How the punks went the way of the boomers: 'SLC Punk'! turns 25

The 1999 tribute to punk culture in an unlikely place had a surprising conclusion for a film of its era

SLC Punk! might not be the best-known film of 1999, but it stands out among the many films of that era concerned with questions related to authenticity and “selling out.” 

James Merendino directed the film, and while it was made in the late 1990s, it was set in 1986. As hinted by the title, it concerned the punk scene in the somewhat nontraditional local of Salt Lake City, Utah. 

The main characters aren’t part of a great band but rather the punk scene. Matthew Lillard starred as Steven "Stevo" Levy, a familiar archetype in 1990s movies: A youngish guy who thinks he knows everything and can’t resist the urge to constantly pontificate, whether straight to the camera or the other characters. After all, his air of superiority isn’t about music but about life in general.