From August of 1994 to July of 96, my family lived in Longmont, Colorado.  Whenever I think back to living in Colorado or the times that I’ve visited it since, there’s always two things that I remember.  First off, Colorado had the cleanest air that I’ve ever breathed and, for someone like me who grew up with severe asthma, that’s a big deal.  Secondly, Longmont had some great dance teachers.  I may have taken my first dance classes in Texas but I’ve always liked to think that Colorado is where I first truly fell in love with dancing.

Fortuantely, my family and I lived in Longmont and not New Granada, the setting of the Colorado-shot 1979 film Over the Edge.  New Granada is a planned community, a collection of identical houses and sterile buildings that sit out in the middle of the desert.  The majority of town’s adult population views New Granada as less a home and more of a business opportunity.  When their children misbehave, they worry less about why and more about how that’s going to effect the effort to get a visiting businessman to invest in their town.  The streets of New Granada are patrolled by a fearsome cop with the very appropriate name of Doberman (Harry Northup).  Doberman may claim to be maintaining the peace but, as quickly becomes apparent, he’s just a bully with a uniform.

Is it any wonder then that the teenagers of New Granada are out-of-control?  Between living in a town where there is literally nothing to do other than skip school, smoke weed, and hang out at a dilapidated rec center and having to deal with parents who don’t really seem to want them around, the youth of New Granada are angry and Over the Edge suggests that they have every right to be.

When Mark (Vincent Spano) uses his BB gun to shoot a hole in Doberman’s windshield, Doberman reacts by blaming and harassing Carl (Michael Kramer) and his friend Richie (a very young Matt Dillon).  When Doberman demands that Richie tell him who shot the BB gun, Richie replies, “I only got one law.  Any kid who tells on another kid is a dead kid.”

Things escalate.  When a Texas businessman visits the town, the rec center is closed in an attempt to keep any of the kids from being seen.  Doberman arrests Claude (Tom Fergus) for possessing a gram of hash, which leads to Richie realizing that one of the kids has turned into a snitch.  Doberman’s obsession with finding out who shot the BB gun leads to the death of one of New Granada’s teens. Eventually, the adults of New Granada attend an emergency PTA meeting down at the high school, just to find themselves locked into the building by their children, the majority of whom proceed to riot and destroy the town outside.

Directed by Jonathan Kaplan and based on a true story, Over the Edge is one of the best youth-in-revolt films ever made.  Not only is it well-acted (with Matt Dillion in particular showing a lot of rebellious charisma as Richie) but it’s also unique in that it is totally on the side of the young people.  While Over the Edge does not necessarily endorse the violence that dominates the film’s finale, it also suggests that acting out was perhaps the only option left to the teenagers of New Granada.  That Over the Edge was made in the 70s is obvious as soon as you hear the soundtrack and see the clothes and hairstyles.  However, with its portrayal of both youthful alienation and out-of-control authority, it’s still very relevant today.

It’s a great film with an absolutely hear-breaking ending and it’s one that you should see if you haven’t yet.

The Face of Fascism In Over The Edge