Over the Edge (film)
1979 film by Jonathan Kaplan
Over the Edge is a 1979 American coming-of-age drama directed by Jonathan Kaplan and released in May 1979. The film, based on actual events, had a limited theatrical release but has since achieved cult film status. It was Matt Dillon's film debut.
Plot
In Colorado's planned community of New Granada, Carl, Richie, and Claude hang out at "The Rec", an adult-supervised venue where teenagers can socialize. One afternoon, as The Rec closes, Carl and Richie are confronted by Police Sergeant Doberman, who suspects them of perpetrating a freeway sniping incident, but after being questioned at the station, both are released to their parents. The next day Carl befriends Cory, a new arrival who mildly rejects Carl's suggestion that they date. That evening, after learning from his father of the community's plans to nix construction of an amusement center, he walks to a local park where he meets Richie and they head to a nearby house party. But when police arrive to squelch the fun by reminding them of the newly-imposed curfew, Carl walks home alone and is assaulted by Mark, the real instigator of the freeway sniping.
Meanwhile, Carl's father has been trying to interest out-of-town investors in New Grenada, but Carl thwarts his attempts by booby-trapping their car. Latcher, Carl, and Richie accompany Cory and other kids on a picnic.
The public source identifies “Over the Edge (film)” as 1979 film by Jonathan Kaplan. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Over, Edge and film.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Over the Edge (film)”, the useful work is to connect “1979 film by Jonathan Kaplan” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Reception evidence should be dated and situated: later canonical status may differ sharply from the work’s initial circulation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 1, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3560412. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1979.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Over the Edge (film)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Over the Edge (film) primary sources, Over the Edge (film) archive and Over research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Over the Edge (film)”?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Over the Edge (film)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.