Edge of Seventeen (1998)

Brilliantly thought-out... I can tell you what any character is thinking at any point in the movie. Not that it's so simple and obvious, in fact there are several things that I missed the first (and second) time through. What I'm getting at, is that the dialogue and the emotions are realistically written and perfectly performed.

Shot on-location in Sandusky, this film gives plenty of opportunities for an Ohioan like me to say "I've been there!" and adds another dimension of realism. The only thing about the movie that disappointed me was that so many things were left uncertain at the end; but maybe the point is supposed to be that a "coming-of-age" story is never really finished.

Fmovies: Captures the feeling so well of one young man as he comes out and seeks love.

Not all gay men QUEENISH (but who's to say there is anything wrong with that anyway) or PROMISCUIOUS (but who's fit enough to judge).

Many gay people experience being taken for a ride when coming out. Many gay people desperately try to fit a preconceived mold (either gay or straight) and only learn to break free when it all goes wrong. The trying to be straight, the hurting the best (female) friend through thoughtlessness, rather than intentionally, chasing monogamy from bed to bed, the yearning to love and be loved.

I know so many people that will recognize this story, Which is sensitively portrayed in this film.

Not everyone will have experienced this, but a lot will and their story deserves to be told as well.

This is definitely one of the best gay "coming-of-age" films that I've ever seen. Screenwriter Todd Stephens' choice of era (80's) to showcase his story can not be any more appropriate, drawing a parallel between the struggle of a young gay man in coming to terms with his sexuality and a nation in realizing "all that glitters is not gold." Both required the courage to honestly looked at the truth, and this is ultimately what "Edge of Seventeen" managed to accomplish. Quite often in the world of celluloid, being gay is reduced to being comical, sacchrined, or "romantically" bleak. Director David Moreton knew better. He chose to give us a multi-faceted depiction of gay experience instead. There's a bit of tears, some heartaches, a tinge of angst, a sense of loss, and a healthy dose of laughter; Kudos to the entire cast for their wonderful performances. The lead character could not have been played better by Chris Stafford, who has the incredible ability to convey such wide range of emotions/reactions, from being speechlessly moved with a sense of implicit pressured in realizing how hard his parents have to work to send him to college, to being awkwardly "pleasured" during a post-clubbing front-seat rimming session. Tina Holmes also delivered an outstanding performance as the "girlfriend" of the lead. Instead of playing it like a stereotypical witty and I've-got-ten-thousand-comeback-line faghag, Holmes' Maggie is every bit as complex as the young man in the spotlight. At times, she reminded me of a young Meryl Streep, with her dead-on display of subtle emotional shifts.

Edge of Seventeen fmovies. "Edge of Seventeen" is pretty close to accurate in its portrayal of life in the '80's. It also has a few genuine laugh moments, many "I've been there too" scenes, and very likeable performances by all the leads. The film takes a misstep in the sex scenes. The one in the dorm room has no reason to exist. What does it add to the story or its characters? Several people were either using the rest room---or they agreed with me. They walked out as the scene progressed. Lea DeLaria is a blast as the gung-ho lesbian cafeteria manager. She is both funny and warm. Chris Stafford is mesmerizing as "Eric." A positive review in the Seattle Times compared him to Montgomery Clift---in both physical appearance and ability to convey conflicting emotions with his expressions. So, the entire film I had the feeling I'd seen Stafford before...but it was really Clift I was thinking of. Stafford is very brave here, asked to do some pretty awkward things in the name of the character---and doing them with simplicity and charm. It is a shame that more money was not spent by Strand releasing on both a better sound track dubbing and more publicity. The poster for the film is like an afterthought---probably a foot by a foot in size. It didn't come close to filling the poster sign board. But, "Edge of Seventeen" will undoubtably fill a void in the lives of some teens currently trying to "come out" in little town USA. Or perhaps fill the void many of us felt for NOT coming out as teens in the glam '80's.

I didn't cry. Not once during the outstanding film "Edge of Seventeen" was I even tempted - and that is one of the film's main strengths. Director David Moreton has given us an honest, completely believable story about a young man named Eric (Chris Stafford), still seventeen years old and in high school. Eric has a best friend, Maggie (Tina Holmes) and they do everything together - even getting a job at a local amusement park in the restaurant. One of Eric's co-workers is an unabashedly gay college student by the name of Rod (Anderson Gabrych), who immediately comes on to him. Eric, confused by his sexuality, finally succumbs to his urges and believes he's met the love of his life.

Like "Beautiful Thing," a British movie exploring the coming of age and coming out of young gay men, "Edge of Seventeen" features strong performances by its young actors in difficult roles. Tina Holmes, playing Maggie, reminds me of a good friend I once had during my coming out process. Chris Stafford, a dead ringer for David Bowie, is so utterly convincing in his role that I empathize with him completely. I think we were all once Eric, torn between our desire to please our parents and friends, and our need to be completely honest with ourselves. Eric experiments with many things - hairstyles, clothing (at one point he looks like Boy George), the local gay bar - conveniently run by Lea DeLaria, the supervisor at his summer job.

DeLaria, playing Angie, provides both comic relief and good advice in a sympathetic, no-nonsense character that made me wish for a mentor like her. Someone who was older, gay, and willing to listen so that I could vent my frustrations without having to feel scared or apologetic. Like all the characters in screenwriter Todd Stephens' script, Angie is both intellectually and emotionally honest, never resorting to cheap shenanigans or pointless mugging to get a laugh.

The comedy in "Seventeen" is true - and so is the drama. Nothing seems forced or contrived here; the situation is all too familiar for that. When Eric finally tells his mother he's gay, she simply says, "I know" and gives him a big hug. Her next reaction, that of "Where did I go wrong?" is one that so many mothers have voiced and acted upon; our hearts all go out to her.

I said earlier that one of the main strengths of "Edge of Seventeen" is that it never made me want to cry. For a movie that touches upon so many personal subjects - coming out, coming of age, loss of innocence - cheap sentimentality is a very easy route to go. By never resorting to this type of stunt, "Edge of Seventeen" becomes an elegant, moving tribute to one young man's personal odyssey. This film is an absolute must-see and is destined to stand up with "Beautiful Thing" and "Lilies" as classics of gay cinema.

One of the better "coming of age" films about gay youth. Especially effective in this movie is Tina Holmes, who plays Maggie, Eric's best friend/girlfriend. She brings a true sense of innocence to the film, and when she discovers the truth about Eric, her pain is real. This is a young woman to watch! The film doesn't flinch in its look at the wonder, confusion, and deception associated with the coming out process, and despite some awkward direction, Edge of Seventeen succeeds at opening the eyes of its audience, both gay and straight.