Edge of Seventeen

1998
Edge of Seventeen
6.8| 1h44m| R| en| More Info
Released: 14 May 1998 Released
Producted By: Luna Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: https://strandreleasing.com/films/edge-of-seventeen
Synopsis

1984, Sandusky, Ohio. A naive 17-year-old navigates heartbreak and self-expression as he explores his sexuality.

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Dr Jacques COULARDEAU This Film is as simple as it can and should be. The situation is becoming more and more common. A teenager, a junior in his high school, discovers little by little he is attracted to men. He has a girl friend who would like the relation to go all the way, but he does not bring it there which makes him start wondering.Then he is thrown into the gay world by accident, the way most things happen in life. His first man is a sweet and maybe slightly weak predator, a senior in his high school, and a colleague at his summer workplace. The young junior falls and the senior goes to college in September. Eric will have to live alone with his recollection, his desire and the demand from his mother and society to have a normal life with a girl friend and all the rest that goes along with it. Maggie will play what she still does not know is a game.Then all that happens is accidental till it becomes a real choice. Later he will run away from a straight party when he is called a queer because he dances in a rather exuberant way. He goes to a gay night club or bar where he meets someone. The next stage later on will be to run after his first male lover and to get it finished physically and emotionally: right through to the end of the physical act and to the final closure of the emotional experience.Then he will try to go back to a normal straight life and have a night with his girl friend, Maggie. But in the morning he will feel no satisfaction, no fulfillment. He will know then lying is no solution and he will move towards telling his mother and then going back to where he finds his full both physical and emotional nourishment.The film is then interesting because it describes the slow change that occurs in Eric with total sympathy and even empathy. Eric is living what practically all human beings have lived or deserve living: the slow awakening of desire and search for satisfaction of that desire, the desire to be appealing to someone else, the desire to answer to the ones who are appealing to him, the desire to feel happy and satisfied when he meets with that mutual appeal which is first of all a strong emotion that becomes a passion. Then the physical act is like natural.This is not typical of gay men, but any man feels that transformation no matter who is the object of the nascent passion. I guess it is also the same thing for women though the film does not insist on the case of the Lesbian friend of Eric's and only shows the deception and frustration of Maggie when she realizes her appeal has been hijacked by Eric.This film insists on the role of the mother that moves from open hostility to acceptance without the know-how required by such a disquieting situation. If the mother accepts her son's choice, she will have to defend him and it when confronted to the dubitative hostility of other parents, not to speak of the open hostility of other teenagers, some school officials, PTA members, church representatives, etc.A good film on the problem and necessity to come out as soon as the appeal starts moving in you, though you need a confident, an accomplice, someone who understands and supports you in that transformation. Coming out is hard.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
amy j I honestly did not think I would like this movie. Something about the fact that it was based in the eighties made me a little edgy about seeing it. But I was actually pleasantly surprised.Chris Stafford, who I would very much like to see in bigger roles, presented an incredible portrayal of a young man struggling with his sexuality in a very bias environment. Not only did I enjoy the way his character gradually came out of his shell and embraced this part about him that he had tried so hard to deny for so long but I was just so entranced and surprised by his performance throughout the film.Anderson Gabrych as Rod was equally amazing. I was a little put off by him at first and I was extremely wary of that stereotypical gay he seemed to be at first introduction but I really enjoyed his performance, as well. And Tina Holmes was wonderful as Eric's best friend and her difficulty with the fact that the man she was in love with didn't love her that way was incredibly believable.I enjoyed each actor's portrayal of their character and the flawless acting and the sexy (but tasteful) love scenes and just about everything about the film. The only thing I did not enjoy was the end. It felt awkward and cut short and if the director was aiming for a cliffhanger, he certainly succeeded - but a little too much was left unsaid for a completely successful closing.Overall, the movie was one that I will watch many, many more times. It's an emotional, realistic insight into the struggles of coming out and embracing one's sexuality. Definitely worth the watch.
Erwino Ouwerkerk I bought the movie because of it's gay theme and because it was so much praised here on IMDb. Someone even called it 'The story of his live,' others mentioned the 'great' story, acting and directing. I must come from a whole different planet as I didn't find any of it in the movie. The story is about a boy discovering his feelings for other boys. Big deal. The rest of the movie you see the boy leading a very superficial life restrained from anything that is worth repeating here, leave alone going to see the movie for. No intellectual thoughts, no depth in feelings of love, nor those of friendship or fear or whatever. The boy hardly feels anything it seems. His feelings probably keep up with the very little he has in mind. Just as the one who wrote the story. It might have been a nice and spectacular thing if it would have been 1950. But it is not. If you like nice movies about coming of age and being gay, you better see 'Fucking Amal,' 'Beautiful thing' or 'But I'm a cheerleader.'
john_from_los_angeles CHris Stafford makes an amazing screen debt as Eric, a young man on "The edge of Seventeen"(named after the Stevie Nicks song of the same name, yet not featured on the fabulous soundtrack of 1980's songs). Set in the summer of 1984, Eric must confront his true sexuality while dealing with the pains and fear of homosexuality. Stafford's acting is flawless, as are all the actors in this BEST GAY COMMING OUT FILM of all time, in my opinion.