When it comes to seeing Hollywood stars when they were young, Fast Times At Ridgemont High is a real treasure trove. Nicolas Cage (billed as Nicolas Coppola), Jennifer Jason Leigh, Forest Whitaker and Eric Stoltz all cut their teeth in Amy Heckerling's classic comedy. Of all the young stars to keep an eye out for it's Sean Penn's turn as Jeff Spicoli - the stoner surfer who goes head to head with history teacher Mr Sand - who sticks in the mind the most as a truly legendary performance. Beyond Penn's stand-out role, Fast Times captures the rythms of high school life perfectly, from the perils of dating to the anxiety of not fitting in with the cool kids. Fast Times At Ridgemont High was panned by a fair few critics when it was first released but their criticisms are unfounded - there's a good reason why this sharp and funny comedy is sitting in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.
