Onion dad forcing his kids to engage in all the cultural touchstones he grew up on.

So why do movies like “Fast Times” endure?