The Wild Life

Bill Conrad (Eric Stoltz) is graduating from high school and is desperate to be a grown up as he moves into an apartment. He broke up with his donut shop girlfriend Anita (Lea Thompson) who has since moved on having a fling with a married cop. He works with friend Tom Drake (Chris Penn) at the bowling alley. Tom is a hard-partying wrestler. Tom's girlfriend Eileen (Jenny Wright) is best friends with Anita. Bill's brother Jim Conrad (Ilan Mitchell-Smith) is obsessed with the Vietnam war and likes blowing stuff up. Wildness ensues culminating in a crazy party at Bill's new apartment.

After the success of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Cameron Crowe writes a sequel of sorts. He's better off making a straight sequel with the same characters. Instead, this one can only be Faster as the promotions claim. It's not really but more importantly, it's less compelling. This is more like a series of very memorable sequences. Like its predecessor, there are some crazy fun scenes that can be cut into a great trailer. The story isn't quite there and the characters need to be better. It's just that Cameron had already done this and needed to move on.

One of those movies where you don't have to expect an award or anything from it, but just want to watch it and have a good time. A feel good movie about basically nothing just makes you laugh at how much this movie's characters are just looking for some fun and not an Academy Award. The whole thing with Eric Stoltz brother...why was that in there. It was still funny and I enjoyed but it had no point. There'll never be another movie like this. Now a days the movies try to have to much story and it turns out terriable. We need another pointless movie like the Wild Life!

Fast Times it ain't. But check this movie out, it has a heart. Pour yourself a drink and enjoy. It's loaded with a slew of just-beginning stars. Sherilyn Fenn has her first on-screen credited cameo. Chris Penn, Lea Thompson, Eric Stotz, Jenny Wright, Rick Moranis, etc.--they all look so young. Oh and if you look closely the cop's wife is Nancy Wilson from the rock band Heart.

There is nothing not to love about this film...it still holds up as a very funny film with some great characters attached.

For The Wild Life, the obvious connection and comparison will forever be Fast Times at Ridgemont High...which is fair and fitting. Like many of us, Cameron Crowe didn't just write down his reflections of his high school days...he painted a narrative as only he can. Visual, thematically accurate and draped with the soundtracks of our youth. As great as Fast Times is, The Wild Life is "equal to" on many levels and equally as enjoyable.

Fast Times takes place during a school year chronicling several different characters as they go through the trials and tribulations of going through high school...where The Wild Life chronicles the lives of some high school kids during a summer break that is coming to a close.

One of the things that never gets mentioned is how so much of the film takes place during the night...which for me was an underscore to the high school years for a lot of us who went to high school in the late 70's and early 80's. Outdoor parties, cruising around with friends, always looking for something to do and generally staying out all night...only to do it all over again, night after night....perhaps Art Linson had the same snapshot in his head when making this film...the story being told mostly in the evening has never been lost on me.

From a character perspective, Christopher Penn, Eric Stoltz, Jenny Wright, Lea Thompson, Ilan Mitchell-Smith were perfectly cast in their respective roles....with Hart Bochner, Rick Moranis, Ben Stein, Sherilyn Fenn, Michael Bowen, Angel Salazar, Robert Ridgely and Randy Quaid among others offering terrific supporting roles that enhances the film. The musical score penned by Eddie Van Halen is also a great accent to the film....just terrific pacing.

The Wild Life is a very enjoyable film that has several memorable lines, memorable scenes with a goof or two mixed in....but the film works to this day, still holds up.

Hats off to Art Linson for making a good, funny and memorable film...released in 1984...it still resonates with those of us who remember those days fondly.

Enjoy!

There are a lot of people that put down on these type 80's movies but those people may not have been coming of age during this time. I was just starting college when this movie was released so I could really appreciate it at the time and my friends and I still, to this day, will occasionally joke about certain lines in the movie. As much as I liked Sean Penn's Character Jeff Spicoli in "Fast Times", I actually enjoy Chris Penn's Character "Tommy" more because he is the lead character with more of a actual speaking roll opposed to just a series of one liners such as with Spicoli. Chris Penn should probably pop this film in his VCR and use it for motivation to lose some weight. Yes, the subplot with the Randy Quaid, Vietnam vet character does seem a little out of place, but he does a convincing job in the role. If there is anyone out there that hasn't seen this movie but liked the other similar type movies such as "Fast Times", etc. I highly recommend it.