Stephens immediately set out putting his experiences together into a fictionalized screenplay. He says, ''I jotted the major events of my coming out onto index cards, shuffled them endlessly and gradually turned them into scenes. Fueled by a video marathon consisting of Risky Business, Fast Times at Ridgemont Highand the John Hughes trilogy, I sat down at the computer and printed a first draft out eight days later. That was the easy part. Then came the endless re-writes. Looking back, I can see that with every new draft I discarded the more fictional elements and brought it closer to my own experience."

When the script was completed, Stephens, who at that time was planning to direct himself, set out to find a producer. He met David Moreton in June of 1997 and gave him the script. Says Moreton, " I actually didn't want to read it. All I knew about the script was that it was a 'coming out' story. Haven't we heard this a thousand times? But as I read through the script I realized this wasn't just about a kid coming out. This wasn'tjust another story of a boy losing his virginity. Here's a seventeen-year-old hero who fights to be truthful. Edge shows us what we lost along the way to being honest with the world. Too many of these stories end with the notion that by coming out everything will be rosy. But in this movie, Eric must = lose something in the process of coming out to his family and friends. y es, it's better to be honest, but it comes at a price. It's a more spohisticated look at the subject."

Local residents had a mixed reaction to the film crew. Ruffled by anything out of the ordinary, the police were called on the filmmakers four times in one shooting day. Although many locals were helpful, others were less tolerant of the filmmakers' prescence and objective. In much the same way Eric's character finds his lifestyle unsuited to mid-westem standards, the cast and crew found themselves, on more than a few occasions, fighting attitudes many thought had eased since 1984.

"It was a difficult decision whether to let it be known that Edge was a gay film," says Stephens. "For better or worse, we decided not to tell the whole truth. 'It's about a slightly different teenage boy who comes of age in a small town' was the twisted pitch. We felt uncomfortable about disguising the story but felt we wouldn't get the necessary help in tenns of free extras, etc. a low bidget film requires. Of course, word leaked out anyway. Several days after shooting in a nearby high school, a number of parents called the production office to express their "shock and outrage" after discovering the homo-factor from several script pages left behind at the location."

"W e encountered countless stares and several blatant outbursts of homophobia," Moreton adds. "The realtor who rented us Eric's 'house' even accused the wardrobe crew of being witches and warned of a 1:OO a.m. visit to make sure no 'funny business' was going on. Thankfully the support of several members of the local gay community and Todd's family took up much of the slack."

For Stephens, however, returning to Ohio, with the prospect of seeing his life unfold in front of him at the actual 'scene of the crime,' he decided the film might be better served with a more objective eyes. He asked David to step in as drector. Explains Stephens, "During the writing process, my friends asked if it was difficult to turn my life into a screenplay. At the time it wasn't. But back home in the reality of Ohio, I felt I was too close to the material -- and that Dave would have a more objective eye."

Says Moreton, "Stepping in as director not long before shooting began was both thrilling and frightening. But luckily I was supported by a talented crew that was deeply commited to getting this film made. I know its a cliche to say that filmmaking is a collaborative art, but Edge of Seventeen is proof that when filmmakers believe in something, collaboration is a powerful creative choice."

Even though the story was specifically Stephens', many of the crew found themselves personally attached to the project. When Karen Jaroneski, the Associate Producer and 1st Assistant Director first read the script, she called the filmmakers, saying, "Oh my God, I came out in 19S3 in Akron!" In addition, Gina DeGirolamo (DP) was from Cleveland, Michael Wolfson (Co-Producer) from Pittsburgh, Ivor Stilen (Production Designer) from Wisconsin, and Ane Crabtree (Costume Designer) from Indiana. Says Moreton,"This is my life' was something we started hearing a lot."

The film wrapped on schedule mid-November. After returning home to their respective cities, many cast and crew members suffered what became known to the crew as the "Lake Effect," a condition which induces traumatic flashbacks of growing up in the Midwest. Says Stephens, "Fortunately we all survived and made a movie to tell about it."

Looking at the project now, Moreton says, ''I have been involved in the movie for over a year and I hear the same reaction again and again. Over and over people (gay and straight) tell me that they identify with the feelings of isolation, rejection, and fear that Eric confronts. Eric must search to find his place in the world, and that struggle is common among all of us. Most members of the crew wanted to be part of this project because they identified with Eric. They were willing to work for little money in the middle of nowhere so they could make sure this story was told. So may have found Eric sympathetic because he speaks to our desire to find out where we fit in."