Editing Heathers

{{Short description|1989 American black comedy film by Michael Lehmann}}
{{About|the film|the musical adaptation|Heathers: The Musical|the TV series|Heathers (TV series)|other uses|Heather (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Heathers
| image          = Heathers (1989).png
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Michael Lehmann]]
| producer       = [[Denise Di Novi]]
| writer         = [[Daniel Waters (screenwriter)|Daniel Waters]]
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Winona Ryder]]
* [[Christian Slater]]
* [[Shannen Doherty]]
}}
| music          = [[David Newman (composer)|David Newman]]
| cinematography = [[Francis Kenny]]
| editing        = [[Norman Hollyn]]
| studio         = Cinemarque Entertainment
| distributor    = [[New World Pictures]]
| released       = {{start date|1988|10|24}} (Italy)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sagindie.org/indie-news/good-reads-heathers/ | title=Good Reads: HEATHERS Edition | date=March 28, 2019 }}</ref>{{film date|1989|1|21|[[Sundance Film Festival|Sundance]]|ref1=<ref name ="hicks">{{cite news|last1=Hicks|first1=Christopher|title=United States Film Festival|page=28|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Aul-kAQHnToC&dat=19890120&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|work=[[Deseret News]]|date=January 20, 1989}}</ref>|1989|3|31|United States|ref2=<ref name="maslin">{{cite news|last1=Maslin|first1=Janet|author-link1=Janet Maslin|title=Review/Film; When a Not-So-Bad Girl Turns Very, Very Bad|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/31/movies/review-film-when-a-not-so-bad-girl-turns-very-very-bad.html|url-status=live|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 31, 1989|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426064323/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/31/movies/review-film-when-a-not-so-bad-girl-turns-very-very-bad.html|archive-date=April 26, 2022|url-access=subscription}}</ref>}}
| runtime        = 103 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 102:59--><ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/heathers-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zndeznzu| title=''Heathers'' (15) | work=[[British Board of Film Classification]] | date=July 26, 1989 | access-date=November 4, 2022}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $3 million<ref>{{cite web | url=http://powergrid.thewrap.com/project/heathers | title= 'Heathers' Anthology Series Gets Pilot Order at TV Land | work=[[TheWrap]] | date= September 6, 2016 | access-date=November 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084034/http://powergrid.thewrap.com/project/heathers |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref>
| gross          = $1.1 million<ref name="mojo"/>
}}

'''''Heathers''''' is a 1988<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sagindie.org/indie-news/good-reads-heathers/ | title=Good Reads: HEATHERS Edition | date=March 28, 2019 }}</ref> American [[Teen film|teen]] [[black comedy]] [[crime film]] written by [[Daniel Waters (screenwriter)|Daniel Waters]] and directed by [[Michael Lehmann]], in both of their respective film debuts.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/heathers-v21973 |title=Heathers (1989) |work=AllMovie |access-date=March 30, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Hyler|first1=S. E.|last2=Moore|first2=J.|date=December 1996|title=Teaching Psychiatry? Let Hollywood Help!|url=https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/BF03341883.pdf|journal=Academic Psychiatry|volume=20|issue=4|pages=213–214|doi=10.1007/BF03341883|issn=1042-9670|pmid=24442743|s2cid=43706355 }}</ref> The film stars [[Winona Ryder]], [[Christian Slater]], [[Shannen Doherty]], [[Lisanne Falk]], [[Kim Walker (actress)|Kim Walker]], and [[Penelope Milford]]. Its plot portrays four teenage girls—three of whom are named Heather—in a [[clique]] at an [[Ohio]] high school, one of whose lives is disrupted by the arrival of a [[misanthropy|misanthrope]] intent on murdering the popular students and staging their deaths as suicides.<ref name="maslin"/>

Waters wrote ''Heathers'' as a [[spec script]] and originally wanted [[Stanley Kubrick]] to direct the film, out of admiration for Kubrick's own black comedy film ''[[Dr. Strangelove]]''. Waters intended the film to contrast the optimistic teen movies of the era, particularly those written by [[John Hughes (filmmaker)|John Hughes]], by presenting a cynical depiction of high school imbued with dark satire.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Scott |last=Myers |date=May 22, 2016 |title= Interview: Daniel Waters on "Heathers"|work=Go into the Story |url=https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/interview-daniel-waters-on-heathers-3b6cfdc65cc8|access-date=April 2, 2020}}</ref>

Filmed in Los Angeles from February to March of 1988, ''Heathers'' premiered in Milan, Italy, in the fall of 1988<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sagindie.org/indie-news/good-reads-heathers | title=Good Reads: HEATHERS Edition | date=March 28, 2019 }}</ref> before making its way to the [[Sundance Film Festival]] on January 21, 1989, then [[New World Pictures]] theatrically released the film in the United States on March 31, 1989. It went on to win the [[Independent Spirit Award]] for [[Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature|Best First Feature]], and for his screenplay, Waters received the [[Edgar Award]] for [[List of Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay winners|Best Motion Picture Screenplay]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://paul-levine.com/edgar-awards-2014-congrats-winners/ |title=Edgar Awards 2014: Congrats to Winners |date=May 2, 2014 |website=Paul-Levine.com |access-date=2023-04-23}}</ref> It has since become popular and is regarded in polls as one of the greatest [[List of coming-of-age stories|coming-of-age films]] of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ew.com/gallery/25-essential-cult-movies/?slide=314038#314038 |title=25 Essential Cult Movies |website=EW.com |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210225172106/https://ew.com/gallery/25-essential-cult-movies/?slide=314038 |archive-date=2021-02-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | title=50 Best High School Movies |url=https://ew.com/gallery/50-best-high-school-movies-0/?slide=383533#383533 | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=August 28, 2015 | access-date=April 23, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time |url=https://www.empireonline.com/500/17.asp | work=Empire | date=October 3, 2008 | access-date=May 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026094548/https://www.empireonline.com/500/17.asp |archive-date=October 26, 2011}}</ref> ''Heathers'' has since been adapted into a [[Heathers: The Musical|musical]] and a [[Heathers (TV series)|television reboot]].

==Plot==
At Westerburg High School, in the fictional Sherwood, Ohio, [[Veronica Sawyer]] becomes part of a popular-but-feared clique that includes three wealthy and beautiful girls with the same first name: Heather Duke, Heather McNamara, and the ruthless queen bee, Heather Chandler. Tired of the clique abusing its power, Veronica longs for her old life with her kinder but less popular friends. She becomes fascinated with new student Jason "J.D." Dean after he pulls out a gun and fires [[blank (cartridge)|blanks]] to scare football-player bullies, Kurt and Ram. Outsider J.D., whose mother committed suicide, has a strained relationship with his explosives-obsessed demolition mogul father.

Veronica goes with Chandler to a frat party at the fictional Remington University, where she refuses to have sex with one member, unlike Chandler, who is coerced into performing oral sex. When Veronica drunkenly vomits on Chandler, Chandler vows to destroy Veronica's reputation in retaliation. Later, J.D. shows up at Veronica's house, and they have sex after J.D. breaks in through Veronica's bedroom window. They express to each other their mutual hatred of Chandler's tyranny.

The next morning, Veronica and J.D. break into Chandler's house, planning revenge by using a fake hangover cure to make Chandler vomit. J.D. pours drain cleaner into one of the mugs, but Veronica dismisses him, thinking he is making a mean joke. She mixes orange juice and milk together. Veronica accidentally brings the wrong mug to Chandler's room. J.D. notices this but dismisses it when Veronica does not hear J.D. He serves Chandler the drain cleaner, killing her. Veronica panics, and J.D. urges her to forge a dramatic suicide note in Chandler's handwriting. The community regards Chandler's apparent suicide as a tragic decision made by a troubled teenager, making her even more worshipped in death than in life. Duke uses the attention surrounding Chandler's death to gain popularity by going to many different news stations, as, after Chandler's death, Duke feels the need to be the [[Clique|clique's]] new leader.

McNamara convinces Veronica to go with her, Kurt, and Ram on a double date. J.D. finds the four teens that evening in a field, and Veronica leaves with him as Kurt passes out, while Ram rapes McNamara. The boys spread a false rumor about Veronica performing oral sex on them, ruining her reputation. J.D. proposes that he and Veronica lure the boys into the woods, shoot them with tranquilizers, and humiliate them by staging the scene to look like they were lovers participating in a [[suicide pact]].

In the forest, J.D. shoots Ram, but Veronica's shot misses Kurt, who runs away. J.D. chases Kurt back toward Veronica, who, realizing that the bullets are in fact lethal, fatally shoots him in a panic. At their funeral, the boys are made into [[martyr]]s to [[homophobia]]. Disturbed by J.D.'s behavior, Veronica breaks up with him.

J.D. blackmails Duke into getting every student to sign a petition that, unbeknownst to her, is intended to act as a [[mass suicide]] note. He then gives her a red [[scrunchie]] that Chandler wore, symbolizing her power over the school. Martha, an overweight girl who is a frequent target of bullying, attempts to kill herself by walking into traffic. She survives but is badly injured and mocked by her peers who believe she was attempting to copy the popular kids. McNamara calls a radio show to discuss her depression. Duke tells the entire school about the radio call, and McNamara is bullied. McNamara attempts suicide by overdosing in the girls' bathroom, but Veronica intervenes.

Veronica returns home, and her parents say that J.D. stopped by to tell them that he is worried she will attempt suicide. Realizing that J.D. plans to kill her, she fakes her own suicide by hanging. J.D. finds her and, assuming she is dead, gives a monologue revealing his plan to blow up the school [[pep rally]] and make it look like a mass suicide.

J.D. plants dynamite in the gymnasium equipped with remote detonators. He proceeds to the school's boiler room to place dynamite with a [[countdown]] detonator. Veronica confronts J.D. in the boiler room. She shoots him, and during his fall the switchblade in his hand cuts the wires to the detonator. Veronica goes outside, and J.D. follows her with a bomb strapped to his chest. He offers a personal [[eulogy]] and detonates the bomb, killing himself. As students and faculty rush to see what happened, Veronica walks back inside, disheveled and covered in soot from the explosion. She approaches Duke, takes the red scrunchie, and asserts that Duke is no longer in charge. Veronica invites Martha to spend prom night watching movies together.

==Cast==
<!--- [[MOS:FILMCAST]] [[WP:NOTDATABASE]] - cast and order per Main Cast [[Motion picture credits#Opening credits]], roles per closing credits scroll --->
{{cast listing|
* [[Winona Ryder]] as [[Veronica Sawyer]]
* [[Christian Slater]] as Jason "J.D." Dean
* [[Shannen Doherty]] as Heather Duke
* [[Lisanne Falk]] as Heather McNamara
* [[Kim Walker (actress)|Kim Walker]] as Heather Chandler
* [[Penelope Milford]] as Pauline Fleming
* [[Glenn Shadix]] as Father Ripper
* Lance Fenton as Kurt Kelly
* [[Patrick Labyorteaux]] as Ram Sweeney
* Jeremy Applegate as Peter Dawson
}}

==Production==
===Development===
Daniel Waters began writing the screenplay in spring of 1986, while he was working at a [[Video rental shop|video store]].<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Rowlands|first1=Paul|title=Daniel Waters on 'Heathers' (Part 1 of 2)|url=http://www.money-into-light.com/2016/05/daniel-waters-on-heathers-part-1-of-2.html|access-date=January 9, 2021|language=en}}</ref> He wanted the film to be directed by [[Stanley Kubrick]],<ref name="Qnet">{{cite web |date=September 25, 2001 |title=Heathers DVD review |url=http://www.qnetwork.com/review/377 |access-date=March 9, 2011 |website=Qnetwork.com}}</ref> not only out of admiration for him, but also from a perception that "Kubrick was the only person that could get away with a three-hour film". The cafeteria scene near the start of ''Heathers'' was written as a homage to the barracks scene which opens Kubrick's ''[[Full Metal Jacket]]''. After a number of failed attempts to get the script to Kubrick, Waters approached director Michael Lehmann, who he met through a mutual friend.<ref name=":0" /> Lehmann agreed to helm the film with producer [[Denise Di Novi]].

In the original version of the script, J.D. successfully blows up Westerburg High, and the final scene features a surreal prom gathering of all the students in heaven. Executives at New World Pictures agreed to finance the film, but they disliked the dark ending and insisted that it be changed.<ref name="Markovitz">{{cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/article/2014/04/04/heathers-oral-history/ | title=Heathers: An Oral History | last=Markovitz | first=Adam | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | date=April 4, 2014 | access-date=January 10, 2018}}</ref>

Some reviewers have discussed similarities between ''Heathers'' and ''[[Massacre at Central High]]'', a low-budget 1976 film.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kane|first1=Joe|title=The Phantom of the Movies' Videoscope: The Ultimate Guide to the Latest, Greatest, and Weirdest Genre Videos|date=2000|publisher=Three Rivers Press|location=New York|isbn=9780812931495|page=524|quote=We probably would have liked [''Heathers''] even better if we hadn't seen much the same story before as 1976's ''Massacre at Central High... Heathers'' replaces ''Massacre''{{'s}} fascistic male clique with a femme one but otherwise clones the earlier flick pretty closely.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Siegel|first1=Scott|last2=Siegel|first2=Barbara|author-link1=Scott Siegel|title=The Winona Ryder Scrapbook | date=1997 | publisher=Carol Publishing Group|location=Secaucus, NJ|isbn=9780806518831|pages=51–52|quote=''Heathers''... spoofed the 1976 schlock horror classic ''Massacre at Central High''... about a new student at a Southern California high school who doesn't like how other students are terrorized by a gang, so he decides to off the gang members one by one in gruesome fashion.}}</ref> Daniel Waters has stated that he had not seen ''Massacre at Central High'' at the time he wrote ''Heathers'' but that he had read a review of it in a [[Danny Peary]] book about [[cult movie]]s and that the earlier film may have been "rattling around somewhere in my subconscious".<ref>{{cite book|last=Bowie|first=John Ross|author-link=John Ross Bowie|title=Heathers|page=14|date=2011|publisher=[[Soft Skull Press]]|location=Berkeley, CA|isbn=978-1593764579|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ygKozrmDh1QC&q=massacre%20at%20central%20high%20heathers&pg=PT14|quote=I [''Heathers'' screenwriter Daniel Waters] had most definitely not seen [''Massacre at Central High''], but I do remember reading about it in the beloved book ''Cult Movies'' by [[Danny Peary]]... so I guess it was rattling around somewhere in my subconscious.}}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} [Peary's review of ''Massacre at Central High'' appears in his ''[[Cult Movies 2]]''.]</ref>

===Casting===
Many actors and actresses turned down the project because of its dark subject matter. Early choices for Veronica were [[Justine Bateman]] and [[Jennifer Connelly]].<ref name="Markovitz" /> Winona Ryder, who was 16 at the time of filming and badly wanted the part, begged Waters to cast her as Veronica, even offering to work for free.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lunn|first=Oliver|date=August 15, 2018|title='heathers' director michael lehmann dissects the film's lasting influence as it celebrates its 30th anniversary|url=https://i-d.co/article/heathers-director-michael-lehmann-film-30th-birthday-coming-of-age/|access-date=January 9, 2021|website=i-D|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112080429/https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/9km8vz/heathers-director-michael-lehmann-film-30th-birthday-coming-of-age|archive-date=January 12, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Waters at first did not think Ryder was pretty enough, and Ryder herself commented that "at the time, I didn't look that different from my character in ''[[Beetlejuice]]''. I was very pale. I had blue-black dyed hair. I went to [[Macy's]] at the [[Beverly Center]] and had them do a makeover on me."<ref name="Markovitz" />

Ryder's [[Talent agent|agent]] was so opposed to her pursuing the role that she got down on her hands and knees to beg Ryder not to take it, warning her that it would ruin her career.<ref name="Markovitz" /><ref>{{cite video| title=Return to Westerburg High DVD Featurette| publisher=Boulevard Entertainment Ltd.| year=2010| medium=DVD}}</ref> Eventually, she was given the role. [[Brad Pitt]] read for the role of J.D. but was rejected.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/heathers-brad-pitt-alternate-endings-sequel-145531246.html|title='Heathers' writer reveals rejecting 'a pimply' Brad Pitt, alternate endings and the sequel we'll never see|last=Polowy|first=Kevin|date=November 14, 2019|website=Yahoo!}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/21-things-we-learned-from-the-heathers-commentary-439a871c1f8c/ |title=21 Things We Learned from the 'Heathers' Commentary |last=Carr |first=Kevin |date=December 26, 2013 |website=[[Film School Rejects]]}}</ref> Christian Slater reports throwing a "big tantrum" and tossing his script in the trash after assuming he'd bombed his audition.<ref name="Markovitz" /> He was signed to play J.D. shortly after Ryder was cast, stating later that he channeled [[Jack Nicholson]] in the film.<ref name="nicholson">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/oct/04/double-trouble-movie-doppelganger-tom-hardy-marilyn-monroe|title=Double trouble: the hard life of the movie doppelganger|first=Phil|last=Hoad|date=October 4, 2018|work=The Guardian}}</ref>

[[Heather Graham]], then 17, was offered the part of Heather Chandler but turned it down due to her parents' disapproval of the film.<ref name="Markovitz" /> Kim Walker, who was dating Slater at the time, was offered the role instead. Lisanne Falk, 23 years old at the time, lied and said she was in her late teens during the audition. It was only after she was cast that she revealed her true age.<ref name="Markovitz" /> 17-year-old Shannen Doherty wanted the role of Veronica, but Ryder had been cast, so the producers asked her to audition for Heather Chandler. Doherty was more interested in playing Heather Duke and ended up giving an "amazing" reading as Duke, which secured her the part. The producers wanted her to dye her hair blonde to match the other "Heathers", but Doherty refused, so they compromised on her having red hair.<ref name="Markovitz" />

===Filming===
[[Principal photography]] took place over 33 days beginning in July 1988, on a budget of $3 million.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last1=Rowlands|first1=Paul|title=Daniel Waters on 'Heathers' (Part 2 of 2)|url=http://www.money-into-light.com/2016/05/daniel-waters-on-heathers-part-2-of-2.html|access-date=January 9, 2021|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803170138/http://www.money-into-light.com/2016/05/daniel-waters-on-heathers-part-2-of-2.html|archive-date=2016-08-03}}</ref><ref name="Markovitz"/><ref>''Swatch Dogs and Diet Coke Heads''. 2001. Blue Underground (presents) and Anchor Bay Entertainment (in association with). Video (extra on 2001 limited edition ''Heathers'' DVD).</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/58108|access-date=August 13, 2023|language=en|title=Heathers (1989) AFI Catalog|quote=According to 14 Sep 1988 DV production charts, principal photography began in Jul 1988.}}</ref> Although set in Ohio, filming was done entirely in Los Angeles. "Westerburg High School" is an amalgam of [[Corvallis High School (California)|Corvallis High School]], now [[Bridges Academy]], in Studio City, [[Verdugo Hills High School]] in Tujunga, and [[Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District|John Adams Middle School]] in Santa Monica.<ref name="Film locations for 'Heathers'">{{cite web| url=http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/h/Heathers.php | title=Film locations for 'Heathers'| website=movie-locations.com| access-date=November 4, 2022}}</ref> The gymnasium scenes were shot at Verdugo Hills High, and the climactic scene on the stairs was filmed outside John Adams Middle School.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.fast-rewind.com/locations_heathers.htm| title=Heathers Movie Filming Locations| website=fast-rewind.com| access-date=February 20, 2018}}</ref> The funeral scenes were filmed at Church of the Angels in Pasadena, California, a location also used in ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' and ''[[Just Married]]''.<ref name="Film locations for 'Heathers'"/>

Michael Lehmann has called Doherty "a bit of a handful" on set, in part because she objected to the swearing in the script and refused to say some of the more explicit lines.<ref name="Markovitz"/> Falk stated that Doherty "didn't have much of a sense of humor, and she took herself a little seriously", and Di Novi said: "I don't think Shannen really got what ''Heathers'' was. And that worked for us. She made that character real."<ref name="Markovitz"/> When the cast first viewed the film, Doherty ran out crying because she realized the film was a dark comedy and not the drama she was expecting.<ref name="Markovitz"/><ref>{{cite video| title=Return to Westerberg High 20th Anniversary Featurette| publisher=Boulevard Entertainment| medium=DVD| year=2010}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
The film uses two versions of the song "[[Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)|Que Sera, Sera]]", the first by singer [[Syd Straw]] and another over the end credits by [[Sly and the Family Stone]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=SoundtrackINFO: Heathers Soundtrack |url=http://www.soundtrackinfo.com/OST/heathers/ |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=www.soundtrackinfo.com}}</ref> On the film's [[Audio commentary|DVD commentary]], Di Novi mentions that the filmmakers wanted to use the original [[Doris Day]] version of the song, but Day would not lend her name to any project using profanity.

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 (musician)|Don Dixon]], and performed by the ad hoc group "Big Fun", which consisted of Dixon, [[Mitch Easter]], Angie Carlson, and [[Marti Jones]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spacek |first=Nick |date=2019-09-02 |title=Episode #87: Don Dixon & Heathers |url=http://www.fromandinspiredby.com/blog/2019/9/2/episode-87-don-dixon-amp-heathers |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=From & Inspired By |language=en-US |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423022937/http://www.fromandinspiredby.com/blog/2019/9/2/episode-87-don-dixon-amp-heathers |url-status=dead }}</ref> The song is included on Dixon's 1992 greatest hits album ''(If) I'm a Ham, Well You're a Sausage''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-10-20 |title=Hooks 'N' You: Don Dixon, "(If) I'm a Ham, Well You're a Sausage: The Don Dixon Collection" |url=https://popdose.com/hooks-n-you-don-dixon-if-im-a-ham-well-youre-a-sausage-the-don-dixon-collection/ |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=Popdose |language=en-US}}</ref>

The film's electronic score was composed and performed by [[David Newman (composer)|David Newman]], and a soundtrack CD was subsequently released.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heathers [Original Soundtrack] |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/heathers-original-soundtrack--mw0000199760 |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>

==Release==
===Box office===
''Heathers'' premiered in Milan, Italy, in the fall of 1988,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sagindie.org/indie-news/good-reads-heathers | title=Good Reads: HEATHERS Edition | date=March 28, 2019 }}</ref> then was screened at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] on January 21, 1989,<ref name ="hicks">{{cite news|last1=Hicks|first1=Christopher|title=United States Film Festival|page=28|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Aul-kAQHnToC&dat=19890120&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|work=[[Deseret News]]|date=January 20, 1989}}</ref> and was released to the U.S. public in March 1989, at which time New World Pictures was going bankrupt.<ref name="Markovitz" /> The film was considered a [[Box-office bomb|flop]] when it was released, earning $177,247 in its opening weekend and ultimately grossing $1.1 million in the United States over five weeks.<ref name="atlantic">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/03/still-very-25-years-later-the-bleak-genius-of-em-heathers-em/359828/|title=Still Very, 25 Years Later: The Bleak Genius of Heathers|first=Alan|last=Zilberman|date=March 31, 2014|website=The Atlantic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=1989&wknd=13&p=.htm | title=Weekend Box Office Results for March 31–April 2, 1989 | website=[[Box Office Mojo]] | date=April 3, 1989 | access-date=May 30, 2015}}</ref><ref name="mojo">{{cite web | url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=heathers.htm | title=Heathers (1989) | website=[[Box Office Mojo]] | date=May 4, 1989 | access-date=May 30, 2015}}</ref>

===Home media===
New World Video released ''Heathers'' on [[VHS]] and [[LaserDisc]] in 1989.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/30/movies/home-entertainment-video-critics-choices-black-comedy-for-a-conformist-era.html|title=HOME ENTERTAINMENT/VIDEO: CRITICS' CHOICES; Black Comedy for a Conformist Era|last=Holden|first=Stephen|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 30, 1989|access-date=December 4, 2017}}</ref> It developed a [[cult following]] after being unsuccessful at the box office.<ref name="Markovitz" /> It was released again on LaserDisc in September 1996, as a widescreen edition digitally transferred from [[Lakeshore Entertainment|Trans Atlantic Entertainment]]'s [[interpositive]] print under the supervision of cinematographer [[Francis Kenny]]. The sound was mastered from the magnetic sound elements. The film was released on DVD in March 1999, in a barebones edition.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Heathers - Releases |url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/heathers-vm461237/releases |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=[[AllMovie]]}}</ref>

In 2001, a multi-region special edition [[THX]]-certified DVD was released from [[Anchor Bay Entertainment]] in [[Dolby Digital 5.1]].<ref name=":3" /> The DVD contained an audio commentary with director Michael Lehmann, producer Denise Di Novi and writer Daniel Waters, as well as 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]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Dan |date=2001-10-29 |title=The DVD Cyber Center: Heathers (TXS Version) DVD REVIEW |url=http://www.dvdcc.com/review.php?heathersthx |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=www.dvdcc.com |archive-date=May 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506103659/http://dvdcc.com/review.php?heathersthx |url-status=dead }}</ref> The DVD was released in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe, and achieved high sales. Each release included a different front cover featuring Veronica, J.D., Chandler, Duke, and McNamara.<ref name=":2" />

The Anchor Bay DVD was also released in a "Limited Edition Tin Set" of 15,000 copies.<ref name="Qnet" /> The Tin Set included a [[Trailer (promotion)|theatrical trailer]], screenplay excerpt, original ending, biographies, 10-page full-color fold-out with photos and liner notes, an 8-inch "Heathers Rules!" ruler, and a 48-page full-color yearbook style booklet with rare photos.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heathers (Limited Edition Tin) |url=https://www.amazon.com/Heathers-Limited-Tin-Winona-Ryder/dp/B000059PQ1 |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=Amazon|date=September 25, 2001 }}</ref> The film was then re-released on Blu-ray by [[Image Entertainment]] in 2011 as a barebones edition, two years after Anchor Bay.<ref name=":3" />

In July 2008, a new 20th anniversary special edition DVD set was released by Anchor Bay to coincide with the DVD of writer Waters' new film ''[[Sex and Death 101]]''.<ref name=":3" /> The DVD features a new documentary, ''Return to Westerburg High''.<ref name=":3" /> In November 2008, Anchor Bay released a Blu-ray with all the special features from the 20th anniversary DVD and a soundtrack in Dolby TrueHD 5.1.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/11/26/heathers-limited-edition-locker-dvdblu-ray-set-review|title=Heathers Limited Edition Locker DVD/Blu-ray Set Review |last=White |first=Cindy |date=November 26, 2008 |website=IGN |access-date=December 4, 2017 }}</ref>

In June 2018, [[Arrow Films]] reported that ''Heathers'' would be re-released on August 8, 2018, in cinemas and on September 10 on Blu-ray, in a new [[4K Blu-ray|4K]] restoration.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Travis |first=Ben |title=Heathers 30th Anniversary Poster |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/heathers-30th-anniversary-poster/ |access-date=June 15, 2018 |website=Empire|date=June 12, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Ellwood-Hughes |first=Pip |date=August 6, 2018 |title=Heathers 30th Anniversary 4K Restoration Review |url=https://entertainment-focus.com/2018/08/06/heathers-30th-anniversary-4k-restoration-review/ |website=Entertainment Focus}}</ref> In November 2019, Image Entertainment released a 30th Anniversary steelbook edition on Blu-ray.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heathers Blu-ray SteelBook / 30th Anniversary Edition |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Heathers-Blu-ray/249924/ |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=blu-ray.com}}</ref> This release did not utilize Arrow Films' 4K restoration and featured new and previous special features.

==Critical reception==
=== Initial reviews ===
Writing in April 1989 for ''[[The Washington Post]]'', journalist [[Desson Thomson]] wrote that it "may be the nastiest, cruelest fun you can have without actually having to study law or gird leather products. If movies were food, ''Heathers'' would be a cynic's chocolate binge."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/heathersrhowe_a0b1f9.htm | title=Heathers | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=April 14, 1989 | access-date=October 7, 2014 | author=Howe, Desson}}</ref> ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' film critic [[Roger Ebert]] gave the film 2.5 stars out of 4 and wrote that ''Heathers'' "is a morbid comedy about peer pressure in high school, about teenage suicide and about the deadliness of cliques that not only exclude but also maim and kill." While conceding its ability to provoke thought and shock, Ebert questioned how the mixed sensibility as a dark murder comedy and "cynical [[morality play]]" led to difficulty in understanding its point of view, while remarking that, "Adulthood could be defined as the process of learning to be shocked by things that do not shock teenagers, but that is not a notion that has occurred to Lehmann."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/heathers-1989 | title=Heathers | website=RogerEbert.com | date=March 31, 1989 | access-date=October 7, 2014 | author=Ebert, Roger}}</ref>

=== Retrospective responses ===
{{RT prose|{{RT data|score}}|{{RT data|average}}|{{RT data|count}}|Dark, cynical, and subversive, ''Heathers'' gently applies a chainsaw to the conventions of the high school movie—changing the game for teen comedies to follow.|ref=yes|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}} {{MC film|72|20|ref=yes|access-date=2024-08-06}}

Academics have likened ''Heathers'' to other films popular during the 1980s and early 1990s which characterized domestic youth narratives as part and parcel of the "[[culture war]]".<ref>{{cite thesis|last=Connors|first=Clare|title=The Hollywood Youth Narrative and the Family Values Campaign, 1980–1992|date=2005|chapter=Heathers, High School and the Conflict Between Democratic Values and Consumer Culture|degree=Ph.D.|page=201|chapter-url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/305453239/|publisher=[[University of Pittsburgh]]|id=Document No. 3192936|via=ProQuest Dissertations Publishing}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis|last=Hubbard|first=Christine Karen Reeves|title=Rebellion and Reconciliation: Social Psychology, Genre, and the Teen Film, 1980–1989|date=December 1996|chapter=The Teen Lifestyle Film|degree=Ph.D.|page=23|chapter-url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/304269863/|location=Denton, Texas|publisher=[[University of North Texas]]|id=Document No. 9714032|via=ProQuest Dissertations Publishing}}</ref>

Teen film scholar [[Timothy Shary]] posits ''Heathers'' as influential for the subsequent satirical engagement with the trope of popularity: "Heathers turns the otherwise serious high school business of popularity into a farce, and that is exactly what films of the '90s continued to do with the roles of popular female school characters. ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' (1992), ''[[Clueless]]'' (1995), ''[[Jawbreaker (film)|Jawbreaker]]'' and ''[[Election (1999 film)|Election]]'' (both 1999) all feature popular school girls who are at once dedicated to maintaining their accepted image but who struggle (or fail) to recognize the contradictions and ironies of their position. The films thereby become parodies of popularity, although only ''Clueless'' and ''Election'' offer the same wide social scope as ''Heathers''."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shary |first=Timothy |year=2002 |title=Generation multiplex: the image of youth in contemporary American cinema |publisher=[[University of Texas Press]] |isbn=978-0-292-77752-1 |edition=1st |location=Austin |page=65 }}</ref>

Waters created a specific set of slang and style of speech for the film, wanting to ensure that the language in the film would have "timeless" quality instead of just reflecting teen slang at the time.<ref name="vice">{{cite web |title=All the Drama That Nearly Kept 'Heathers' from Making It to Theaters |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/heathers-30th-anniversary-director-screenwriter-cast-interview/ |last=Kale |first=Sirin |date=August 6, 2018|website=Vice.com }}</ref> {{As of|2014}}, the film was among the most cited in the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]''.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Oxford Dictionaries |title=This Word Is Toast: Slang From Cult Films |url=https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/12/cult-film-slang-words-first-cited-in-the-oed-from-heathers-pulp-fiction-withnail-and-i-ghostbusters-blade-runner-spinal-tap.html |website=Slate Magazine |date=December 5, 2014|quote=''Heathers'' is a brilliantly quotable cult film, but did you know it is also one of the most frequently cited films in the OED...}}</ref>

==Related projects==
===Possible film sequel===
On June 2, 2009, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' reported that Ryder had claimed that there would be a sequel to the film, titled ''Heathers 2'', with Slater coming back "as a kind of [[Obi-Wan Kenobi|Obi-Wan]] character".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2009/06/02/heathers-sequel-winona-confirmed/ |title=Winona Ryder confirms 'Heathers' sequel. God, Veronica, drool much? |last=Barrett |first=Annie |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=June 2, 2009 |access-date=May 19, 2017}}</ref> However, Lehmann denied development of a sequel, 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."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.movieline.com/2009/07/michael-lehmann-heathers-sequel.php |title=Michael Lehmann Administers Cup of Liquid Drainer to Heathers Sequel |last=Buchanan |first=Kyle |website=Movieline |date= July 2, 2009|access-date=May 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002043450/http://www.movieline.com/2009/07/michael-lehmann-heathers-sequel.php |archive-date=October 2, 2011}}</ref> In 2024, Daniel Waters revealed that he had concocted a story for the sequel where Veronica becomes a page for a presidential candidate named Heather, who would have been played by [[Meryl Streep]]. The film would have ended with Veronica assassinating her and getting away with it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/heathers-sequel-winona-ryder-meryl-streep/|title=This 'Heathers' Sequel Would've Featured Meryl Streep as the President|website=Collider|last=Kelly|first=Logan|date=September 8, 2024|access-date=September 8, 2024}}</ref>

===Musical===
{{Main|Heathers: The Musical}}
In 2010, ''Heathers'' was adapted into a stage musical directed by [[Andy Fickman]].<ref name="musical">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7940156.stm|title=Heathers to get musical treatment|date=March 12, 2009 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=September 25, 2011}}</ref> Fickman also worked on the musical ''[[Reefer Madness (musical)|Reefer Madness]]'',<ref name="musical" /> a parody of the anti-cannabis movie [[Reefer Madness|of the same name]] which was turned into a [[Reefer Madness (2005 film)|feature film]]. ''Heathers: The Musical'', which opens with a number depicting Veronica's acceptance into the Heathers' clique, received several readings in workshops in Los Angeles and a three-show concert presentation at [[Joe's Pub]] in New York City on September 13–14, 2010. The cast of the Joe's Pub concert included [[Annaleigh Ashford]] as Veronica, [[Jenna Leigh Green]] as Heather Chandler, and [[Jeremy Jordan (actor, born 1984)|Jeremy Jordan]] as J.D.

The musical played at [[Off-Broadway]]'s [[New World Stages]] with performances beginning March 15, 2014, and an opening night on March 31.<ref>{{cite web|last=Champion|first=Lindsay|title=What's Your Damage?! Heathers: The Musical to Slay Off-Broadway's New World Stages This Spring|url=http://www.broadway.com/buzz/173564/whats-your-damage-heathers-the-musical-to-slay-off-broadways-new-world-stages-this-spring/|work=Broadway.com|access-date=December 10, 2013}}</ref> The original cast of the Off-Broadway production included [[Barrett Wilbert Weed]] as Veronica Sawyer, [[Jessica Keenan Wynn]] as Heather Chandler, [[Ryan McCartan]] as J.D., [[Alice Lee (actress)|Alice Lee]] as Heather Duke, and [[Elle McLemore]] as Heather McNamara.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bellino |first=Damian|title=It'll Be Very! Full Cast Announced for Heathers the Musical Off-Broadway |url=http://www.broadway.com/buzz/174452/itll-be-very-full-cast-announced-for-heathers-the-musical-off-broadway/|work=Broadway.com|access-date=April 3, 2014}}</ref> It closed on August 4, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Contray|first1=Danielle|title=Off-Broadway's 'Heathers' to Close on August 4|url=http://www.newyork.com/articles/broadway/off-broadways-heathers-to-close-on-august-4-96851/|website=NewYork.com|access-date=July 25, 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140809194931/http://www.newyork.com/articles/broadway/off-broadways-heathers-to-close-on-august-4-96851/ |archive-date=August 9, 2014}}</ref>

An [[Off West End]] production of ''Heathers'', directed by Andy Fickman, played at the [[The Other Palace|Other Palace]] in London with performances between June 19 and August 4, 2018. Its cast included [[Carrie Hope Fletcher]] as Veronica Sawyer, [[Jodie Steele]] as Heather Chandler, [[Jamie Muscato]] as J.D., T'Shan Williams as Heather Duke, and [[Sophie Isaacs]] as Heather McNamara. It transferred to the [[West End theatre|West End]] in September 2018, playing in [[Theatre Royal Haymarket]], London. A high school production of the musical is the focus of the "[[Chapter Fifty-One: Big Fun]]" episode of ''[[Riverdale (2017 TV series)|Riverdale]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/recap/riverdale-season-3-episode-16/|title=''Riverdale'' recap: Girls just want to have ''BIG FUN'' in ''Heathers'' musical episode|last=Highhill|first=Samantha|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=March 20, 2019|access-date=March 21, 2019}}</ref>
In 2021, ''Heathers'' returned for a limited run at the Haymarket with Christina Bennington playing Veronica Sawyer and [[Jordan Luke Gage]] as J.D. The three Heathers were played by Jodie Steele (Heather Chandler), Bobbi Little (Heather Duke), and [[Frances Mayli McCann]] (Heather McNamara). It then went on to play at [[The Other Palace]] until 3 September 2023.

===Television adaptation===
{{Main|Heathers (TV series)}}
In March 2016, [[TV Land]] ordered a pilot script for an [[Anthology series|anthology]] dark comedy series, set in the present day, with a very different Veronica Sawyer dealing with a very different but equally vicious group of Heathers. The series was written by Jason Micallef and [[Tom Rosenberg]], and [[Gary Lucchesi]] was the executive producer<ref>{{cite web|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|title='Heathers' Anthology Series Based On the Movie In Development At TV Land|date=March 16, 2016|author=Andreeva, Nellie|url=https://deadline.com/2016/03/heathers-anthology-series-tv-land-1201721468/}}</ref> In January 2017, the ''Heathers'' TV show was ordered to Series at TV Land.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/heathers-anthology-ordered-series-at-tv-land-964070|title='Heathers' Anthology Ordered to Series at TV Land|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=January 13, 2017|access-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref> [[Shannen Doherty]], the movie's Heather Duke, makes a [[cameo appearance]] in the pilot.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/shannen-doherty-original-heathers-star-confirmed-tv-land-reboot-949991|title=Shannen Doherty, Original 'Heathers' Star, Confirmed for TV Land Reboot|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=November 22, 2016|access-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref>

In March 2017, it was reported that the series was moved to the then upcoming [[Paramount Network]].<ref>{{cite web|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|title='Heathers' Reboot, Alicia Silverstone Comedy Switch Networks in Viacom's Paramount Push (Exclusive)|date=March 16, 2017|last=Goldberg|first=Lesley|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/heathers-reboot-alicia-silverstone-comedy-switch-networks-viacoms-paramount-push-986632|access-date=May 7, 2017}}</ref> [[Selma Blair]] has a recurring role in the series.<ref>{{cite web|last=Goldberg|first=Lesley|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/heathers-reboot-enlists-selma-blair-1019200|title='Heathers' Reboot Enlists Selma Blair|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=July 6, 2017|access-date=July 6, 2017}}</ref> A trailer for the rebooted series was released in August 2017.<ref>{{cite web |title=Heathers TV Show Drops Its First Trailer |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/253825/heathers-tv-show-drops-its-first-trailer |website=[[Den of Geek]] |access-date=September 1, 2017 |date=August 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902023137/http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/253825/heathers-tv-show-drops-its-first-trailer |archive-date=September 2, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The series stars [[Grace Victoria Cox]] as Veronica Sawyer, [[James Scully (actor)|James Scully]] as J.D., [[Melanie Field]] as Heather Chandler, [[Brendan Scannell]] as Heather Duke, Jasmine Mathews as Heather McNamara,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lincoln|first1=Ross|title=TV Land's 'Heathers' TV Remake Finds Its Heathers |url=https://deadline.com/2016/10/heathers-remake-rounds-out-main-cast-with-three-heathers-1201844030/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=September 1, 2017 |date=October 27, 2016 }}</ref> Birgundi Baker as Lizzy, and [[Cameron Gellman]] as Kurt.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/06/one-day-at-a-time-casts-ed-quinn-heathers-birgundi-baker-cameron-gellman-1202118775/|title='One Day At A Time' Casts Ed Quinn; 'Heathers' Adds Birgundi Baker & Cameron Gellman |first=Denise |last=Petski |date=June 23, 2017 |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=May 20, 2019 }}</ref> The series was set to premiere on March 7, 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/heathers-isnt-responsible-bullying/|title=Heathers Isn't Trying to Be a "Responsible" Story About Bullying|date=January 15, 2018|work=TVGuide.com|access-date=January 16, 2018 }}</ref> On February 28, 2018, it was announced that the premiere would be delayed in light of the [[Stoneman Douglas High School shooting]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvline.com/2018/02/28/heathers-reboot-delayed-postponed-premiere-date-school-shooting/|title=''Heathers'' Reboot Delayed in Wake of Florida School Shooting|first=Michael|last=Ausiello|work=TVLine|date=February 28, 2018|access-date=February 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528090424/https://tvline.com/2018/02/28/heathers-reboot-delayed-postponed-premiere-date-school-shooting/ |archive-date=May 28, 2023}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of cult films]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Mojo title}}
* {{TCMDb title}}
* {{AFI film}}

{{Michael Lehmann}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heathers}}
[[Category:1988 films]]
[[Category:1988 black comedy films]]
[[Category:1988 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:1988 independent films]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:1980s coming-of-age comedy films]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s feminist films]]
[[Category:1980s high school films]]
[[Category:1980s satirical films]]
[[Category:1980s teen comedy films]]
[[Category:American black comedy films]]
[[Category:American coming-of-age comedy films]]
[[Category:American high school films]]
[[Category:American films about revenge]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:American satirical films]]
[[Category:American teen comedy films]]
[[Category:Edgar Award–winning works]]
[[Category:Films about bullying]]
[[Category:Films about eating disorders]]
[[Category:Films about murderers]]
[[Category:Films about school violence]]
[[Category:Films about suicide]]
[[Category:Films adapted into plays]]
[[Category:Films adapted into television shows]]
[[Category:Films directed by Michael Lehmann]]
[[Category:Films produced by Denise Di Novi]]
[[Category:Films scored by David Newman (composer)]]
[[Category:Films set in Ohio]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Daniel Waters (screenwriter)]]
[[Category:Films about poisonings]]
[[Category:New World Pictures films]]
[[Category:English-language black comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]
[[Category:Vigilante films]]
[[Category:American vigilante films]]