Heathers Movie Review

Three years before Heathers, Winona Ryder only had eyes for Corey Haim as Lucas. Heathers turned Ryder and Christian Slater into full-fledged teen stars, although Slater's Jack Nicholson imitation wore thin for this viewer by his second line of dialogue. Ryder is wonderful, though, running the full gamut of teen angst, first as the virtual slave of the three nastiest Heathers in high school, then as the can't-live-with-him/can't-live-without-him accomplice of Slater, who determines to rid the world of Heathers once and for all. Shannen Doherty is one of the Heathers, reportedly catching the attention of Tori ("Donna Martin") Spelling, who urged father Aaron to consider casting her as Brenda Walsh on Beverly Hills 90210. Screenwriter Daniel Waters and director Michael Lehmann reunited for the ill-fated Hudson Hawk. Otherwise, Lehmann directed quirky comedies (The Applegates, Airheads, and the very funny Truth About Cats and Dogs) and Waters wrote scripts for films like The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Batman, and Demolition Man. But Heathers remains the most prominent achievement on both their resumes; with its bracing satirical edge and a fearless disregard for good taste, Heathers is unlike any teen flick seen before or since.

1989 (R) 102m/C Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Kim Walker, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, Penelope Milford, Glenn Shadix, Lance Fenton, Patrick Laborteaux, Jeremy Applegate, Renee Estevez; D: Michael Lehmann; W: Daniel Waters; C: Francis Kenny; M: David Newman. Independent Spirit Awards ‘90: Best First Feature. VHS, LV, Closed Caption