Heathers is a 1989
black comedyA black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
film starring
Winona RyderWinona Ryder is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas. Ryder's first significant role came in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition...
,
Christian SlaterChristian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
and
Shannen DohertyShannen Maria Doherty is an American actress, producer, author and television director, known for her work as Heather Duke in Heathers , as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and its spinoff series 90210, and as Prue Halliwell in Charmed .-Early life and career:Doherty was born in Memphis,...
. The film portrays four girls in a trend-setting
cliqueA clique is an exclusive group of people who share common interests, views, purposes, patterns of behavior, or ethnicity. A clique as a reference group can be either normative or comparative. Membership in a clique is typically exclusive, and qualifications for membership may be social or...
at a fictional Ohio high school. The girls — three of whom are named Heather — rule the school through intimidation, contempt, and sex appeal.
Heathers brought director
Michael LehmannMichael Stephen Lehmann is an American film and television director.Lehmann attended Columbia University. His first job in the film industry was answering phones at Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope film company. Later he supervised cameras on films that included 1983's The Outsiders...
and producer
Denise Di NoviDenise Di Novi is an American film producer.-Personal life:When she was three years old, Denise and her family moved to Los Angeles from New York, where her father Gene Di Novi - a musician - made music for the TV shows of Danny Thomas, Dick Van Dyke and Andy Griffith. Prior to that, Gene worked...
the 1990 Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature.
Daniel WatersDaniel "Dan" Waters is an American screenwriter and film director. He is the older brother of director Mark Waters.-Screenwriting credits:...
also gained recognition for his screenplay, which won a 1990
Edgar AwardThe Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
. The film was a U.S. box office failure, but went on to become a
cult classicCult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
, with high rentals and sales business. In 2006, it was ranked #5 on
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
's list of the "50 Best High School Movies" and in 2008, it was ranked #412 on
Empires list of
The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.
Plot
The film centers on 17-year-old Veronica Sawyer (
Winona RyderWinona Ryder is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas. Ryder's first significant role came in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition...
), an intelligent teenager who is one of the most popular girls at Westerburg High School in Sherwood, Ohio. In addition to Veronica, the popular clique consists of three wealthy and beautiful (but deeply unhappy) girls with the same first name: the malicious leader of the pack, Heather Chandler (Kim Walker); the bookish
bulimicBulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and purging or consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time, followed by an attempt to rid oneself of the food consumed, usually by purging and/or by laxative, diuretics or excessive exercise. Bulimia nervosa is...
Heather Duke (
Shannen DohertyShannen Maria Doherty is an American actress, producer, author and television director, known for her work as Heather Duke in Heathers , as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and its spinoff series 90210, and as Prue Halliwell in Charmed .-Early life and career:Doherty was born in Memphis,...
) and the weak-willed cheerleader Heather McNamara (
Lisanne FalkLisanne Falk is an American actress and film producer.She played the role of Heather McNamara in the black comedy film Heathers .Falk is also a former child model who worked at the Ford Modeling Agency with a young Brooke Shields...
). These three rule Westerberg through cruelty. Though they are the most "popular" students, the Heathers are feared and hated. Veronica has had enough of their shallow behavior and longs to return to her old life and her nerdy friends, including Betty Finn (
Renée Estevez-Early years:Estevez was born in New York City, New York, the daughter of artist Janet and actor Martin Sheen. Her father is of Spanish and Irish descent. Her three brothers are also actors: Emilio Estevez, Ramon Estevez and Charlie Sheen. Her husband, Jason Thomas Federico, has been a...
), whom the Heathers despise and ostracize.
When a new student, a rebellious, self-styled outsider named Jason Dean (
Christian SlaterChristian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
), or J.D. for short, pulls a gun on
school bulliesSchool bullying is a type of bullying that occurs in connection with education, either inside or outside of school. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or emotional and is usually repeated over a period of time.In schools, bullying occurs in all areas...
Kurt Kelly (
Lance FentonLance Fenton is an American film actor.Fenton played the role of Jay Jansen in Night of the Demons . Later, he acted in Heathers opposite Christian Slater and Winona Ryder.-External links:...
) and Ram Sweeney (
Patrick LabyorteauxPatrick Labyorteaux is an American actor. He is best known for his roles of Andrew Garvey on the NBC series Little House on the Prairie as well as Bud Roberts on the hit CBS series JAG.-Life and career:...
) and fires blanks at them, Veronica finds herself fascinated with him. Veronica attends a frat party with Heather Chandler; when Veronica refuses sex and throws up, Heather vows to destroy her reputation. J.D. shows up at Veronica's house and after some flirting they end up playing strip
croquetCroquet is a lawn game, played both as a recreational pastime and as a competitive sport. It involves hitting plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through hoops embedded into the grass playing court.-History:...
and making love outside, after which Veronica tells J.D. she wants to make Heather Chandler puke her guts out. The next morning, Veronica and J.D. break into her mansion and jokingly prepare a cup full of drain cleaner to bring Heather as a morning wake-up drink but they accidentally serve it to her and she dies in front of them. J.D. urges Veronica to protect herself from suspicion by forging a dramatic suicide note in Heather Chandler's handwriting.
The school and community look on Heather Chandler's apparent suicide as a tragic, yet somehow hip, decision made by a popular but sadly troubled teenager. Heather Duke soon steps into Heather Chandler's former role as clique leader and begins wearing a red
scrunchieA scrunchie is a fabric-covered elastic hair tie, commonly used to fasten long hair. Large, elaborate styles and diminutive, unassuming forms are available in many different colors, fabrics, and designs....
that had belonged to Chandler.
Several days later, after Veronica blew them off on a double-date with Heather McNamara, the oafish Kurt and Ram spread a false rumor about Veronica's giving
oral sexOral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
to them at the same time, ruining her reputation at school. J.D. proposes that Veronica lure them into the woods behind the school with the promise to "make the rumors true"; then, they will shoot them with "special" German
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
bullets that will knock them unconscious but not kill them. J.D. will plant "gay" materials beside the other boys, including a candy dish, a stick of mascara, a postcard of
Joan CrawfordJoan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
, a
gay pornographicGay pornography is the representation of sexual intercourse between men with the primary goal of sexual arousal in its audience. There is also a tradition, and continuing considerable output, of lesbian pornography....
magazine, a bottle of
mineral waterMineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
and a suicide note stating the two were lovers participating in a
suicide pactA suicide pact is an agreed plan between two or more individuals to commit suicide. The plan may be to die together, or separately and closely timed. Suicide pacts are important concepts in the study of suicide, and have occurred throughout history, as well as in fiction.Suicide pacts are generally...
. Ram is shot but Veronica misses Kurt, who runs away. Veronica realizes that the bullets are real; J.D. chases Kurt back towards Veronica, who panics and shoots him dead. At their funeral, Kurt's father (Mark Carlton) is seen wailing, "My son's a homosexual and I love him. I love my dead gay son!" and the boys are made into
martyrA martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s against
homophobiaHomophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
. Although she keeps dating J.D., Veronica is alarmed by his angry views and also by what she observes of J.D.'s relationship with his harsh, corrupt father (Kirk Scott); she also learns that J.D.'s mom may have
killed herselfSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
to escape from his dad.
Other students begin mimicking the perceived behavior of the popular dead kids and attempting suicide themselves. Martha Dunnstock, an obese, regularly bullied student known as "Martha Dumptruck", pins a suicide note to her chest and walks into traffic. She survives but is badly injured and is mocked for trying to "act popular". Heather McNamara calls a popular radio show one night while Veronica and Heather Duke are listening and talks of depressing aspects in her life; the next day, Heather Duke tells the entire school about Heather McNamara's radio call and McNamara attempts to take her life by overdosing on pills in the girls' bathroom but is saved by Veronica. Heather Duke has turned out to be as nasty and malicious as the late Heather Chandler and she and Veronica cease to be friends.
Veronica tells J.D. that she will not participate in any more killings. He plans to kill Heather Duke next and subtly threatens to do the same to Veronica if she does not cooperate. Veronica instead tricks J.D. by using a harness to make it look like she has hanged herself. Heartbroken, he reveals his plan to blow up the entire school during a
pep rallyPep rallies are events that occur primarily in the United States and Canada. A pep rally is a gathering of people, typically students of middle school, high school and college age, before a sports event. The purpose of such a gathering is to encourage school spirit and to support members of the...
. A petition he has been circulating via Heather Duke, to get the band Big Fun to perform on campus was actually a disguised suicide note. Most of the students had already signed, so the
mass murderMass murder is the act of murdering a large number of people , typically at the same time or over a relatively short period of time. According to the FBI, mass murder is defined as four or more murders occurring during a particular event with no cooling-off period between the murders...
would appear to be a
mass suicide- Examples :Mass suicide sometimes occurs in religious or cultic settings. Defeated groups may resort to mass suicide rather than being captured. Suicide pacts are a form of mass suicide unconnected to cults or war that are sometimes planned or carried out by small groups of frustrated people...
instead.
Veronica confronts J.D. in the boiler room, where he is rigging timed explosives. She attempts to kill him when he refuses to stop the bomb. As J.D. collapses, he stabs the timer and it stops. Veronica walks out through the pep rally with everyone cheering, unaware of their near miss. The severely injured J.D. follows her outside, offers up what amounts to a personal eulogy as Veronica looks on in respect and detonates a bomb that is strapped to his chest.
In the film's final scene, Veronica, covered in ash and bleeding slightly, confronts Heather Duke in the halls, takes Heather Chandler's red scrunchie, says "Heather my love, there's a new sheriff in town" and invites Martha Dunnstock to hang out on prom night and watch movies with her, a final display that the Heathers' reign is over.
Alternate ending
In this version, J.D. dies in the boiler room and Veronica is shown walking through the school, though only from the back. This is interrupted by shots of the bomb counting down, showing that Veronica had not shut it off. When she reaches the front of the school, Veronica turns around, allowing the viewer to see that the bomb was strapped to her chest. It hits zero, the screen turns black and Veronica says "Boom". The next scene is the school prom. A banner says "WHAT A WASTE, OH THE HUMANITY." The students begin to dance, soon with people from different cliques as couples. Dead characters (such as Kurt and J.D.) make appearances. The Heathers do a ring-around-the-rosey. The camera moves up to reveal Martha Dunnstock, then a smiling Veronica.
Cast
- Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas. Ryder's first significant role came in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition...
as Veronica Sawyer
- Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
as Jason "J.D." Dean
- Shannen Doherty
Shannen Maria Doherty is an American actress, producer, author and television director, known for her work as Heather Duke in Heathers , as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and its spinoff series 90210, and as Prue Halliwell in Charmed .-Early life and career:Doherty was born in Memphis,...
as Heather Duke
- Lisanne Falk
Lisanne Falk is an American actress and film producer.She played the role of Heather McNamara in the black comedy film Heathers .Falk is also a former child model who worked at the Ford Modeling Agency with a young Brooke Shields...
as Heather McNamara
- Kim Walker as Heather Chandler
- Penelope Milford
Penelope Milford is an American film, stage, and television actress.An alumnus of the Chicago/New York theatrical scene , American actress Penelope Milford struck paydirt with her first film Coming Home...
as Pauline Fleming
- Glenn Shadix
William Glenn Shadix Scott , born William Glenn Shadix, was an American actor, known for his role as Otho Fenlock in Tim Burton's horror/comedy film Beetlejuice and the voice of the Mayor of Halloween Town in The Nightmare Before Christmas.-Early life and education:Shadix was born in Bessemer,...
as Father Ripper
- Lance Fenton
Lance Fenton is an American film actor.Fenton played the role of Jay Jansen in Night of the Demons . Later, he acted in Heathers opposite Christian Slater and Winona Ryder.-External links:...
as Kurt Kelly
- Patrick Labyorteaux
Patrick Labyorteaux is an American actor. He is best known for his roles of Andrew Garvey on the NBC series Little House on the Prairie as well as Bud Roberts on the hit CBS series JAG.-Life and career:...
as Ram Sweeney
- Jeremy Applegate
Jeremy Applegate was an American television and film actor.Born as Paul Andrew Boyce, Applegate's biggest role was Peter Dawson in Heathers in 1989. In 1996, he had a minor role in The Cable Guy. On March 23, 2000, Applegate committed suicide by gunshot, aged 34.-Filmography:-External links:...
as Peter Dawson
- Jon Matthews as Rodney
- Carrie Lynn as Martha "Dumptruck" Dunnstock
- Phill Lewis
Phill Lewis is an American film and television actor,director and comedian, often seen in comedic roles. He is best known for his role as Mr. Moseby on Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and its spin-off, The Suite Life on Deck. He also played T.C...
as Dennis
- Renée Estevez
-Early years:Estevez was born in New York City, New York, the daughter of artist Janet and actor Martin Sheen. Her father is of Spanish and Irish descent. Her three brothers are also actors: Emilio Estevez, Ramon Estevez and Charlie Sheen. Her husband, Jason Thomas Federico, has been a...
as Betty Finn
- Jennifer Rhodes
Jennifer Rhodes is an American actress whose career spans four decades.- Life and career :Jennifer Rhodes grew up in Rosiclare, Illinois, a small town on the Ohio River.She also has one sister, Kim Rhodes. She became interested in theater while attending Southern Illinois University and moved to...
as Mrs. Sawyer
- Bill Cort as Mr. Sawyer
- Kirk Scott as Big Bud Dean
- Mark Carlton as Mr. Kelly
- John Ingle
John Ingle is an American actor known for his role as scheming patriarch Edward Quartermaine on the ABC daytime drama, General Hospital.-Career:...
as Principal Gowan
Production
Daniel WatersDaniel "Dan" Waters is an American screenwriter and film director. He is the older brother of director Mark Waters.-Screenwriting credits:...
wanted his screenplay to go to director
Stanley KubrickStanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
, not only out of profound admiration for Kubrick but also from a perception that "Kubrick was the only person that could get away with a three-hour film" (The cafeteria scene opening
Heathers was written as an homage to the barracks scene opening Kubrick's
Full Metal JacketFull Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is an adaptation of the 1979 novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford and stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Arliss Howard and Adam Baldwin. The film follows a platoon of U.S...
.) After a number of failed attempts to get the script to Kubrick made Waters realize the apparent futility of the enterprise, he decided to give the script to
Michael LehmannMichael Stephen Lehmann is an American film and television director.Lehmann attended Columbia University. His first job in the film industry was answering phones at Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope film company. Later he supervised cameras on films that included 1983's The Outsiders...
, who then took it on with
Denise Di NoviDenise Di Novi is an American film producer.-Personal life:When she was three years old, Denise and her family moved to Los Angeles from New York, where her father Gene Di Novi - a musician - made music for the TV shows of Danny Thomas, Dick Van Dyke and Andy Griffith. Prior to that, Gene worked...
. Many actors and actresses turned down the project because of its dark subject matter. Early choices for J.D. and Veronica were
Brad PittWilliam Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
and
Jennifer ConnellyJennifer Lynn Connelly is an American film actress, who began her career as a child model. She appeared in magazine, newspaper and television advertising, before making her motion picture debut in the 1984 crime film Once Upon a Time in America...
. Although Pitt auditioned for J.D., the filmmakers rejected him because they thought he came across as "too nice" and therefore would not be credible. Connelly declined.
Winona RyderWinona Ryder is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas. Ryder's first significant role came in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition...
— who was 16 at the time of filming and badly wanted the part — begged Waters to cast her. She was eventually given the role;
Christian SlaterChristian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
was signed on after.
Heather GrahamHeather Joan Graham is an American actress. She has appeared in such films as Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Lost in Space, Bowfinger, From Hell, Anger Management, and The Hangover...
, then 17, was cast as Heather McNamara, but her mother wouldn't allow her to do the film., so
Lisanne FalkLisanne Falk is an American actress and film producer.She played the role of Heather McNamara in the black comedy film Heathers .Falk is also a former child model who worked at the Ford Modeling Agency with a young Brooke Shields...
was given the role.
Principal photographythumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
took place in 1988, and lasted 32 days.
Two stars of the film died at an early age:
Jeremy ApplegateJeremy Applegate was an American television and film actor.Born as Paul Andrew Boyce, Applegate's biggest role was Peter Dawson in Heathers in 1989. In 1996, he had a minor role in The Cable Guy. On March 23, 2000, Applegate committed suicide by gunshot, aged 34.-Filmography:-External links:...
, who played Peter Dawson, committed suicide with a shotgun on March 23, 2000; and Kim Walker, who played Heather Chandler, died of a
brain tumorA brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
on March 6, 2001.
Soundtrack
The film uses two versions of the song "Que Sera, Sera", the first by singer
Syd StrawSyd Straw is an American rock singer and songwriter. The daughter of actor Jack Straw , she began her career singing backup for Pat Benatar, then took her distinct voice to the indie/alternative scene and joined the Golden Palominos...
and another over the end credits by Sly and the Family Stone. On the film's DVD commentary, Di Novi mentions that the filmmakers wanted to use the original
Doris DayDoris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
version of the song, but Day would not lend her name to any project using profanity. Di Novi also notes that, when her father was a session musician for Day, he and the other musicians had to put money in a "swear jar" when they cursed.
The song "Teenage Suicide (Don't Do It)" by the fictional band Big Fun was written and produced for the film by musician Don Dixon, and performed by the
ad hocAd hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
group "Big Fun", which consisted of Dixon,
Mitch EasterMitch Easter is a songwriter, musician, and producer. As a producer, he is probably best known for his work with R.E.M. from 1981 through 1984, though he has also worked with many other acts including The Hang Ups, Pavement, Suzanne Vega, Game Theory, Marshall Crenshaw, Velvet Crush, and...
, Angie Carlson and
Marti JonesMarti Jones is a singer and painter originally from Uniontown, Ohio.Jones was initially a member of the band Color Me Gone, who recorded one EP for A&M Records in 1983. Her first solo album, 1985's "Unsophisticated Time" , was produced by Don Dixon...
. The song is included on Dixon's 1992 greatest hits album
(If) I'm A Ham, Well You're A Sausage.
The film's electronic score was composed and performed by
David NewmanDavid Louis Newman is an American composer and conductor known particularly for his film scores. In a career spanning nearly forty years, he has composed music for nearly 100 feature films.-Life and career:...
and a soundtrack CD was subsequently released.
Home media
Heathers was first released onto
VHSThe Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
in 1989, where it received strong sales and rentals, and is where it first became well known after being unsuccessful at the box office. It was released again on
laserdiscLaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
on September 16, 1996 with restored stereo sound. This widescreen edition was digitally transferred from Trans Atlantic Pictures interpositive print under the supervision of cinematographer Francis Kenny. The sound was mastered from the magnetic sound elements. The film was first released onto
DVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on March 30, 1999, in a barebones edition.
In 2001, a multi-region special edition DVD was released from
Anchor Bay EntertainmentAnchor Bay Entertainment is a U.S. based home entertainment and production company and is a division of Starz Media, which is a unit of Starz, LLC. It was previously owned by IDT Entertainment until 2006 when IDT was purchased by Starz Media. Anchor Bay markets and sells feature films, series,...
in Dolby Digital 5.1. The DVD was released in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe to high sales. In 2004, a limited edition DVD set was released, and only 15,000 were produced. The set contained an
audio commentaryOn disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
with director
Michael LehmannMichael Stephen Lehmann is an American film and television director.Lehmann attended Columbia University. His first job in the film industry was answering phones at Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope film company. Later he supervised cameras on films that included 1983's The Outsiders...
, producer
Denise Di NoviDenise Di Novi is an American film producer.-Personal life:When she was three years old, Denise and her family moved to Los Angeles from New York, where her father Gene Di Novi - a musician - made music for the TV shows of Danny Thomas, Dick Van Dyke and Andy Griffith. Prior to that, Gene worked...
and writer
Daniel WatersDaniel "Dan" Waters is an American screenwriter and film director. He is the older brother of director Mark Waters.-Screenwriting credits:...
, a 30-minute documentary titled
Swatch Dogs and Diet Cokeheads, featuring interviews with Ryder, Slater, Doherty, Falk, Lehmann, Waters, Di Novi, Director of Photography Francis Kenny and Editor Norman Hollyn. It also includes a theatrical trailer, screenplay excerpt, original ending, biographies, 10-page full-color fold-out with photos and liner notes, a 8 cm "Heathers Rules!" ruler, and a 48-page full-color "yearbook style" booklet with rare photos.
On July 1, 2008, a new 20th anniversary special edition DVD set was released from Anchor Bay to coincide with the DVD of writer Waters' new film
Sex and Death 101Sex and Death 101 is a 2007 dark comedy science fiction film written and directed by Daniel Waters released in the United States on April 4, 2008...
. The DVD features a new documentary,
Return to Westerberg High. On November 18, 2008, Anchor Bay released a
Blu-rayBlu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
with all the special features from the 20th Anniversary DVD and a soundtrack in Dolby TrueHD 5.1.
Sequel
On June 2, 2009,
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
reported that Ryder had confirmed that there will be a
sequelA sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to
Heathers with
Christian SlaterChristian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
coming back "as a kind of Obi-Wan character". Michael Lehmann, the man behind the original film, however, has denied that a sequel's development, saying "Winona’s been talking about this for years — she brings it up every once in a while and Dan Waters and I will joke about it, but as far as I know there’s no script and no plans to do the sequel."
Television series
In August 2009, it was announced that
Heathers was to be adapted for television. Mark Rizzo has been hired to write the series, and
Jenny BicksJenny Bicks is an American television producer and screenwriter, most notable for her work as a television writer on the HBO series, Sex and the City and as the creator and writer of the ABC series, Men in Trees....
will co-produce with
Lakeshore EntertainmentLakeshore Entertainment Group is an American independent film production company founded in 1994 by Tom Rosenberg and Ted Tannebaum . Lakeshore Entertainment is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California...
. It is described as a modernized version of the original story, and all characters from the film are all expected to be scripted into the adaptation.
Musical
Heathers is currently being adapted into a
stage musicalBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
which will be directed by Andy Fickman. Fickman also worked on the musical
Reefer MadnessReefer Madness is a musical satire of the 1936 cult classic Reefer Madness that opened in Los Angeles in 1998. The book and lyrics were written by Kevin Murphy and the music by Dan Studney. Directed by Andy Fickman, it was initially shown at the Hudson Theater on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los...
, a parody of the anti-marijuana
propagandaPropaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
film
of the same nameReefer Madness is a well-known 1936 American propaganda exploitation film revolving around the melodramatic events that ensue when high school students are lured by pushers to try "marijuana" — from a hit and run accident, to manslaughter, suicide, attempted rape, and descent into madness...
which was turned into a
feature filmReefer Madness premiered on April 16, 2005 on the Showtime cable network. It is a television movie version of the 1998 musical, and stars Alan Cumming as the Lecturer, Ana Gasteyer as Mae, and Kristen Bell as Mary. The movie also stars siblings Christian and Neve Campbell as Jimmy Harper and Miss...
on Showtime. The
Heathers musical, which opens with a number depicting Veronica's acceptance into the Heathers' clique, has received several readings in workshops in Los Angeles, and a three-show concert presentation at
Joe's PubJoe's Pub at Public Theater is a nightclub that hosts live performances regularly. The venue, which is a non-profit operation, is located at 425 Lafayette Street near Astor Place in Manhattan, New York City...
in New York City on September 13–14, 2010. The cast of the Joe's Pub concert included
Annaleigh AshfordAnnaleigh Ashford is an American actress known for her Broadway credits in Wicked, Legally Blonde, and Hair.-Early life:Annaleigh Ashford was born Annaleigh Swanson in Denver, Colorado to Holli Swanson, a gym teacher...
as Veronica,
Jenna Leigh GreenJenna Leigh Green is an American actress and singer best known for her performances as Libby Chessler on the television show Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and on Broadway and on tour in the musical Wicked.-Early life and career:...
as Heather Chandler, and Jeremy Jordan as J.D. The score does, in fact, include a rousing number called "My Dead Gay Son."
Trivia
- American rock band AFI
AFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...
has a song on their album Crash LoveCrash Love is the eighth studio album by the rock band AFI. Produced by Joe McGrath and Jacknife Lee, it was released on September 29, 2009 through Interscope Records.- Background and recording :...
entitled "Veronica Sawyer Smokes". Lead singer and lyricist Davey HavokDavid Paden Marchand , more commonly known by the stage name Davey Havok, is the lead vocalist of the American rock band AFI and the electronic music band Blaqk Audio....
is known to be a fan of Winona Ryder and her works.
- American band From First to Last
From First to Last was an American rock band based out of Los Angeles, originally hailing from Valdosta, Georgia and Tampa, Florida. The band released their first EP titled Aesthetic in 2003 with vocalist Phillip Reardon, followed by Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count in 2004 and Heroine in...
has an album entitled Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count-Personnel:From First to Last* Sonny Moore – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, programming* Matt Good – Clean vocals, lead & rhythm guitars* Travis Richter – Screamed & clean vocals, rhythm & lead guitars...
based on a line Winona RyderWinona Ryder is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas. Ryder's first significant role came in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition...
spoke in the film, as she wrote in her journal
- Jeremy Applegate
Jeremy Applegate was an American television and film actor.Born as Paul Andrew Boyce, Applegate's biggest role was Peter Dawson in Heathers in 1989. In 1996, he had a minor role in The Cable Guy. On March 23, 2000, Applegate committed suicide by gunshot, aged 34.-Filmography:-External links:...
, whose character Peter Dawson said in the movie: "Dear God, please make sure this never happens to me because I don't think I could ever handle suicide", comitted suicide in 2000.
- Kim Walker
Kimberly Anne "Kim" Walker was an American actress, perhaps best-known for playing the role of Heather Chandler in the film Heathers....
, whose character Heather Chandler made a remark in the movie about "having a brain tumor for breakfast" died of a brain tumor in 2001.