Heathers

Heathers is a 1989 American black comedy teen film written by Daniel Waters and directed by Michael Lehmann, in both of their respective film debuts. It stars Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, Kim Walker, and Penelope Milford. The film 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 misanthrope intent on murdering the popular students and staging their deaths as suicides.
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 for the film to contrast the more optimistic teen movies of the era, particularly those written by John Hughes, by presenting a cynical depiction of high school imbued with dark satire.
Heathers premiered on January 21, 1989 at the Sundance Film Festival, and was theatrically released in the United States on March 31, 1989 by New World Pictures. Despite being a box office flop, the film received critical acclaim and won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature. For his screenplay, Waters received the Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. It has since become popular as a cult film and is regarded as one of the greatest coming-of-age films of all time. Heathers has since been adapted into a musical and a television series.
Category:Films