All American High Revisited

Gr 10 Up—Inspired by the 1982 movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High, this entertaining documentary chronicles the lives of the 1984 senior class of Torrance High School (CA). Capturing the fashion, hairstyles, music, and slang of the era, including some expletives, this visual time capsule provides a glimpse of life before cell phones and social media, when teens spent their time socializing at the mall or at keg parties. It's narrated by Finnish exchange student Rikki, a pert blond whose outsider status is embraced by the in crowd and who gives the film its most insightful commentary. The work skims the surface of serious issues—nuclear disarmament is discussed in a social studies class—and instead relies upon Rikki's observations of the differences between European and American cultures when it comes to sex, careers, and education to give the film its edge. Director/producer Keva Rosenfeld's inclusion of additional footage that catches up with Rikki and several other students 30 years later (the Revisited of the title) gives the audience a look at the often-polar changes in the students' beliefs and behavior, such as the stoner who becomes a state highway patrolman and the Republican pep squad member who states she's Republican no more. The segment featuring present-day Rikki and her family gives the film its heart, thanks to Rikki's emotional reaction to her teen self.