Heathers (1989) on Netflix
Veronica Sawyer is the only girl in her clique not named Heather. Tired of the clique's power at school, she is drawn to J.D., who loathes queen bee Heather Chandler.
- Netflix4.2/5
- IMDb7.1/10127,532 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes95%
Trailer
Plot summary
Veronica Sawyer belongs to a popular but feared clique of three wealthy girls at Westerburg High School in Sherwood, Ohio: Heather Chandler, the ruthless queen bee, and Heather Duke and Heather McNamara. She is the only one not named Heather, and she longs for her old life among kinder, less popular friends. She becomes fascinated with Jason "J.D." Dean, a new student whose mother died by suicide and whose father is a demolition mogul obsessed with explosives. J.D. fires blanks from a gun to frighten the football players Kurt and Ram. Chandler takes Veronica to a fraternity party at Remington University, where Veronica refuses a member's advances; when she vomits on Chandler, Chandler vows to destroy her reputation. J.D. later enters her bedroom through the window, and the two agree on their hatred of Chandler's tyranny.
Cast
- Lance Fentonas Kurt Kelly
- Jon Matthewsas Rodney
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Heathers (1989)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Winona Ryder, then 15, was so eager to play Veronica that she begged writer Daniel Waters for the role and offered to work for free.
SPOILER
The original script had J.D. successfully blowing up the entire high school, ending with a surreal heavenly prom for all the dead students; New World Pictures agreed to finance the film only on the condition that this dark ending be changed.- Ryder's own talent agent was so opposed to her taking the role, fearing it would ruin her career, that the agent got down on her hands and knees begging her not to accept it; Ryder took the part anyway and later parted ways with that agent.
- Christian Slater was convinced he had botched his own audition for J.D., reportedly throwing a "big tantrum" and tossing his script in the trash, only to be cast shortly afterward; he later said he modeled his performance on Jack Nicholson.
- Heather Graham, then 17, was offered the part of Heather Chandler but turned it down because her parents disapproved of the film; the role went instead to Kim Walker, who was dating Slater.
- Heathers hit U.S. theaters in March 1989 just as its distributor, New World Pictures, was going bankrupt, and the film was considered a flop, earning only $177,247 in its opening weekend and $1.1 million total over five weeks.
- Screenwriter Daniel Waters originally wanted Stanley Kubrick to direct Heathers, partly because he believed "Kubrick was the only person that could get away with a three-hour film," and he wrote the film's opening cafeteria scene as a direct homage to the barracks scene that opens Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket.
- Brad Pitt was among the actors who read for the role of J.D. in Heathers, but his audition was unsuccessful and he did not get the part.
