Edge of Seventeen (1998)

the leading man is my tpye

Best movie of this year hands down!

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Great movie, punk and 80's style runs rampant. An interesting note for those who may have heard of Cedar Point the amusement park near Sandusky, Ohio. The movie was partially filmed there, the teens have summer jobs in the park in the 80's. Brought back wonderful memories to me, I grew up going there every summer. It was also an all around beautiful and touching movie showing the struggle of growing up knowing you are different. And not quite knowing how or why or where to go next until you meet someone also different. It gives the individuals inside us all encouragement to be well... an individual. It's being able to be yourself.

Can't relate to Sixteen Candles? or Pretty In Pink? Well, here is your movie. A bit racier than a John Hughes film, but more REAL. No dream hunks (Michael Schoeffling mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm), no grand gestures, and no wacky sidekicks.Sure, the characters are a bit "stereotypical", but remember back to when you first came out, didn't they all seem like stereotypes? Weren't the only people you KNEW were gay the ones that were OBVIOUSLY gay?This movie captures the angst and the uncertainty perfectly. And those of us who were in high school then, we can relate to how hard being labeled the "Queer" was. These kids all do a great job of acting these parts. Awkward girl with a crush on a gay guy, gay guy trying to figure out why he isn't straight, and the cast of other "Misfits" who befriend the gay guy and show him the "ropes". Don't forget the predatory gay men who take advantage, and the Mother who just wants to "understand" and be there for him.If you were ever a teenager coming to terms with who you are, this movie will speak to you. Like they have read your mind. I don't think enough honor has been paid to whomever wrote this movie. I am amazed to see someone hit the nail that directly on the head. Worth the watch for any gay person (especially boys). You are not alone!!

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.

I found this to a fair film of growing up in a traditional household, with certain parental expectations differing from personal ones. There is a common theme with other movies of this genre but each is different. Finding out who you are and who your real friends are is very important regardless of your sexuality. And that is the real value of this film. I only wished there was more family involvement and exploration of the pesonalities of the characters.