Heathers (1988)

Director:

Michael Lehmann

Writer:

Daniel Waters (written by)

Release Date:

31 March 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Plot:

A girl who half-heartedly tries to be part of the "in crowd" of her school meets a rebel who teaches her a more devious way to play social politics.

Plot Keywords:

Heather | Suicide | Clique | High School | Death

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Winona Ryder	...	Veronica
Christian Slater	...	J.D.
Shannen Doherty	...	Heather (Duke)
Lisanne Falk	...	Heather (McNamara)
Kim Walker	...	Heather (Chandler)
Penelope Milford	...	Pauline Fleming
Glenn Shadix	...	Father Ripper
Lance Fenton	...	Kurt Kelly
Patrick Labyorteaux	...	Ram
Jeremy Applegate	...	Peter Dawson
Jon Matthews	...	Rodney
Carrie Lynn	...	Martha Dunnstock aka Dumptruck
Phill Lewis	...	Dennis
Renée Estevez	...	Betty Finn (as Reneé Estevez)
John Zarchen	...	Country Club Keith

Also Known As:

Fatal Game (USA) (working title)
Lethal Attraction (USA) (working title)
Westerberg High (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | South Korea:15 | France:-16 | Canada:18A (Canadian Home Video rating) | UK:15 (re-rating) | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (NO. 29338) | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Corvales High School - 2921 Laurel Canyon Boulevard, Laurel Canyon, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New World Pictures

Trivia:

The first day of filming took place on Ash Wednesday and the first scene filmed was the croquet game that took place after J.D. fires his gun in the cafeteria.

Goofs:

Continuity: Veronica and Heather's positions as they separate at the end of the film.

Quotes:

Brad: It's so great to be able to talk to a girl and not have to ask "What's your major?". I hate that... . So, when you go to college, what subjects do you think you'll study?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gilmore Girls: Raincoats and Recipes (#4.22)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

You're The Only One For Me

Effortlessly scathing.

From the opening sequence, when the three Heather's trample on the flowers, you know you're going to be in for a special kind of film. Special doesn't begin to describe it. Heathers could easily be on of the nastiest, bitchiest and blackest teen comedies ever. It's so outrageous it's almost unbelievable at times, but it's sick and demented, and rather worryingly makes a lot of sense most of the time. It has a dream cast, and they're all perfect in their roles. Winona Ryder handles talent and beauty with ease as Veronica, whilst Christian Slater is just TOO gorgeous as JD. However, Kim Walker and Shannen Doherty are are fabulously spiteful as two of the three Heathers, perfectly capturing the malice and venom that is the essence of the film. The other was a disappointment though, she seemed pointless and nowhere near as entertaining as the other two. One thing I did enjoy though, was how the film acknowledged the airhead culture amongst some teenagers, but also challenged it with something as extreme as murder and suicide. Heathers rose above the usual trash and tried something different. The ending was brilliant, and certainly is appropriate! Heathers is definitely a teen classic, and one that will be around for a long time to come.