Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre gay teen flick with a couple good actors
Review: Maybe its because I am not far enough away from the edge of seventeen myself, but I really wasn't compelled to continue watching this movie afer the first twenty minutes. I was a little interested in seeing what it was like to be gay when I was a baby, but for the most part, I found the film to lack luster and...well...lame. It was trite in the manner in which it delivered its message. "Edge" was almost trying to be the American answer to "Beautiful Thing", but wasn't. It had its moments, however. The lead boy gave a solid performance. The script was sprinkled with laughter inducing lines (but no belly laughs here). My advice: "Beutiful Thing", "Trick", and "Lilies" are much more worthy of being in your dvd/video collection.
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: BREAK OUT YOUR CLOVES AND SOME RUSH!!
Review: This film truly took me back to the new wave teen clubs and gay bars where your age was unimportant as long as you were cute. Let me just say I loved this movie! It had all the drama, discovery, fun, sleaze, and sadness that go along with adolescence, fags, and dykes. Every character in this movie reminded me of someone stuck in Largo, Florida during the 80's just like me. If you were into Culture Club, Eurythmics, Heaven 17, the Cure, Cocteau Twins, gay bars, teen clubs, the drive-in, cloves, rush, thrift clothes, trench coats, your grandmothers costume jewelry and swatches, then you will appreciate this film!!!
Rating: 
Summary: a Gen-X dream
Review: Finally somebody has a made film about what it was to be gay in the 80s. This is the film John Hughes should have made right after Pretty in Pink. And for all intents and purposes, this is what this film is: a gay John Hughes film. Okay, somebody else had to make it for him fifteen years later, but we can let that pass. :-) I'm an 80s fan so I know my 80s music, I know 80s haircuts, and I know 80s clothes. Guess what: they got it all right in this film. Aesthetically and musically, this was an entirely perfect film. You'd have to push someone's nose into the fine print on the jewelcase to prove it wasn't made in the 80s. Another thing I appreciate about this film is its subtle interplay between two subcultures during this era -- gay culture as well as New Wave culture. The music here isn't what the Top 40 stations were playing then, and the clothes the main character wears are not what everybody was donning at high school. The main character is attracted to New Wave culture and style as a means to express his identity as a gay male. In doing so, he in effect becomes a double minority. People begin to shun him not only for his sexuality but for his appearance and tastes. This synthesis of subcultures is what spoke to me most about this film. I wonder if anybody will ever approach it again. I gave this film four stars instead of five due to the lacking acting ability on the part of the college guy. It was really dreadful. In fact, none of the acting was strong here, but at the same time, keep in mind this is meant to be an predominantly upbeat film so this does not ruin the experience by any means. They're seeking to create a faux John Hughes film. Enough said. We know this plot already, and have heard it over and over again. But Edge creates a space for itself by exploring the same question in the 1980s, when coming out really was the proverbial "big deal." And by using the cultural landscape of the 1980s as the backdrop for the tale, it tells other stories as well. If you're a gay Gen-X'er who listened to OMD, draped yourself in black, had spiked hair, wore Creepers, and used eyeliner, this is your life.
Rating:
Summary: Good but too sweet for me.
Review: I liked the movie but it was just little to romatic and un-realistic for me.
Rating: 
Summary: Misleading Cover - Disturbing Movie
Review: This film was alot heavier than I expected. The cotton candy cover led me to believe that it was a "fun" and funny film. It's alot grittier and seamier than I expected. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but it starts off nicely and then turns into a drunken slutfest! (Get your finger off that "Buy Now" Button girlfriend! You KNOW who you are.) I was SO afraid for this young man (Johnny Jailbait). I wanted someone to give him the "The Birds Sing For You Too" speech. Instead, they just hand him another beer. Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Where's the joy? Where's the love?? Where's the humanity???
Rating:
Summary: A Blast From My Past!
Review: This movie had all the ups and downs of coming out that I had in the early 80's, my growing up era. The music score was right on with each scene, and brought back a lot of memories for me, songs I had even forgotten about until viewing this movie. The acting was well paced with this young cast, and believable. If you were the kid, just coming out in or around that time, this is the movie for you, and well worth the trip each time you view it.....Happy Time Travel, I sure did!
Rating:
Summary: "Edge of Seventeen" - An Evocative, Graceful Film
Review: Released nationwide in 1999 after an initial, limited run in 1998, "Edge of Seventeen" is a beautiful, haunting, and thought-provoking film that speaks eloquently to all of us - no matter what gender and/or sexual orientation we may be. Hard-core denizens of the Religious Right won't enjoy this lovely film. As did "It's In the Water" a year earlier, "Edge" boasts a bevy of intriguing, sympathetic characters. The film's two standout performances are Chris Stafford's deft and sensitive portrayal of Eric, a 17-year-old high school student who struggles to come to terms with his sexual orientation in 1980s' Sandusky, Ohio - and Lea DeLaria's presentation of Angie, Eric's mentor and boss. DeLaria is bawdy, beautiful, witty, and bodacious. Her skillful performance adds a grateful mixture of humor and compassion, and it is a perfect complement to Stafford's sweetly textured Eric. Also deserving of honorable mention is Andersen Gabrych's excellent portrayal of Rod, a callous, opportunistic, inordinately handsome user who brings out the vulnerable and trusting Eric - and coldly leaves him to deal with the attendant emotional wreckage. Like "It's In The Water" before it, "Edge" struck a chord with this reviewer (and reformed homophobe) because it powerfully reinforced an enduring reality that I had already begun to embrace: all of us are connected by the joys and vicissitudes of life (and our own humanity), no matter if we are straight or gay. Moreover, we have a duty to be true to ourselves (something Stafford himself declared in "The Advocate" magazine in 1999). Finally, the events in "Edge" resonated deeply with this reviewer - in many ways, the film was a soundtrack of my own adolescence. Don't view this DVD if you're one of the Rev. Fred Phelps' disciples, though. One of the scenes caused me to bury my head in my lap for about 10 seconds (let's just say this depiction wasn't something I ever read about in "Clean Love and Courtship: A Guide for Young Catholic Women"). But it's doubtful that my dedication to this transcendent film will equate to 70 years of bad luck. "Edge of Seventeen" is David Moreton's heartfelt and inspiring cinematic jewel. More than presenting DeLaria's and Stafford's breakthrough performances, it's an unforgettable film for the ages.
Rating:
Summary: very real experience
Review: edge of seventeen was a very real experience for me. the film portrays all of the actors as actual folks living in the wild days of sex and drinking and disco. the story is really about how the male lead deals with his bestfriend/girlfriend. the scenes between them are unbelievable, the scenes between him and his mother are heartwrenching. this movie can be seen by straight and gay alike, the story itself is amazing and real. and lea delaria is a hoot. watch the movie and see the pain of someone coming out in a remarkable performance.
Rating: 
Summary: Lousy!
Review: The main character is far too skinny and otherwise non-sexy and, as well, borderline nelly to have pleased me in the lead role he was assigned. Consequently, I had no interest in him and must give this flick a 1.
|
