Heavenly Creatures (1994)

Two girls have an intense fantasy life; their parents, concerned the fantasy is too intense, separate them, and the girls take revenge.

Director:

Peter Jackson

Writers:

Fran Walsh (screenplay), Peter Jackson (screenplay)

Stars:

Melanie Lynskey, Kate Winslet, Sarah Peirse

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 17 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Melanie Lynskey	...	Pauline Parker
Kate Winslet	...	Juliet Hulme
Sarah Peirse	...	Honora Parker Rieper
Diana Kent	...	Hilda Hulme
Clive Merrison	...	Dr. Henry Hulme
Simon O'Connor	...	Herbert Rieper
Jed Brophy	...	John / Nicholas
Peter Elliott	...	Bill Perry
Gilbert Goldie	...	Dr. Bennett
Geoffrey Heath	...	Rev. Norris
Kirsti Ferry	...	Wendy
Ben Skjellerup	...	Jonathan Hulme
Darien Takle	...	Miss Stewart
Elizabeth Moody	...	Miss Waller
Liz Mullane	...	Mrs. Collins

Storyline

Based on the true story of Juliet Hulme and Pauline Parker, two close friends who share a love of fantasy and literature, who conspire to kill Pauline's mother when she tries to end the girls' intense and obsessive relationship.

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Plot Keywords:

friend | friendship | fantasy life | 1950s | writing | 

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Taglines:

Not all angels are innocent.

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for a chilling murder and some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

New Zealand Germany

Language:

English French

Release Date:

14 October 1994 (New Zealand)

Also Known As:

Heavenly Creatures: The Uncut Version

Filming Locations:

Canterbury, New Zealand

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$3,049,135 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

WingNut Films, New Zealand Film Commission, Fontana Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min 108 min (uncut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Melanie Lynskey was cast as Pauline Parker two weeks before filming began. Co-writer Fran Walsh discovered her at the last minute while scouring local high schools for Parker lookalikes.

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Goofs

When Juliet drops the gem, Pauline then points it out and we see a shot of it. Then we see a second shot of it, as Honora picks it up. Between the two shots the position of leaves and twigs around the gem changes.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[Director Peter Jackson opens with the scene that should, logically, end the film: that is, the moments immediately following the murder. The girls Juliet and Pauline run screaming up the hill-path to the tea-house, sobbing and covered in blood. The scene is intercut with b&w visions of the two running across a ship deck to meet Dr. and Mrs. Hulme, whom they both refer to as their mother, as the first three exclamations of "Mummy!" demonstrate]
Juliet Hulme: Mummy!
Pauline Parker: Mummy!
Juliet Hulme: Mummmmy!
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Preceding the end credits: "In the hours following Honora's murder, a police search of the Rieper house unearthed Pauline's diaries. This resulted in her immediate arrest for the murder of her mother. Juliet was arrested and charged with murder the following day. After Pauline's arrest it was discovered that Honora and Herbert Rieper had never married. Pauline was therefore charged under her mother's maiden name of Parker. In August 1954, a plea of insanity was rejected by the jury in the Christchurch Supreme Court trial, and Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme were found guilty of murder. Too young for the death penalty, they were sent to separate prisons to be 'Detained at Her Majesty's Pleasure.' Juliet was released in November, 1959 and immediately left New Zealand to join her mother overseas. Pauline was released two weeks later but remained in New Zealand on parole until 1965. It was a condition of their release that they never meet again."

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Connections

Features The Third Man (1949)

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Soundtracks

"E Lucevan le Stelle"
Written by Giacomo Puccini (as Puccini)
Performed by Peter Dvorský
Courtesy of Naxos

User Reviews

Looming Darkness.

Based on a true story that took place in New Zealand in the mid-1950s, "Heavenly Creatures" is one of those films that seems tame at first glance, but is full of explosive devices. Co-writer/director Peter Jackson (of "The Lord of the Rings" fame) crafts a highly-disturbing motion picture about two teenaged girls (Melanie Lynsky and Kate Winslet, in the role that put her on the cinematic map) who have a highly potent relationship that is based on their love for literature and their love for a conjured-up fantasy world. Their intense friendship borders the line on a deep obsession as the two become inseparable. Their parents believe that lesbianism may be part of the partnership. Even though there are dream sequences and undertones aplenty to point to that, the girls' friendship does not go that way in real life. As others try to separate them for good, the girls come up with a devious plan to destroy who they feel is the major culprit (Lynskey's mother, played by Kirsti Ferry). The movie goes into a dark place and its somewhat sweet candy-coating tries to hide the fact that this was a truly major incident in a time and place where things like this just did not occur. Jackson was going for something like Peter Weir's equally disturbing "Picnic at Hanging Rock", but ends up creating a film that runs rings around that disappointing work. Jackson's smart direction just enhances a really intelligent Oscar-nominated screenplay. Kate Winslet does truly steal the show from Lynskey who was meant to be the real focal point of the production. A good film that would lead to even better works for the major players involved. 4 stars out of 5.