Girl on the Edge

I found this film not only touching but educational.  Sharing a true story about bullying and abuse is very topical,  these film makers successfully take your on a journey that includes both the family and the young teens journey through treatment.  It was truly inspiring to see how equine therapy helped the victim recover with self esteem and  self confidence and begin anew.  I think every family should sit with their teens and share this film as it's a gold ticket on what lessons are available to be shared.

I watch a lot of movies. I write very few reviews.

I have a rule not to watch anything below 5.5 rating on IMDb and make few exceptions.

Anything above a 7, and I get excited. The rating for this excuse for entertainment was 7.4 at time of writing. I've watched a lot of movies. This is not a 7.4, hence I'm writing this review to inform you that it's one of about 20 movies I've stopped without watching, and the only one rated on IMDb so highly.

C-grade cinema at it's finest. Wasted 20 minutes on a movie that should almost certainly be below my 5.5 cut off line.

This film stumbles at every juncture and in every single way. I watched it at an event to promote it and organizations that support the issues that this film portrays. The director, Jay Silverman, was present as well as the inspiration for the Peter Coyote character, a career therapist who runs some outdoor rehabilitation organizations. The topic is important and timely. Sadly, this film is dreadful from minute one. The story line is told in a manner as if the writers don't know the topic - though the director fashioned the movie around his daughter's experiences, so you'd assume some knowledge. The acting was horrendous with the exception of most of the scenes with the leading lady. The dialogue was a disjointed series of soundbites from PSAs it appears. The photography was dreadful. Finally, many of the events and outbursts by the characters were unmotivated and thus nearly every scene felt two-dimensional. Afterwards, the director, the therapist, and a local teen counselor spoke in a panel and felt the ignorance by Jay Silverman shown in all its glory. If you make a theme film, it is wise to actually understand the topic. I am pleased that your daughter didn't kill herself and she is now mentally well, but your film was a waste of my two hours.

As a father of three I found this film not only touching but educational. It deals with the important issues of dangerous online activities for teens and their aftermath. Not only shows the family's struggle but also the journey of healing using equine therapy. I highly recommend this for any family going through similar challenges. Beautifully shot with a wonderful cast. A truly inspiring story.

Girl On the Edge addresses with authenticity and respect an issue that many have either faced or know someone who has. The pressures that teens have on them today combined with the dangers of social media can easily lead good kids down the wrong path. The psychological effects can be paralyzing unless they are dealt with by professionals.

Girl on the Edge does a fantastic job of portraying how both parents and teens are affected when traumatic events happen to a family member. These are real situations that happen to real people. I recommend anyone with teenage or preteen kids to view this film as it does a great job of normalizing the very common yet taboo subject of mental health.