While it might be
exaggerating to describe Over the Edge
as the definitive teen-rebellion movie of the ’70s, the picture certainly
captures the angst of suburban kids who feel trapped by the rigid lives their
status-obsessed parents have created. Furthermore, because this rich thematic
material is combined with a fiery screen debut (by future star Matt Dillon) and
an adrenalized soundtrack featuring songs by Cheap Trick and the Ramones, Over the Edge coalesces into a tasty
expression of adolescent rage. No surprise, then, that Over the Edge has enjoyed a long life despite never achieving
box-office success or significant mainstream awareness; savored by hip viewers
who see themselves reflected in the film’s characters, Over the Edge has become a minor cultural touchstone, reportedly
inspiring the iconic 1991 music video for Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
Loosely
based on real events that occurred near San Francisco in the early ’70s, the
movie takes place in a fictional suburb where teenagers have no place to hang
out except a dull recreation center, where adults monitor the kids’ activities.
Predictably, teenagers jacked up on hormones and rock music find outlets for
their aggression, congregating around fields and highways while experimenting
with drugs and getting into mischief. When one of the kids, Mark (Vincent
Spano), takes potshots at a police car with a BB gun, he inadvertently triggers
a chain of events that results in a crackdown by authority figures and mass
civil disobedience by the local teenagers. Tragedy ensues, as well, because the
put-upon adolescents take action after one of their number is martyred.
The
reason everything kicks up to such a high level of conflict is that
intergenerational tensions in the fictional town run deeper than just grown-up
consternation about teen issues—the adults want to raze the recreation center
and build a new business zone, permanently marginalizing the town’s youth. In
effect, it’s class warfare. Incensed that their needs are being neglected, the
movie’s core group of kids—including swaggering tough guy Richie
(Dillon)—provoke standoffs with grown-ups, eventually leading to car chases and
shootouts. The movie’s memorable finale includes an act of defiance so
destructive and flamboyant that it should thrill anyone who ever wanted to lash
out at clueless adults, roughly in the same measure that the act might horrify
anyone whose sympathies lie with the Establishment.
And even if Over the Edge ultimately pulls its
punches, opting to stay within the realm of reality instead of venturing off
into the teen-fantasy zone of Rock ’n’
Roll High School (1979) or Heathers
(1988), the picture represents a spirited middle finger to squares who suppress
kids. As for behind-the-camera significance, obviously Dillon’s presence is the
most noteworthy element—but Over the Edge
also represents a key step in the career of director Jonathan Kaplan, who cut
his teeth making exploitation movies for Roger Corman and other producers. After
shooting On the Edge, Kaplan did a
brief tenure in TV movies before breaking into studio features with ’80s hits
including Project X (1987) and The Accused (1988).
Over the Edge: GROOVY
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