Heathers (1989)

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Veronica Sawyer	Winona Ryder	½
J.D.	Christian Slater
Heather (Duke)	Shannen Doherty	½
Heather (McNamara)	Lisanne Falk
Heather (Chandler)	Kim Walker

Review

This black teenage comedy, which has gained something of a cult following, showed every alienated teen that they weren't alone. The morbid humour may or may not work, but the social commentary is valid and, in retrospect, foresighted (ref. Columbine and other school massacres). Then, of course, there is the persistent question of whether the chicken or the egg came first, but when it comes to Heathers, it wasn't the riotous romance which was innovative, it was the portrait of the wicked high school cliques - pin-pointed or not. The film was perceived as a reaction to the many twee teen films of the 1980s, notably those directed by John Hughes. But Hughes had already done everything Heathers tried to do, and better, with The Breakfast Club four years earlier. Still, Heathers was effective enough for the careers of Ryder and Slater to explode, and for screenwriter Waters' brother to get a "remake" flying in 2004.