Over the Edge (1979)

I first saw this years ago on cable, and thought it was slightly overdone. Fast forward to today, and the case of Tyler Hadley in Port St. Lucie, FL, who killed his parents so he could throw the best house party ever. (His parents spent the party in their bedroom, dead.) The articles written about it stressed the kids desensitized to violence because of how little there was for kids to do in town except do drugs and commit crimes. Sound familiar? I couldn't help but think of this movie, and how they got it right more than they got it wrong. Do yourself a favor and search this one out. It's well worth it.

"Over the Edge" is to be commended for its long, hard look at the problem of troubled youth. It looks at what happens when a bunch of 14 year olds and kids even younger decide to defy authority at every turn and indulge in various criminal activities. The adults aren't part of the solution; in fact, they're part of the problem as they remain ignorant of just what their kids are up to. The cops aren't exactly sympathetic to the kids, to boot.The teens in question are part of a suburban planned community named New Granada. Seemingly with little else to do, they often hang around the local recreation centre and go so far as to deal drugs on the grounds. The story centers on Carl (Michael Eric Kramer), an easygoing guy, and Richie (Matt Dillon, making his film debut), his trouble making friend.What's so damn effective about "Over the Edge" is you believe it at every turn. The relationships are credible, for one thing. The performances of the young actors are entirely convincing; Kramer is a natural in the lead and Dillon already shows an obvious charisma as the friend. Pamela Ludwig is appealing as Carls' love interest Cory, as are Tom Fergus as Claude and Tiger Thompson as Johnny. The older actors are all solid, including Andy Romano and Ellen Geer as Carls' worried parents and Harry Northup as party pooping cop Doberman (an appropriate name, that) but the focus stays right where it should, on the restless teens. Lane Smiths' role as visiting businessman Sloan is rather brief, but he has one of the best lines in the film when he surmises that in the parents' hurry to move from the big city to a small community, they turned their kids into the kind of thing from which they were running. The intelligent script by Charlie Haas and Tim Hunter creates a scenario where things get out of control, and the problems with the kids are nowhere near close to being solved. Jonathan Kaplan directs with conviction; his father Sol composed the music score. The hip soundtrack includes tunes from groups ranging from Cheap Trick to Van Halen to The Cars to The Ramones.The finale is troubling but the good news is that, in the end, the film does maintain a degree of hope for its main character.All in all, this is a teen film worth seeking out and remembering. It sure ain't no John Hughes movie, that's for sure.Nine out of 10.

I can't offer any new observations on this movie, except like many of you it was a timewarp back my own junior high school years of the late 70's. The depiction of what those kids did then was pretty on spot. I also think the parents shown ,in the movie, was accurate as well.Like New Granada, we were bored and pretty much left to our own devices to find entertainment. We managed to con our parents and adults long enough to get away with most of what we did.For the longest time I thought it was just my particular generation and our area that was screwed up in the head...that was until I saw this movie. I swear there was lot of anger in us and it took itself out in guerrilla style rebellion against anything the adults held Holy.Then as now, I can point out supposed stable adults who were alcoholics, gamblers, kid/wife beaters, druggies and general losers as people.Then as now, kids spot hypocrisy fairly fast.

After reading reviews, both here on Amazon and elsewhere, I was expecting much from this film. And, whilst it undoubtedly stirred impassioned emotions for many, it left me rather more questioning than sympathetic.Maybe I'm just too middle-aged now, to really take the side of rebellious youths who then go on to, well, riot. With the riots over here last Summer appalling all but the perpetrators I'm afraid I wasn't hugely moved by their angst. Sure, I can understand the boredom and frustration of youth but I, myself was brought up on a farm and so there was always work and things to do when I was their age and so didn't suffer with that particular affliction.I didn't mind their dalliance with drugs, at least as far as the film was concerned; that seemed very natural and added interest and I think it was these elements that bumped the certificate up to 18. The soundtrack may have appealed to those who liked those bands, they were before my time, at least in '79, when the film was released, so I can't even say that the music was great.The young cast is undoubtedly the movie's strong point and much praise has been made on Matt Dillon's debut role. Again, maybe because of my now tender age, I found the politics and economics of it all that were causing all the social problems rather more interesting than that of the youths, which could be a bit worrying!Despite what I've said about not fully appreciating Over the Edge, it is a good film and well made and I hope that when I come to see it again, sometime, I'll get into it more.