Great Character: Jeff Spicoli (“Fast Times at Ridgemont High”)

Continuing with this month’s focus on memorable teenagers, today’s Great Character post is provided by longtime GITS follower Jason Cuthbert.

Back 30 years ago, in 1982, before screenwriter Cameron Crowe was off winning an Academy Award for a script called Almost Famous and a nomination for Jerry Maguire, Crowe’s adaptation of his own book Fast Times at Ridgemont High allowed the teenage narrative to graduate from brooding drama and horror into relatable character-driven comedy. Thanks to the casting of another pre-Academy Award winner Sean Penn (Mystic River, Milk) as the weeded-out, semi-student, South Cali surfer Jeff Spicoli, the 80’s freshman class of The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Crowe’s own directorial debut Say Anthing… were soon to follow.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High plot summary from IMDB:

A story of a group of California teenagers who enjoy malls, sex and rock n’ roll.

Even among an ensemble of distinctive teen characters like: the fearsome football player Charles (Forrest Whitaker), the sexually curious Stacy (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the ambitious fast food slinger Brad (Judge Reinhold), hormonal manipulator Mike (Robert Romanus) and cripplingly shy movie theater usher “Rat” (Brian Backer), Jeff Spicoli still sails high above the hallway crowd at Ridgemont High on his own Cloud 9 of cannabis.

It can definitely be argued that Jeff Spicoli isn’t exactly the protagonist by virtue of the fact that he really doesn’t go through any significant life changes at all — ever — other than actually studying for history class, only after his teacher forces an unannounced study session in Spicoli’s bedroom. Spicoli is so impervious to change that he consistently remains cool under pressure as the King of Carefree, even after escaping death twice: once by smashing the imposing Charles’ car and secondly by preventing Charles from finding out about it and beating him into an early grave.

[after Spicoli wrecks Charles Jefferson’s car]

JEFF SPICOLI: Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman; he’s got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it.

Jeff Spicoli is definitely not quite the mentor character either:

JEFF SPICOLI: All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I’m fine.

Jeff Spicoli is also least likely to become a Ridgemont High tutor:

JEFF SPICOLI: This is U.S. History, I see the globe right there.

Jeff Spicoli’s idea of doing his “homework”:

[Spicoli, talking on the phone, hits his head with a shoe

JEFF SPICOLI: That was my skull! I’m so wasted!

Jeff Spicoli could only be the nemesis character archetype if Fast Times at Ridgemont High was written from the faculty’s point of view:

Spicoli is also only the attractor type in his own fantasies:

So, as far as typical character archetypes go, is Jeff Spicoli actually a protagonist — or more of a trickster character; someone who switches their role in other character’s lives, often helping them go through a metamorphosis in the process? Yes and no.

Spicoli may appear to be more the protagonist because he steals every scene he is in with his playful rebellion against the word “no.” But in doing so, he often has the unintended power of making others follow his antics, even against their better judgment. Spicoli is the type of guy who can get his friends to take off their shirts at restaurants and steal their older brother’s car for joy rides without any rejection — classic trixter.

Being that the young teen couple Stacy and “Rat” seem to grow up the fastest at Ridgemont High through actively overcoming their fears of sex and dating, they appear more clearly as protagonists than the stoned provocateur Spicoli. But what makes Jeff the dude on the movie poster, the dude who’s name we actually remember, the dude who is the precursor to other righteous movie dudes from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure to “The Dude” himself in The Big Lebowski, is just simply being “cool”.

By not projecting arrogance, intimidation, or hatred, Jeff Spicoli manages to be so constantly comfortable in his own marijuana-scented skin that where ever he ends up he remains impossible to dislike — even if his carelessness makes a few authority figures impatient. The slick Mike Damone character may practice and preach how to be cool to the more naive “Rat”, but Spicoli doesn’t have to try — he is cool by definition.

You don’t have to ever agree with Jeff, maybe even for good reason, but deep down inside you wish you had 10% of his gusto to ride the wave of what means the most to you in life. Therefore, for his brand of peaceful bravado that leads to history class pizza parties and for making the now-classic checkerboard Vans canvas slip-on loafers seem like a shoe for every occasion — Jeff “Cool” Spicoli is one GREAT CHARACTER.

Sean Penn fully inhabited the role of Spicoli. Check out this trivia:

Sean Penn extinguished a cigarette in the palm of his hand in order to better understand his character Jeff Spicoli.

During shooting of the film, Sean Penn got so into character that he only answered as Spicoli. In fact, the door on his dressing room was labeled “Spicoli” instead of “Sean Penn”.

What’s your favorite Spicoli moment?

Thanks to Jason for another guest post in the Great Characters series.