10 Best Heathers Moments
Very few films have been able to capture the experience of being a teenager as acutely and unapologetically as the 1989 dark comedy Heathers, directed by Michael Lehmann and written by Batman Returns screenwriter Daniel Waters. Upon initial release, Heathers stood in stark contrast to other seemingly wholesome coming of age films from the 1980s, like John Hughes’ Sixteen Candles and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and accurately predicted the cynicism that would permeate the following decade.
Hilarious, horrifying, and deeply satirical, Heathers follows Westerburg high school student Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) as she attempts to cement her position as part of the most feared and powerful clique in school, led by Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty), Heather McNamara (Lisanne Falk), and ruthless queen bee, Heather Chandler (Kim Walker). But her desires change once she meets the dangerous and elusive Jason “J.D” Dean (Christian Slater), whose penchant for violence both terrifies and intrigues her. Although she is initially on board with J.D’s plan to get vengeance against the most popular kids in school, he eventually takes things too far, leaving Veronica in the middle of a fever dream she cannot seem to wake up from.
Considered one of the best dark comedies of all time, Heathers is filled with dark, dreamy imagery and thought-provoking, memorable lines that stick with you long after the credits roll. In this Movie List from The Film Magazine, we’ve compiled the most impactful moments from the film. These are the 10 Best Heathers Moments.
10. A Game of Croquet
In the opening sequence of the film, Heathers immediately establishes its signature tone and style, where a simple game of croquet quickly spirals into a power play that will be explored throughout the entire film.
We see our three Heathers getting ready to play an innocent game of croquet, but things turn sour almost immediately. There’s something rotten lurking behind this idyllic suburban backyard. The Heathers stomp on flowers blooming in their beds, Heather Chandler chastizes Heather Duke for daring to try and play with the red mallet – she’s always red, after all – and when Heather Chandler does finally take her shot, the camera reveals Veronica buried in the ground, her head the only part visible of her body. And Heather Chandler whacks her right in the forehead without a second thought.
This moment is weird and cruel and funny. It serves to let us know exactly the kind of movie we’re about to watch, leading with a level of absurdity and surrealism that stays consistent throughout the film’s entire runtime. Underscored by the appropriately creepy and off-putting “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)”, this moment is important because it shows us exactly who our characters are within just a few frames of film. Veronica is the underdog, literally Heather Chandler’s punching bag, and Heather Chandler is the self-imposed dictator, ruling over her subjects with cruelty, wielding her croquet mallet like a sledgehammer.
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9. Heather Chandler Spits in the Mirror
Heathers is by no means a subtle film. It purposefully employs exaggerated scenarios to say something that feels real and true. However, Heathers does contain a few key moments that are intimate and unassuming, allowing its character to reveal their humanity.
In the beginning of the film, Heather Chandler takes Veronica to a party at a local college. This is the final test for Veronica; Chandler wants to see if she’s cool enough to hang out with an older, seemingly more mature crowd. But when Chandler and a college boy pair off in a room together, it’s obvious how uncomfortable she really is, especially when the boy coerces her into performing oral sex on him. After, when Chandler is in the bathroom getting a drink of water, she looks at herself in the mirror and spits water at it.
This kind of vulnerability is something Chandler wouldn’t dare let anyone else see, but it gives us a window into her psyche. In this one fleeting moment we see a glimpse of self-hatred and embarrassment, maybe even a little bit of anger, that makes Chandler feel like a real person to us.
