Review of Heathers (1989) by Kevin P — 01 Oct 2010

Heathers is a magnificent high school black comedy starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. The film shines with great performances and satirical themes throughout. The plot revolves around the most popular clique at school called Heathers, which consists of 3 girls named Heather.

Veronica (Ryder) is a Heather in training, although she doesn't find them very appealing. She eventually becomes fed up with the lead Heather, and writes in her diary that she deserves to die. Enter J.

D. (Slater). J.D. is the new kid in town. He's a loner whom Veronica becomes attracted to. Together the duo plot a revenge against the lead Heather. What makes Heathers a memorable film is the one-liners.

There are many memorable quotes that will leave audiences quoting amongst their friends for weeks to come. What's more memorable then "fuck me gently with a chainsaw", or "lick it up baby, lick it up"? It truly earns its cult status with these memorable lines.

The characters in Heathers is also what helps make this a memorable and enjoyable film. J.D. also seems to represent Veronica's dark thoughts, such as the ones she rights in her diary. He is also more violent in nature, he comes across as a very quiet and poetic individual, tho has a very violent secret.

The script was written to satirize the media's coverage of teenage suicide. At a time when teen suicides were a hot topic for mothers and news anchors alike, Heathers acts as a critic of those. By exaggerating the ludicrous treatment of the subject by the media, Heathers acts as the perfect satire for the exploitation of a subject as tragic as teen suicide.

Another thing that makes the film great is its portrayal of high-school life. While it may play into stereotypes on occasion it is mostly realistic. Veronica can connect very easily with the audience, she seems to be like any regular high-school girl.

We also have a minor character who is one of Veronica's friends, who at first glance is one of the geeks, but is a very nice and intelligent person. I can't help but laugh at how stupid the jocks in the film are.

When I was in high-school many of the jocks were actually that lame. In conclusion, Heathers is more than another 80s high-school flick. It is an amazing comparison of high-school to the real world. To quote J.

D. "high-school is society". There is something for everyone in this film, and I urge you to check out sometime soon.