Review of Heathers (1989) by Dragana P — 02 Sep 2009

I have to credit the posters on the GoldDerby Oscar forums for me even knowing that this film exists. With that being said, I absolutely loved it. Not just for the entertainment value, but also for what it says about the then-modern society that still holds true today. A great satire, and perhaps black comedy's finest hour and forty-two minutes...

Heathers centers around a high school girl named Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder). She was a nobody, but ever since she started hanging out with (and practically being a slave to) the popular girls, the Heathers, she has found herself at a level of popularity she has never known before. The Heathers consist of three girls: Heather Chandler (Kim Walker), the leader, and the two followers Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty) and Heather McNamara (Lisanne Falk). Even though she is popular, Veronica wishes to break free from the Heathers. A new guy at the school named J.D. (Christian Slater) befriends Veronica. One day, when Heather Chandler needs a hangover remedy, Veronica and J.D. decide to make a joke on her. Without giving away what happens next, what the two do sets up the stage for the rest of the film...

Sure, it has your typical markings of the 1980s film: the slang terms, the poofy hair, the oversized clothing that was considered fashionable... overall, it probably helps the film seem more real.

The performances were all top-notch. I haven't seen much from either of them, but from what I have seen, this film marks the career-best performances of both Shannen Doherty and Winona Ryder. Doherty has a difficult role: in one part of the film she has to play the part one way, but in the second half she is completely different. Ryder was great as the conflicted Veronica.

Overall, great film 1980s classic.

Highly recommended.