Heathers (1989)
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The story
At Westerburg High School in Sherwood, Ohio, Veronica Sawyer is a member of a powerful but feared clique led by three girls named Heather. Tired of the group's oppressive behavior, Veronica longs for a different life. Her perspective shifts when she meets Jason "J.D." Dean, a mysterious and misanthropic new student. J.D. is determined to dismantle the social hierarchy of the school by targeting the popular students. As Veronica and J.D. form an unlikely bond, they begin to navigate the complexities of high school social dynamics and the dangerous consequences of J.D.'s radical methods of rebellion.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Veronica Sawyer is part of a clique of three 'Heathers' at Westerburg High School. She meets J.D., a newcomer who wants to destroy the clique's power. After a series of escalating events, including a party where Veronica's reputation is threatened, J.D. and Veronica conspire to retaliate. This leads to the accidental death of Heather Chandler, whom J.D. frames as a suicide. J.D. then manipulates the situation to 'eliminate' other students, including the bullies Kurt and Ram, while grooming Heather Duke to take over as the clique's leader. The plot culminates in J.D. attempting to blow up the school during a pep rally as a final act of defiance. Veronica discovers his plan and confronts him in the boiler room. In the ensuing confrontation, J.D. is killed by an explosion he set for himself. Veronica survives, ultimately choosing to spend the prom with a bullied classmate, Martha.
- First release year
- 1989
- Runtime (minutes)
- 103
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Michael Lehmann
- Writers
- Daniel Waters · writer
- Cast and characters
- Winona Ryder · Veronica Sawyer; Christian Slater · Jason "J.D." Dean; Shannen Doherty · Heather Duke; Lisanne Falk · Heather McNamara; Kim Walker · Heather Chandler; Penelope Milford · none
- Genres
- satirical; teen; black comedy; coming-of-age
- Themes
- peer pressure; high school popularity; misanthropy
- Tone and mood
- dark comedy; satirical; cynical
- Setting
- Westerburg High School in Sherwood, Ohio.
- Premise and plot tags
- high school; satire; misanthropy; revenge
- Content notes
- suicide
- Reception
- The film was initially considered a failure at the box office but developed a cult following. It is regarded as one of the greatest coming-of-age films of all time and is noted for its influence on the portrayal of high school popularity.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 72 · scale: 100 · review count: 20
- Awards and nominations
- Independent Spirit Award · Best First Feature · win; Edgar Allan Poe Award · Best Motion Picture Screenplay · win
- Production trivia
- The script was originally intended to be directed by Stanley Kubrick.; The original script featured a different ending where the school was successfully blown up.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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