Rating: 
Summary: Sweet, Charming, and Honest Queer Film
Review: "Edge of Seventeen" is for all of us who grew up gay in the 80's. This movie hits the bull's eye when it comes to capturing the nuances of the summer of 1984. If you remember listening to Eurythmics and the Thompson Twins and the whole "Second British Invasion," then you will relate to Eric and the soundtrack to his adolescence. The songs selected here evoke the emotions that Eric is going through: excitement, naivete, and a hint of melancholy underneath. It's surprising that this movie was made in 1999... you'd almost think it was filmed in the summer of 1984. Eric's journey out of the closet is a sweet and unapologetic one. Granted, the plot of the hip older guy leading the ingenue into his first taste of love and loss is not new, but the actor who portrays Eric gives a performance so honest that it's hard to believe he is acting. This is someone with good eye for detail... from his Tom Bailey haircut to the lost look in his eyes when Rod disillusions him... he really gets it right. And the scene where he comes out of the closet to his mother and pleads with her ("Look at me. Look at me.") is heart-melting.
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Thing? Get Real! Great gay-teen themed flick!
Review: Edge of Seventeen is a wonderfully realized coming-of-age film about the one teen trauma John Hughes never touched: coming out. To start with, the soundtrack is nothing short of spectacular for 80s nostalgia enthusiasts. And the costuming is eerily authentic (rumor has it that the screenwriter ransacked his own home closet to find his 80s club duds). Passing the fact that David Morton has managed to capture the feel of a Hughes teen flick (down to the great opening credits); the performances are the high point here. Chris Stafford will steal every gay Gen-Xers heart; both because he's adorably snuggleable without being implausably beautiful, and because playing a 16-yr old from the mid-80s, he's a stand-in for all of us who WISH we'd had the guts to go after the cute blond boy from our summer job (Anderson Gabrych). Of particular note is Lea Delaria supporting turn as the dyke den-momma; who provides the best possible example for how queer adults should treat queer kids. This is a film that's full of great moments (mostly dominated by Stafford), including a "first-time" love scene that will leave you twitchy with anticipation, and a rimming scene (move over, "Queer as Folk") that will have you rolling off the couch with laughter. Best of all is the fact that for a US-made gay-teen themed film, the plot finally seems to break past the level of "Afterschool Special;" enough for me to rank it above such gay film favorites as "Beautiful Thing" and "Get Real." For American queerboys who came of age in the 80s, this is as real as it gets (or as close to what we wanted in our teen years as we'll find now.) It's a must-have for your collection.
Rating:
Summary: Tender, heartfelt and Chris Stafford is amazing!
Review: This is my favorite gay themed film of all time. Set it 1984(with an awesome authentic 1980's soundtrack), Eric is enjoying the summer before his senior year in high school(played with perfection by the gorgeous Chris Stafford). His best friend, Maggie, is in love with him, but Eric is changing. He is discovering his desire for guys. This beautifully directed and scripted coming-out film boasts a fabulous cast(including a tender performance by Lea DeLarla), beauitiful acting, and startling reality. Chris Stafford is so amazing and cute and I hope to see him in many more films.
Rating:
Summary: Love in the age of new wave
Review: Yes... it's another "coming out" movie. Luckily, this one stands out from the crowd -- thanks to great performances and an honest and sensitive portrayal. It's 1984 in Sandusky, Ohio... 17-year-old Eric (Stafford) finishes his junior year at high school and takes a summer job serving food at the local amusement park, along with his best friend Maggie (Holmes). There he meets openly gay Rod (Gabrych), who sets Eric off on his road to realizing his budding homosexuality. The movie does an excellent job of showing the truthful highs & lows of coming out in your teens. In Eric's discovery, he has his first and several gay sexual experiences (and mistakes that sex for love), goes to his first gay bar, silently deals with the "queer" name calling by his classmates, hides his sexuality from his family, & sleeps with and then alienates his best female friend... all while morphing from a "nerd" into an eccentric dressing, hair-dyed 80's new wave child in his attempt to become individual. The results are honest, funny, heartfelt, and displayed with an unexpected sexual candor. The cast is absolutely fantastic. The real stand-out is Chris Stafford, who plays Eric as a sweetly naive young man without becoming sappy. Tina Holmes is great as Maggie, giving a wonderful performance of someone torn between love and then hate. Stephanie McVay plays Eric's sweet & headstrong Mom, and gives her character emotional depth (especially when Eric finally admits his homosexuality). Best of all, Lea Delaria is an absolute treat as the summer job boss and local gay bar owner that turns into the friend & tour guide we all wish we had when coming out. Accompanied by a terrific soundtrack featuring Bronski Beat, the Eurythmics, and the Thompson Twins (for all you Twins' lovers, frontman Tom Bailey composed the score!), this movie wins on all points. I think you'll greatly enjoy it and ask for a repeat viewing... especially if your life often mirrored it, like some anonymous reviewer.
Rating: 
Summary: Waiting for him to get it
Review: For anyone who has experienced the joy and pain of coming out, this movie is both a joy and a pain to watch. Despite the mid- to low-production quality, despite a little over-acting at times, Edge of Seventeen is a realistic portrayal of gay youth coming out in almost any time in the last few decades. And one can well imagine that a gay bar in Ohio in the mid-80s would be peopled with such characters as the young Eric meets there--the drag queen, the bar flies who enjoy watching the vultures swoop in on young Eric. The way in which he was used and tossed aside by older more jaded gay men was painful, and I kept waiting for him to "get it." But somehow, up until the last scene he allowed himself to continue his rather foolish behavior. The joy of watching this film is to see how Eric's parents, especially his mother, come to understand that he's rapidly changing; their supportive role is refreshing and realistic for those lucky gay teens who have parents who love without reservation. --Ronald L. Donaghe, author of Common Sons and Uncle Sean
Rating:
Summary: Love in the age of new wave
Review: Yes... it's another "coming out" movie. Luckily, this one stands out from the crowd -- thanks to great performances and an honest and sensitive portrayal. It's 1984 in Sandusky, Ohio... 17-year-old Eric (Stafford) finishes his junior year at high school and takes a summer job serving food at the local amusement park, along with his best friend Maggie (Holmes). There he meets openly gay Rod (Gabrych), who sets Eric off on his road to realizing his budding homosexuality. The movie does an excellent job of showing the truthful highs & lows of coming out in your teens. In Eric's discovery, he has his first and several gay sexual experiences (and mistakes that sex for love), goes to his first gay bar, silently deals with the "queer" name calling by his classmates, hides his sexuality from his family, & sleeps with and then alienates his best female friend... all while morphing from a "nerd" into an eccentric dressing, hair-dyed 80's new wave child in his attempt to become individual. The results are honest, funny, heartfelt, and displayed with an unexpected sexual candor. The cast is absolutely fantastic. The real stand-out is Chris Stafford, who plays Eric as a sweetly naive young man without becoming sappy. Tina Holmes is great as Maggie, giving a wonderful performance of someone torn between love and then hate. Stephanie McVay plays Eric's sweet & headstrong Mom, and gives her character emotional depth (especially when Eric finally admits his homosexuality). Best of all, Lea Delaria is an absolute treat as the summer job boss and local gay bar owner that turns into the friend & tour guide we all wish we had when coming out. Accompanied by a terrific soundtrack featuring Bronski Beat, the Eurythmics, and the Thompson Twins (for all you Twins' lovers, frontman Tom Bailey composed the score!), this movie wins on all points. I think you'll greatly enjoy it and ask for a repeat viewing... especially if your life often mirrored it, like some anonymous reviewer.
Rating:
Summary: Not to jump on the bandwagon . . .
Review: I decided to write this review after seeing the director's latest effort "Gypsy 83." Edge of Seventeen is a true-to-life (almost) account of coming out, with so many of the milestones all gay men go through at one point or another, many of them milestones that all people, gay or straight, have to face during the painful process of growing up and realizing who you are.
The reason this movie resonated so intensely with me is that, quite frankly, if you fast forward fifteen years into the future you have an account of my coming out experience.
Most movies require at least some suspension of disbelief and some empathy for unfamiliar experiences, for me; not this movie. When I followed Eric on his journey towards self-acceptance, I only had to think back and realize that his journey was one I had taken not very long before. I found myself wishing that it would be different for him, that it would have a nice, neat, happy ending; but at the same time knowing that - like most of us, so I like to think - he would come out a stronger, better person.
In short, the film's unwavering honesty and refusal to tie the scattered mess of life into a Hollywood-style conclusion makes it one to own and cherish.
Rating:
Summary: Great as a Gift
Review: If you have a gay best friend, this is the perfect gift, especially if he/she has already seen the film. I sent this to my best friend and he absolutely loved it and remarked that he was not even aware that the film had a soundtrack. Thanks to my search for the movie, surprisingly available on DVD, I was able to send my friend both the DVD and the soundtrack. He loves them both and acknowledges that he received it in the best condition.
Rating:
Summary: Coming of age, an 80's perspective
Review: The film was good. It was dark at times and reflected aspects that do not reflect in a good light, the preditory nature of some members of the Gay life. It didn't strike me as the typical feel good movie, in fact, it didn't feel good through a few scenes at all.
I like the film however, if you are looking for some light entertainment, this would not fit the bill. If your looking for hard reality and depth of emotion, this will do the trick."No pun intended"
Rating:
Summary: A Riveting Portrayal of Coming Out, Set in the 1980's
Review: Every now and then a film comes along that captivates you from start to finish - "Torch Song Trilogy" was one of the first that did that for me. "Edge of Seventeen" did it again. Maybe it's because I was 18 going on 19 when this film, set in 1984, took place. Like Eric from Sandusky Ohio, I too grew up in a small town along the New Jersey shore. And like the film's star, I too listened to music of the 80's and knew I was indeed "different". You need to buy or at least rent this film if you are male, especially a gay male, a woman, especially a woman who is the friend of a gay man, you're someone in your 20's, 30's or 40's and/or you ever knew someone that was gay. It's also a great film if you ever struggled with who you are, where you came from or faced discrimination in your life for any reason. I think that covers just about everyone now. Films like this are rare. And even more rare, is the fact that none of the major networks will even probably consider carrying it - what a loss. I'm sure if the film centered on a heterosexual male, the closeted programming people in Hollywood would jump on it. Funny how Hollywood works, for if it weren't for so many gay and lesbian actors and actresses, where would Hollywood be? But I digress. As for the film? It follows 17-year old Eric as he deals with his sexuality. He lives in at home with Mom, Dad and his brothers. He listens to music by Annie Lennox and Bronski Beat, songs he can relate too. He has a dear female friend who, unfortunately has feelings for him that he'll never truly have for her. Eric's room is adorned with posters of Billy Idol (I think I had the same one in my college dorm), and a photo of New Yorks City's skyline, eerily showing the World Trade Center towers. Eric dreamed of attending music school in New York City. His struggles in school, at work, and in relationships are near and dear to us all. Like so many of us during the "coming out" years, Eric encounters the same prejudices, the same stereotypes and the same hurt. And like anyone who has ever loved or been loved, Eric deals with the challenges of any relationship as it relates to the heart, and sex. And tries to understand the difference. What is most interesting as I watched this film (again set in 1984), is the parallels to today, nearly 20 years later. Is it really that much easier for a 17 year old youth to come out to family and close friends without fear of losing those close to him or her? The film runs 1 minute shy of 100 minutes. And if you edited out about 9 of those minutes (tops), and a few words, the film is ready for television, not that you'll probably ever see on anything other then Bravo or IFC. I honestly found the film riveting, finding myself in his shoes on so many occasion's. We need films like this to remind our youth that they are not alone, and they will be ok, no matter who they are. To be fair, a good review should always include some critique, if one is so deserving. The ending, wrapped up in about 15 minutes includes Eric coming out to his Mom, and visiting the local nightclub, where his friend Angie (played by Lea Delaria), dedicates a song to her special friend. The ending was a little too Brady Bunch sitcom. But I won't let it take away from an otherwise excellent film, which earns 5 stars in my book.
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