Matthew Lillard, Michael Goorjian, Annabeth Gish. A punk rocker in Salt Lake City, Utah graduates from college with high honors and now must decide between Harvard Law School and a lifetime of partying with his blue hair and going nowhere fast. 1998/color/97 min/R/widescreen.

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The soundtrack was HOT too! They included many of the bands that were part of punk's eclectic mix, including Roxy Music (mother of pearl at that!), all the way through the Dead Kennedy's. The only reason I did not give it a 5 was that the punk scene was portrayed as much more violent than the one I experienced. Then again, I was in San Francisco at an earlier time - perhaps SLC punks were more into thrashing.

Even the commentary on the mods was appropriate! The entire film had much more depth and was much more thought-provoking than other more "serious" films I had recently watched. One other caveat - I would have liked to see more women with short hair. Try this movie - it will surprise you!

14 of 14 found the following review helpful:

Fantastic coming of age movie with some very funny partsJul 27, 2005
By Jessica Lux
This is a coming of age story set in the 1980's punk scene. I loved the punks in it and I won't engage in the "Stevo is a poseur or not" battle, because that's not what the movie is about (and Stevo gives the answer to that question in the final scene, anyway). Where is a more hilarious place to be a punk that the straightlaced Salt Lake City?

This movie has a lot of lighthearted and very comic moments, intertwined into a deeper story about finding your place in life. The relationship between Stevo and his dad is terrific, and I loved watching the scenes where Stevo railed on him for selling out from his hippie ideals. Stevo had a lot of hilarious and intelligent monologues in the movie, on what ideals are, what anarachy means and how fighting actually opposes anarchy, why UK punk music sucks, and what he plans to do with his life.

Watch this with your parents--everyone should get a kick out of seeing a post-college son struggle with opposing or embracing his father's ideals.

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:

Whatever you're expecting, forget itJul 27, 2001

**This film was absolutely not what I expected. I was prepared for a simple movie littered with side-splitting laughs. Which is what SLC Punks! started out to be. Quirky, intriguing characters. Funny incidents. But then it spins off into a deep, emotional drama. This completely floored me, and I loved SLC Punks! even more because it. **I can't say this movie told much of a story, and I don't think it was meant to. This movie focuses on character rather than plot, which is beautifully illustrated by the non-linear sequence of events. Stevo and Bob are introduced as 1985 SLC punks, but slowly become two people searching for themselves as the film progresses. **The acting here is absolutely fabulous. Matthew Lillard(Scream) gives us a spectacular performance, complete with much facial expression. The most powerful scene in the film is undoubtedly when Stevo finds Bob the morning after Brandy's party. He's lost and tortured, and those tears and facial torments are so real it's shocking. He's lost not only his best friend, but his inspiration, I think. After all, wasn't Bob the truest punk of them all? Michael A. Goorjian(Hard Rain) gives a fabulous performance as well, for an example watch the scene when he is confronted with the needle at the doctor's. He played the part of the neurotic, paranoia-stricken, hardcore punk true to the last thread. I personally thought Trish, as well, was very well played by Annabeth Gish(The X-Files). **Whether or not this film's focus is poseurs and punk depends how you look at it. Although they are undeniably important elements in the film, I drew very significant meaning from the characters themselves, not their lifestyle. Stevo's journey through various stages in his life had a huge impact on me as a person. But I suppose "poseur" is an integral part as well. Stevo and Bob spend their whole punk life trying to be as hardcore as possible, and being called a poseur is a horribly degrading insult. This had an impact on me as well, because in trying to be so "hardcore," maybe Stevo began to lose touch with his true character. And I think that is the beauty of him. **Watch this film. Have no expectations, draw no pretenses. Don't worry about whether or not the film itself is "poseur." Just let it take you where it wants to, and see if it has an impact on you. I'll bet it will.

7 of 7 found the following review helpful:

God Save "SLC Punk"Feb 24, 2005
By Chris K. Wilson "Chris Kent"
If you're going to appreciate "SLC Punk," the 1999 film by writer/director James Merendino, you need to have grown up during the 1980s. The film, taking place in Salt Lake City in 1984, hits all the right notes when documenting rebellion and music of the period. The lifestyles, attitudes and different cliques which spun off from American punk rock have been accurately detailed. Most importantly, the story transcends the era, revealing the frustrations of youthful rebellion and the angst of American suburban living.

There's a thread connecting "SLC Punk," "Quadrophenia," "Easy Rider" and "Rebel Without a Cause." The protagonists are cut from the same cloth - different eras, same story. "SLC Punk" has also been compared to other films detailing punk rock, most notably "Suburbia" and "The Decline of Western Civilization." "SLC Punk" comes far closer to the emotional truth of this 1980s American subculture. I related to almost every scene, though found the ending to be melodramatic. Why can't characters evolve due to changes within rather than the tragedies of others?

To see the beginnings of punk rock, all one has to do is view the extraordinary Sex Pistols' documentary "The Filth and the Fury." The anger and the music eventually spread to America, reaching such humble burgs as, according to this film, Salt Lake City. Fights with rednecks or frats were commonplace, and this is properly detailed. The chaos of concerts in small venues highlighted by thrash dancing and stage diving is expertly portrayed. The all-night parties, where wildly diverse styles including Nerds and Mods mixed with Punks, are recreated to great perfection.

"SLC Punk" documents all of this with a feverish style. The film is narrated entirely by our main protagonist Stevo, brilliantly portrayed by Matthew Lillard. This was the Reagan era, in which a movement to return to old values and traditions alienated the seeds of Woodstock. The styles of punk however, were eventually as rigid as a Southern frat house, and this is noted in "SLC Punk."

In "SLC Punk," we are much closer to our parents than we care to admit. This is emphasized during Stevo's hilarious conversations with his father, a former hippie turned lawyer who has "bought in" to the system. Played by Chris McDonald, he accepts his son's rebellion and tries to understand. Dad's a bit lost, but his love for his son is never in doubt. It's a multi-dimensional portrayal which is a highlight.

The final conflict of "SLC Punk" comes at a rapid pace, the spiral begun by an impromptu acid trip in a park leading to yet another all-night party and a drug overdose. Stevo doesn't leave the punk scene more than he evolves, as most of us do in life. There's a tendency by hardcore faithful to downgrade this film because Stevo transforms rather than giving the world the finger. He reaches his breaking point, splintering off into his own individualism. It's an oddly touching moment, spiced by an incredible flashback as Stevo takes Rush off the turntable and plays Generation X for the first time. Suddenly, the road becomes clear.

Who among us cannot recall instances from youth in which everything made sense - the translucent flash when the path cleared and we witnessed our definition? Moments like this are painful to watch because they are so truthful. Youth is pain, and "SLC Punk" is a uniquely executed slice of it.

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