Edge of Seventeen

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Edge of Seventeen

1998

1h 39m

Comedy

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

79%

Tomatometer

24 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

May 28, 2020

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

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Barbara Shulgasser

Chicago Tribune

May 28, 2020

2.5/4

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

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

May 28, 2020

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.

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Jan Stuart

The Advocate

Apr 19, 2022

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

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Phoebe Flowers

Miami Herald

Aug 17, 2021

3.5/4

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

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Joe Reid

Decider

May 28, 2020

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

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Buddy W

@BuddyW Feb 8, 2026

Powerful, fun and heartfelt. That scene with the mom at the end will leave you in tears.

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david f

@dfulmer Jul 26, 2022

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.

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Jan 22, 2022

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

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cinephile f

@RT52030170 Jan 12, 2022

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.

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Dec 27, 2020

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

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Dec 12, 2020

Perhaps my new favorite movie

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David Moreton

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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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