Themes: Fighting the System, Runaways, Down on Their Luck
Main Cast: Bill Coyne, Chris Pederson, Timothy Eric O'Brien, Jennifer Clay, Wade Walston
Release Year: 1983
Country: US
Run Time: 99 minutes
Plot
Following up her critically acclaimed documentary The Decline of Western Civilization, Penelope Spheeris made this gritty drama her first feature-film outing. Bill Coyne stars as Evan Johnson, an angst-ridden kid living in L.A., who bands together with a group of other young societal rejects and immerses himself in the mid-'80s punk rock scene. Most of the cast was comprised of actual teenagers off the streets of Los Angeles. Among them is Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. Suburbia is also known as The Wild Side and Rebel Streets, and should not be confused with the 1996 Richard Linklater film of the same name. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
Review
The first narrative feature film from Penelope Spheeris, Suburbia is an '80s classic along the same lines as her punk rock documentary The Decline of Western Civilization. Shot in Southern California during the Reagan era, Suburbia effectively captures the time and place that could create a group of discordant young people into a group called "the Rejected." Casting real-life street kids, Spheeris achieves the realism that Hollywood actors couldn't have offered, but the movie still suffers from amateur acting and shoddy production. However, the technical details aren't really the point for the D.I.Y. attitude of the intended audience. With Roger Corman producing, this sociological study is filled with action, chases, and some violence for low-budget entertainment value. The music is a vital element, and fans will be pleased to see footage of bands like T.S.O.L. and the Vandals, as well as the acting debut of Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Made before the idea of punk rock became overwhelmingly marketable and before Spheeris moved on to mainstream fare like Wayne's World, Suburbia ranks up there with Repo Man as an enjoyable rebellious '80s teen movie. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Cast
Bill Coyne - Evan
Chris Pederson - Jack
Timothy Eric O'Brien - Tom
Jennifer Clay - Sheila
Wade Walston - Joe
Grant Miner - Keef; Flea - Razzle; Robert E. Griffin - Baby; Andrew Pece - Ethan; Anna Schoeller - Anna; Julie Winchester - Blonde; Ray Lawrence - Elderly Man; Jeff Prettyman - Bob Skokes; J. Dinan Myrtetus - Sheila's Father; Donald V. Allen - Officer Rennard; Christina Beck - Tiresa; Gil Christner - Jerry 7-11; Maggie Ehrig - Mattie; Robert Peyton - Jim Triplett; John McCormack - Bouncer; James Harrison - Repaint Store Man
Credit
Penelope Spheeris - Director, Ross Albert - Editor, Alex Gibson - Composer (Music Score), Tim Suhrstedt - Cinematographer, Roger Corman - Producer, Bert Dragin - Producer, Nancy Arnold - Set Designer, Penelope Spheeris - Screenwriter
With the exception of Bill Coyne, who is a professional actor, director Penelope Spheeris recruited street kids and punk rock musicians to play each role, rather than hire young actors to portray punk rockers.
Vincent Canby called it a "clear-eyed, compassionate melodrama about a bunch of young dropouts" and "probably the best teen-agers-in-revolt movie since Jonathan Kaplan's Over the Edge."[2]
The movie contains live footage of D.I. performing "Richard Hung Himself", TSOL performing "Wash Away" and "Darker My Love," and The Vandals performing "The Legend of Pat Brown". In turn, the movie inspired the Pet Shop Boys song "Suburbia."
