Talkin' 'bout my Generation

In 1965, the English rock band The Who released the single "My Generation." Ever since then, the song has been used on TV and in films to reinforce the rebellious nature of teenagers and the neverending divide between youths and adults. For many, the music and films we are exposed to as teenagers have an affect on our outlook as adults as much as the influence of our teachers, mentors, and clergy. This song is an eternal anthem which will stand forever to watch over this chasm. The "Baby Boomers" may claim this as "their" song, but it's crossed multi-generations.

For me, I fall into Generation X (people born between 1960 to 1980). My generation was initially described as: apathetic, cynical, disaffected, streetwise loners and slackers [Wikipedia], but was later revised during the height of the dotcom era as tech savy geniuses that created many of the giant internet corporations that exist today.

I got into television studio production and theatrical sound in high school. Needless to say, I had a lot of exposure to several TV/film styles and genres. As a live sound board operator, I endured very good music and extremely bad music. As any teen will seek out a "life defining" piece of work (book, music, film), I found my solice from teen-angst by watching over and over again the film Over the Edge. I think the idea of the central character, Carl, struggling to make the choice between be a "bad boy" versus be a "good boy" was something I needed to decide, too.

Theatrical Trailer/Warner Brothers


Over the Edge was first released in 1979 and since then has become a cult classic. The film never enjoyed mass distribution to chain movie theaters and in some cases was pulled in certain cities due to community concerns. Eventually, HBO picked up the film two years later and gave the public a chance to see it on cable. The film was based on a newspaper article titled "Mouse Packs: Kids on a Crime Spree" by Charles Haas which appeared in the San Francisco Examiner. The article focused on the problem of vandalism in the planned community of Foster City, California which initially didn't provide outlets (places of recreation and entertainment) for youths in their masterplan. Teens in the area fell in to drug and alcohol abuse. The rising vandalism was the tipping point that stirred the community into action. Perhaps in response to the original incident and current societal issues, the local school district has conducted workshops to help students focus on being good citizens. Kudos to Foster City and the SMFC School District!

Emergency PTA Meeting Scene/Warner Brothers


The actual school where the "PTA meeting scene" in the film took place is Nathanial Bowditch Middle School. I doubt, however, what actually happened was to the degree depicted in the film. I was a little disappointed when I drove by this school and found that it wasn't as large or as modern looking as the school used in the film. But, it didn't look that much different than any other middle school in the SF Bay Area.

Aerial view of Foster City, California/Public Domain Image
Bowditch Middle School is located roughly at 12 o'clock along the shore.

Over the Edge was released on DVD recently to the delight of many fans of the film. My VHS copy off of HBO from 1982 died about five years ago from multiple playbacks. I don't watch the film as much as I used to, but I still bring it out every now and then (maybe 3-5 times a year). By watching the film over and over again, I believe I was able to "unload" my own teenage angst, instead of lashing out in violent and unproductive ways because I saw the negative results that could happen. These days, I like watching it for the nostalgia. The film now serves as an anchor point to my youth; an intregal part of my personal history and also when I seriously started practicing karate.

Over the Edge fan sites:

Claude Zachary
Jimmy's Over the Edge Site

These clips are the source of the anti-vandalism film shown to the students.

The Problem of Vandalism - Destruction: Fun or Dumb?
part 1 part 2