In the 1980s, high school was actually more boring than we remember, but “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (1982) has been adopted as one of the definitive stories of my generation. So many scenes have been permanently absorbed into pop culture, they are too numerous to list (everyone my age has their favorites). The abortion and stoner subplots made it a controversial film at the time – and not worth an argument with my mom – so I didn’t see it in its entirety until several years after it came out. By then, I’d heard all the spoilers, but it didn’t matter.
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It’s one of those movies with a bunch of seemingly unrelated story lines that somehow are supposed to come together. It’s one of those movies with an eclectic ensemble of veteran stars (Jack Lemmon!), up-and-comers (Julianne Moore!) and WTFs (Huey Lewis?). It’s one of those Robert Altman movies. So you know all the critics and artsy-fartsy types loved “Short Cuts” (1993). I couldn’t wait for it to be over. Twenty-two major characters, and not a one of them is likeable. They’re all somewhere on a continuum from pathetic to despicable. I get it, Robert. Life in L.A. sucks. Your point?
If you ever want to understand the difference between a musician and a rock star, watch Gregg Allman as the saloon owner (who may or may not be a drug kingpin) in “Rush” (1991). Dude has only five lines of dialogue, but he owns the whole damn movie. Nobody ever said more by simply strutting through a doorway, hair and charisma flowing equally and in all directions. The movie itself is kind of bleak, as undercover cops get high on their own supply. It should have been the vehicle that catapulted Jason Patric into stardom. Instead, his career went undercover.
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