80sfilms

Just before I graduated from high school, Heathers (1989) came out in theaters, and I immediately loved its dark, quirky humor and bluntness regarding high school cliques and popularity.

Of course, it helped that it starred one of my then-favorite up-and-coming actresses, Winona Ryder, as well as teen heartthrob Christian Slater (technically, he was 20 years old when the film came out, but that’s close enough!). 

In the film, Ryder played a high school girl brought into a clique of Heathers, all of whom ran the school and stomped on everyone else in the process.

Slater, who channelled Jack Nicholson in the film, played a cool, rebel kid who tried to lure Ryder’s character to the “dark” side–where no one cares what brand you wear, where your name doesn’t have to be Heather, and where popularity is based on being cool rather than being mean.

In the film, director Michael Lehmann and writer Daniel Waters treat high school students like intelligent, albeit wicked, social-ladder-climbing kids who will do anything to get and maintain popularity (which, if I remember correctly, is pretty spot on).

It won an Independent Spirit Award in 1990 for Best First Feature.

Heathersco-stars included a pre-”Beverly Hills, 90210″ Shannen Doherty, as well as Lisanne Falk and Kim Walker as the “Heathers”.

I have no doubt that films like Heathers helped pave the way for the smart, funny and dark television hits “Buffy”, “Popularity” and “Veronica Mars”.

Fans of those shows, as well as dark comedies (along the lines of Donnie Darko) will enjoy the sharp bite and still-relevant issues Heathers brings to high school.  

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