Among many accusations levelled by certain critics, Hunter has often been accused of filming "for the kids". He takes their side, say pundits, even when he shouldn't. He sees it another way.
"I'd LIKE to say that all over America there are motivated kids, kids from solid families, who go to college and make an honest living. But in fact there's an underclass massively outstripping them. The suicide thing is merely a single manifestation of that. Dope is the biggest symptom of all, I think."But, DOES Hunter make films from a kid's point-of-view?
"Well. My movies are sort of stacked decks. But if you want to make a picture from the kids' view, then it's permissible to load the dice. There's just too much stuff you want to get out there. And it's not stuff you would sacrifice just to be 'balanced'."It's now been years since "River's Edge". And Hunter has long since moved on to other projects. But, in light of last April and its repercussions, does he feel that youth's situation has changed?
"Let me put it this way. You can't spend time around teens and think that. Because all this stuff is always pouring out: just how bad and confused they are feeling, how there's nowhere they feel they can go. How they may have spent last night with their mother, but tonight they're gonna be with their REAL mother. Why? Because the foster parent got a cheque last week whereas their Mom just got paid today. You can't learn that, then just put some happy, nuclear family onscreen. Not just because the nuclear family somehow still survives."
"When I did 'River's Edge' I was sort of apprehensive -- just because I'd been so involved ten years earlier. But, once again, the script was based on a real incident (ie a friend's murder classmates do not report). Plus, the author of that script was 21. He understood the intensity of teen feelings. And he grasped what changes had taken place. That when you strip away the first, superficial bonding, THESE kids couldn't even see a chance for group action. They were much more gone than the characters in 'Over the Edge'."Hunter sighs, considering both his films and the past year's events.
"'Over the Edge' talked about the start of guns and dope in suburbia. But 'River's Edge' made it look like a civics film...Now, it looks like democracy in action!"