Heathers (1988)

In order to get out of the snobby clique that is destroying her good-girl reputation, an intelligent teen teams up with a dark sociopath in a plot to kill the cool kids.

Director:

Michael Lehmann

Writer:

Daniel Waters

Stars:

Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty

3 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 Shear	...	Rodney (as Jon Matthews)
Carrie Lynn	...	Martha 'Dumptruck' Dunnstock
Phill Lewis	...	Dennis
Renée Estevez	...	Betty Finn (as Reneé Estevez)
John Zarchen	...	Country Club Keith

Storyline

A regular girl, Veronica, tries to survive the social jungle of high school by sticking with the three most popular girls at school who are all called Heather. As she meets a sociopath named JD, her life spirals into a continuous cycle of hate, unintentional murder and indifference, as she exacts revenge on her enemies, also known as her best friends.

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Plot Keywords:

clique | high school | suicide | sociopath | murder | 

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Taglines:

Best friends, social trends and occasional murder.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 March 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fatal Game

Filming Locations:

Church of the Angels - 1100 Avenue 64, Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$1,108,462 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New World Pictures, Cinemarque Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed in 32 days in July and August 1988.

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Goofs

When Veronica comes out of the Snappy Snack Shack with the large Slushee that JD just bought for her, she waves it around and holds it with a bent wrist in a way she couldn't possibly do if it were almost full of a heavy liquid (revealing that the cup is actually empty).

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Quotes

Heather Chandler: You wanted to be a member of the most powerful clique in school. If I wasn't already the head of it, I'd want the same thing.

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Connections

Referenced in Chillerama (2011)

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Soundtracks

You're The Only One For Me
Written & Performed by Stewart Levin

User Reviews

Wicked Funny

Unlike many of the teen movies that have enjoyed enduring appeal, "Heathers" survives not due to nostalgia, but because of its intelligence and searing, midnight-black wit.

Winona Ryder is Veronica, the disillusioned popular girl who falls in with a dangerous loner - Christian Slater as the malefic J.D. The two attempt to right their high school's social wrongs and end up on a killing spree.

Released on the cusp of the 1980s, the film feels strikingly prescient and more disturbing than ever today.