Edge of Seventeen

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Edge of Seventeen

Released Jun 11, 1998

1h 39m

Comedy

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

25 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Set in 1984 in Sandusky, Ohio, it follows the coming-out of a naive 17-year-old at exactly the moment when gender-bending pop stars like Boy George and the Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics were flaunting androgynous images. As the youth, played with a heartbreaking sweetness by Chris Stafford, goes through his first rites of gay passage he emerges as a poignant gay everyman.

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Critics Consensus

A time capsule assembled with honesty and sensitivity, Edge of Seventeen overcomes youthful fumbles to capture a time of life -- and an era.

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Desson Thomson

Washington Post

Writer Todd Stephens and director David Moreton give us the inside scoop, live and direct, from Eric's heart.

May 28, 2020

Full Review

Barbara Shulgasser

Chicago Tribune

Writer Todd Stephens and director David Moreton show a gift for solid, emotionally realistic storytelling in a sensitive -- if racy -- coming-of-age tale.

Rated: 2.5/4

May 28, 2020

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

The actors mainly come across as movie types rather than characters, and despite the obvious sincerity of the project, deja vu seems written into the conception.

May 28, 2020

Full Review

Jan Stuart

The Advocate

The film has a "lived" quality that lets you know the writer has been there.

Apr 19, 2022

Full Review

Phoebe Flowers

Miami Herald

It's a fine debut script by Stephens, and Moreton is able to get startling performances out of his neophyte actors.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 17, 2021

Full Review

Joe Reid

Decider

More than anything, the movie is a collection of moments that feel so real.

May 28, 2020

Full Review

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david f

This is a wonderful coming of age film about a teenager wrestling with his gay feelings. It has great 80s period details, a fantastic indie vibe, and some of it was shot at Cedar Point where the teen has a terrible summer job that nonetheless gifts him with helpful friends and mentors. Eric's sexual experimentation, the rifts with his best friend and family, and his tentative and frequently revised plans for the future are relatable and heartbreaking. This is a great film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Absolutely incredible- best coming of age film I've ever seen. Makes breakfast club look like Minions 2

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

cinephile f

I love this movie and think it's one of the best gay films ever made. It's a really tender coming of age film with a very senstive protagonist that I think a lot of gay men can really relate to. I wish more gay films were like this one. I especially love the lesbian "big sister" character.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Really touching and a good plot. I felt the ending was a bit anticlimatic and unsatisfying but a very good LGBTQ classic.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Perhaps my new favorite movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Painfully realistic portrayal of coming out in that era. Beautiful music.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

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David Moreton

Director

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Andersen Gabrych

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Synopsis

Set in 1984 in Sandusky, Ohio, it follows the coming-out of a naive 17-year-old at exactly the moment when gender-bending pop stars like Boy George and the Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics were flaunting androgynous images. As the youth, played with a heartbreaking sweetness by Chris Stafford, goes through his first rites of gay passage he emerges as a poignant gay everyman.

Director: David Moreton
Producer: David Moreton, Todd Stephens
Screenwriter: Todd Stephens
Distributor: Strand Releasing
Production Co: Luna Pictures, Blue Streak Films
Genre: Comedy, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 11, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 2, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $870.8K
Runtime: 1h 39m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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