Edge of Seventeen (film)
Encyclopedia
Edge of Seventeen is a 1998 coming of age
romantic
comedy-drama film
directed by David Moreton, written by Moreton and Todd Stephens
, starring Chris Stafford
, and co-starring Tina Holmes
and Andersen Gabrych
.
teenager finds out who he is and what he wants, who his friends are, and who loves him. This autobiographical tale is set in Ohio
in the 1980s.
.
Much of the filming took place in Sandusky, Ohio
and the amusement park scenes were filmed at Cedar Point
, the amusement park where the writer actually worked when he was in high school.
in June 1998 and the Sundance Film Festival
in January 1999, before getting a limited release
in June 1999.
Edge of Seventeen currently holds a 71% 'Fresh' rating on review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes
.
1998 San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
romantic
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
comedy-drama film
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
directed by David Moreton, written by Moreton and Todd Stephens
Todd Stephens
Todd Stephens is an American film director, writer, and producer. He was raised in Sandusky, Ohio, which has served as the setting for several of his films, many of which are gay-themed. He both wrote and produced the autobiographical coming out film Edge of Seventeen, which was released in 1998...
, starring Chris Stafford
Chris Stafford
Chris Stafford is an American actor. He has acted in film and television including Law & Order and the coming-out movie Edge of Seventeen, for which he received the Best Actor award at Outfest, and an Independent Spirit Award nomination.-External links:...
, and co-starring Tina Holmes
Tina Holmes
Tina Holmes is an American television and film actress.- Early years and education :Holmes grew up in New York City and Connecticut. An Ivy Leaguer, she attended Yale University for two years followed by a move to Paris, France studying French Literature at the Sorbonne...
and Andersen Gabrych
Andersen Gabrych
Andersen Gabrych is an American comic book writer and actor. He was born on September 4, 1973 in Tokyo, Japan and raised in Chico, California, where he was known as "Ande."-Biography:...
.
Plot
In Edge of Seventeen, a gayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
teenager finds out who he is and what he wants, who his friends are, and who loves him. This autobiographical tale is set in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in the 1980s.
Cast
- Chris StaffordChris StaffordChris Stafford is an American actor. He has acted in film and television including Law & Order and the coming-out movie Edge of Seventeen, for which he received the Best Actor award at Outfest, and an Independent Spirit Award nomination.-External links:...
as Eric - Tina HolmesTina HolmesTina Holmes is an American television and film actress.- Early years and education :Holmes grew up in New York City and Connecticut. An Ivy Leaguer, she attended Yale University for two years followed by a move to Paris, France studying French Literature at the Sorbonne...
as Maggie - Andersen GabrychAndersen GabrychAndersen Gabrych is an American comic book writer and actor. He was born on September 4, 1973 in Tokyo, Japan and raised in Chico, California, where he was known as "Ande."-Biography:...
as Rod - Stephanie McVay as Mom
- Barbie Marie as Frieda
- John Eby as Dad
- Lea DeLariaLea DeLariaLea DeLaria is an American comedienne, actress, and jazz musician. The "famously controversial" DeLaria was "the first openly gay comic to break the late-night talk-show barrier" with her 1993 appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show....
as Angie - Jeff Fryer as Johnathon
- Jason Anthony GriffithJason Anthony GriffithJason Anthony Griffith is an American actor and voice actor who has worked on several animated TV series, and was the voice of SEGA mascot Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as Shadow the Hedgehog and Jet the Hawk, in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, where he is credited as Jason Griffith and...
(uncredited) as Scott
Production
While part of this film was set at The Ohio State University, a portion of the filming was completed at Oberlin CollegeOberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
.
Much of the filming took place in Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
and the amusement park scenes were filmed at Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
, the amusement park where the writer actually worked when he was in high school.
Release and reception
The film premiered at the New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film FestivalNew York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival
NewFest: The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival put on by The New Festival, Inc., is one of the most comprehensive forums of international LGBT film/video in the world....
in June 1998 and the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in January 1999, before getting a limited release
Limited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
in June 1999.
Edge of Seventeen currently holds a 71% 'Fresh' rating on review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Awards and nominations
1998 OutfestOutfest
Outfest is an LGBT-oriented film showcase and festival in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1982 as the "Gay and Lesbian Media Festival and Conference", the name was changed to Outfest in 1994.-Programs:...
- Won Audience Award
- Outstanding Narrative Feature (David Moreton)
- Grand Jury Award
- Outstanding American Narrative Feature (David Moreton)
- Outstanding Screenwriting (Todd StephensTodd StephensTodd Stephens is an American film director, writer, and producer. He was raised in Sandusky, Ohio, which has served as the setting for several of his films, many of which are gay-themed. He both wrote and produced the autobiographical coming out film Edge of Seventeen, which was released in 1998...
)
1998 San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
Frameline Film Festival
Frameline is a nonprofit media arts organization that produces the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, the oldest film festival devoted to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender programming currently in existence...
- Won Audience Award
- Best Feature (David Moreton)
See also
- "Edge of SeventeenEdge of Seventeen (song)"Edge of Seventeen " is a song written and recorded by American singer Stevie Nicks, the third single from her successful 1981 solo debut album Bella Donna...
", the Stevie NicksStevie NicksStephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
song in which the film's title is based