The film chronicles a school year in the lives of sophomores Stacy Hamilton and Mark Ratner and their older friends Linda Barrett and Mike Damone, both of whom believe themselves wiser in the ways of romance than their younger counterparts. The ensemble cast of characters form two subplots with Jeff Spicoli, a perpetually stoned surfer facing off against history teacher Mr. Hand, and Stacy's older brother Brad, a popular senior who works in entry-level jobs to pay for his car and ponders ending his two-year relationship with his girlfriend Lisa.
In addition to Penn, Reinhold, Cates, and Leigh, the film marks early appearances by several actors who later became stars, including Nicolas Cage , Eric Stoltz , Forest Whitaker , and Anthony Edwards the first two in their feature film debuts. In , the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Brad Hamilton, a popular senior, looks forward to his final year of school.
He has a job at All-American Burger, his Buick LeSabre is almost paid for, and he plans to break up with his girlfriend Lisa so he can be single for his senior year. His younger sister Stacy, a year-old freshman, works at Perry's Pizza at Ridgemont Mall alongside her friend Linda Barrett, a fellow senior of Brad. Stacy envies Linda's supposed promiscuity, so Linda - who claims to be engaged to an older man named Doug - gives her pointers. Mike Damone is a smooth-talker who fancies himself a worldly ladies' man and earns money taking sports bets and scalping concert tickets.
Mark "Rat" Ratner, Damone's shy but amiable best friend, works as an usher at the movie theater across from Perry's Pizza. Jeff Spicoli is a carefree stoner and slacker who lives only for surfing and getting high. On the first day of school, Spicoli runs afoul of strict history teacher Mr. Hand when he shows up late for class. A battle of wits ensues between the two with Mr. Hand attempting to get Spicoli to take school seriously. At work, Stacy is asked out by year-old stereo salesman Ron Johnson.
Stacy agrees to go out with him and lies about her age, claiming she is On their date, she loses her virginity to him in the dugout of a baseball field. Ron sends her flowers the next day, but quickly loses interest in her. Rat meets Stacy in biology class run by the awkward Sanka -drinking Mr. Vargas , is smitten with her, and takes her to a German restaurant.
