The Music at the End of the Cult-Classic Film, Over the Edge
The kids of the 1979 cult favorite, Over the Edge, from left to right: Johnny (Tiger Thompson), Claude (Tom Fergus), Carl (Michael Eric Kramer), Cory (Pamela Ludwig), Abby (Kim Kliner), and Richie (Matt Dillon). Attribution link: https://aftermoviediner.com/feed/reviews/cult-classics/over-the-edge
I’m going to explore the first and second picks of the songs that were considered for the ending of the cult-classic film, Over the Edge and I’m going to discuss why the director, Jonathan Kaplan’s second song choice actually works better for the film’s ending. I must warn you that this post contains spoilers. So, if you don’t want important plot points of the film given away, I highly recommend that you see the movie first and then read this. Based on real-life events (which are pretty accurate until you get to the Mad Max, explosive-happy ending), Over the Edge tells the story of a planned community gone wrong when its teenagers rebel against the inflexible and stifling nature of such a community.
It’s the morning after a crazy night, in which the students hold the parents, teachers, and police officers hostage at the local high school during an emergency meeting that addresses the recent death of one of its students (brilliantly played by Matt Dillon). Police officers lead them out, handcuffed, and onto a school bus that will take them to a juvenile detention center.
The original song that the director, Jonathan Kaplan, wanted for the film’s ending was The Who’s “Baba O’Riley.” I’m actually glad that Kaplan and his shoestring budget couldn’t afford it. The Who wrote this song about the concertgoers of Woodstock and how they were all wasted and refused to grow up (“Let’s get together before we get much older.”) and take responsibility for their actions (“I don’t need to be forgiven.”). This is hardly an optimistic vision of the youth of America. Their predictions for them are dire. If this is the case, then we’re also saying that the kids at the end of Over the Edge and their actions are irredeemable and that they cannot be saved.
We’re also squandering that sentimental moment when the main character, Carl (who is my favorite character of the film, played by Michael Eric Kramer), is saying a heartfelt goodbye to his well-intentioned but out-of-touch parents before the disgruntled cop, who has him handcuffed, tells him to keep moving. We’re basically siding with the jaded cop and telling them to not waste their tears on these no-good kids (“Don’t cry. Don’t raise your eye. It’s only teenage wasteland.”).
In this mindset, we’re also telling their friends, who weren’t partaking in the violence from the previous evening (They are giving them a cheerful send-off from overhead, on the highway overpass.), to not waste their emotions on their friends and to not be so overzealous in their send-off for them, as they will likely join them very soon. This is such a downer of a message and it’s a claustrophobic one too. It says that all of these teenagers are all destined and doomed to fail. The lattice-patterned screened windows of the school bus that the kids peer through and that reflect on their faces further seal their fate that they will be incarcerated for a long time–if not indefinitely.
Have a look at the ending with the song here:
The fallback song that Kaplan could afford and used for the ending is Valerie Carter’s version of “Ooh Child” and I think it works much better and is far more optimistic than “Baba O’Riley.” It has a yearning and nostalgic, Motown innocence to it that is full of hope and promise. It makes the moments when Carl says goodbye to his friends, his girlfriend, and parents all the more heartbreaking and poignant as Valerie Carter, in a soulful yet vulnerable way, belts out: “Ooh, child, things are gonna get easier. Some day, we’ll get it together and we’ll get it all done. Some day, when your head is much lighter. Some day, we’ll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun. Some day, when the world is much brighter.” It’s basically saying that the kids will get better, juvenile detention is only temporary, and that they will be reunited with their parents and friends and see easier and brighter times. This idealism is very welcoming after all of the sadness and gloominess in the film.
While a clip is unavailable of the song with the full ending, here is the song with key moments of the film and an edited ending:
