Edge of Seventeen

Description

Set in 1984 in Sandusky, Ohio, "Edge of Seventeen" follows the coming-out of a naive 17-year-old teenager at exactly the moment when gender-bending pop stars like Boy George and Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics were flaunting androgynous images. As the youth, played with a heartbreaking sweetness by Chris Stafford, goes through his first rites of gay passage (after being callously used by the slightly older boy who brings him out, he tries to retreat to heterosexuality with his closest female friend) he emerges as a poignant gay everyman. Lea DeLaria is wonderful as his butch lesbian boss at the amusement park restaurant where he meets his first boyfriend.

Customer Reviews:

16 candles for the gay community.......2007-08-15

I just love this little gem of a movie.
If your a "child of the 80s" like i am, this will certainly bring back a lot of memories. Performances are outstanding, as well as touching!

I bought it!

REALLY BAD MOVIE :(.......2007-06-01

The trailer tricks you into thinking its a up-lifting romance but its not. The main character (Eric) is really hot but very self-centered. I can understand his distress but thats no excuse to ignore others feelings. And the ending seemed tacked on as a after thought. Not worth buying. :P

Very good acting but utterly mundane plot.......2007-04-21

I agree with a previous reviewer who wondered what the point of this film is. Aside from watching an extremely handsome kid turn himself into a Boy George wannabe, and several cliche scenes that have been repeated either in the exact same way or much better in 1000 other films, there's nothing left. Worth a rental in my view, not a purchase. Or at least Strand needs to seriously rethink their pricing for this film.

With that said, the acting is excellent all around, especially Chris Stafford who made the most out of a truly mundane script.

Didn't Get It.......2007-01-14

What was the point of the movie? What was it trying to say? If it was trying to say coming out is difficult and self-denial is harmful, then it did a good job. Other than that, there's nothing worthy here. As a reviewer has said, no one but the protagonist's mom is likeable. So true...

A gay slice of the 80's!.......2006-12-06

Filmed on a modest budget, "Edge" seems more honest & affecting in its storytelling than most bigger-budgeted offerings. And the fashions, hairstyles, and music (scored by none other than 80's pop icon Tom Bailey of "the Thompson Twins") are a true blast from the past. This film resonated with me strongly, for on that same year, I was going thru what Eric (played with sweet sincerity by Chris Stafford) was experiencing: confused attractions towards both genders, the "first time" with another guy, gay culture shock, and finally, acceptance for who I was (although I never went as far as Eric did with the "androgynous" look!). The acting & situations seem more firmly rooted in "real" time, as if you're right there witnessing what Eric's going thru. The emotions seem more raw here, unlike other films where the actors seem to be grabbing for that paycheck.
This film won raves at the Sundance festival some years back, and I can see why. "Edge" is a combination of things: a loving "time capsule" for the Reagan era, and an affecting look at finding one's identity during a most turbulent time, the teen years.

Average customer rating:

Edge of Seventeen
Starring: Edge of Seventeen
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000A2W1LE
Release Date: 2004-05-25

DVD:

DVD

DVD