Over the Edge (1979) Orion/Drama RT: 95 minutes Rated PG (language, violence, vandalism, reckless behavior, drug and alcohol use- all involving teens) Director: Jonathan Kaplan Screenplay: Charlie Haas and Tim Hunter Music: Sol Kaplan Cinematography: Andrew Davis Release date: May 18, 1979 (US) Cast: Michael Kramer, Matt Dillon, Pamela Ludwig, Tom Fergus, Vincent Spano, Tiger Thompson, Harry Northup, Andy Romano, Ellen Geer, Richard Jamison, Julia Pomeroy, Lane Smith, Eric Lalich, Kim Kliner, Kristina Hanson, Dianne Reilly, Jeff Fleury, Frank Mugavero. Box Office: N/A
Rating: ****
One of the greatest movies about alienated youth and teenage rebellion ever made. I can’t put it more succinctly than that. Over the Edge, directed by Jonathan Kaplan (The Accused), is so frank and honest that nervous studio executives didn’t release it theatrically until late ‘81/early ’82. It did, however, turn up on cable TV in summer ’80 which is where I caught the first half while visiting relatives. I was 12 and couldn’t believe my luck stumbling across such a movie. These kids did such bad stuff. They talked back to cops and teachers, they drank and did drugs, they beat the crap out of “narcs” and vandalized stuff. Then my dad walked in the room and changed the channel. I didn’t get to see the whole thing until nearly two years later when it played a one-week engagement at a nearby theater (early February ’82). Even then, Dad gave me a hard time until finally relenting.
Over the Edge might never have seen the inside of theaters had it not received nearly unanimous good notices from critics. Orion initially held it back out of fear of inciting violence at theaters the same way The Warriors did that same year. It’s since acquitted cult status. It was very popular on cable TV. Kurt Cobain said that it more or less defined his whole personality. It was also the inspiration for the music video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Over the Edge is one hell of a great movie!
Inspired by true events, Over the Edge takes place in the fictional planned community of New Granada where roughly one-quarter of the population is under 15, something the town planners didn’t take into consideration. The kids have nothing better to do than hang out at the local rec center and get into trouble. And when they do, Sgt. Doberman (Northup) is right there to bust them. As one kid puts it, you can get busted in New Granada for just walking down the street.
Carl Willet (Kramer) isn’t necessarily a bad kid, but he runs with a bad crowd. His best friend is Richie White (Dillon), a punk who lives by a simple credo, “A kid who tells on another kid is a dead kid.” His other friends are Claude Zachary (Fergus), a total druggie and his younger brother Johnny (Thompson), a mute. Carl often argues with his dad (Romano) about the company he keeps. His mom (Geer) tries to keep the peace between the two. In other words, Carl isn’t all that different from any other 14YO kid.
The trouble really begins when Homeowner’s Association president Jerry Cole (Jamison) decides to scrap plans for a movie theater and roller rink and instead sell the unused property to a wealthy landowner (Smith) from Texas who plans to build an industrial center. The rec center is located right across the street from the property, so Jerry tries to have it shut down for the day so the potential buyers won’t be scared off by the teens. It doesn’t quite work out as planned; the kids still sabotage the sale by vandalizing the visitors’ rental car.
Richie comes into possession of a handgun that was stolen by Cory (Ludwig) and Abby (Kliner) during a home break-in. He uses it to scare a kid (Lalich) who sold hash to Claude then narced him out to the cops. This leads to even more trouble for Richie and Carl. Let me tell you, it ends badly for Richie. It brings about the need for a big town meeting where the adults discuss what to do about the growing youth problem. The teens, led by Carl, head to the school to confront them. When they get there, they decide to lock all the adults in the school and go on a rampage that grows increasingly more violent and destructive. I have to admit I LOVE IT! There’s something so cathartic and satisfying about total anarchy.
The screenplay for Over the Edge, written by Tim Hunter (River’s Edge) and Charlie Haas (Tex), is based on an article (“Mousepacks: Kids on a Crime Spree”) published in the San Francisco Examiner in 1973. It more or less accurately depicts the events described in the article (except for the ending). They totally nailed it! The makers get what it’s like being a teenager in a society where adults tend to put their own needs first. Jerry, for example, is so caught up in increasing property values that he doesn’t see the powder keg waiting to destroy his beloved community. Some of the parents are equally guilty. As the Texas landowner puts it, they were in such a hurry to get out of the city, they turned their kids into what they were trying to get away from. Harsh as it sounds, the adults sort of deserve what happens. At least that’s what I took away from the movie.
Over the Edge is wall-to-wall great scenes and cool dialogue. Matt Dillon, making his debut here, gets all the best lines. When Doberman asks why he and Carl felt it necessary to hide when they saw him, he belligerently replies, “We heard you were horny, man.” When Doberman inquires about the length of a pocketknife he found on Richie’s person, he replies, “Three inches. Almost as big as your d***.” LOL! Still cracks me up. The kids often refer to the local cops as pigs. In another scene, the principal shows the teens a film intended to discourage vandalism, but instead they applaud and cheer at the destructive behavior being shown. The end is totally BAD ASS!
I could go on and on, but instead I’ll shift gears a bit and talk about the realistic, convincing performances delivered by the young first-time actors. Absolutely AMAZING! Dillon conveys a James Dean-like swagger as Richie, a true rebel who openly brags about being “incorrectable” (he means “incorrigible”). It’s easy to see why he went on to be a star. Kramer is likewise good as Carl, a teen caught between keeping out of trouble and going along with the pack. 14 is a rough age, that’s for damn sure. Ludwig is also great as a girl with a reputation that turns out not to be 100% accurate. She has dreams a being a truck driver, a “gypsy of the road” as she calls it. Vincent Spano (Baby It’s You) plays Mark, an older teen that gets into a feud with Carl. He’s quite good also.
The thing about the teens in Over the Edge as opposed to the ones in Porky’s or Class of 1984 is that they’re completely believable characters. They’re the types that you see hanging out behind the school, cutting class to grab a smoke. It helps that the actors are the right age and not twenty-somethings trying to pass for teenagers.
The soundtrack, which prominently features “Surrender” by Cheap Trick is pretty awesome, but that description only applies to the original soundtrack, not the one heard in the DVD release. There was a problem with the rights to The Cars’ songs, so “Let the Good Times Roll” is gone. But at least they kept Van Halen’s “You Really Got Me”. The cinematography is first-rate. Andrew Davis, who would go on to direct Code of Silence and The Fugitive, makes great use of the empty, wide-open land that surrounds the bland planned community. The vastness and nothingness perfectly reflects the teens’ state of boredom.
Over the Edge is an outstanding film and not just because it’s about bad kids doing bad stuff (although that’s a big part of it). It has something to say about youth culture in the 70s, the downside of planned communities and the chasm that exists between kids and adults. Parents really don’t understand which is why kids act out. It’s a tough message, but one that needs to be heard.
