Ginger Snaps

For other uses, see Ginger Snaps (disambiguation).

***Ginger Snaps*** is a 2000 Canadian horror film and the first installment in the *Ginger Snaps* series, followed by *Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed* and *Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning*. The film centers around two teenage sisters, named Brigitte and Ginger Fitzgerald, as they deal with the difficulties of adolescence, growing up, and pubescence, analogized with Ginger's lycanthropy and Brigitte's dealing with its consequences.

Although *Ginger Snaps* performed poorly at the box office, the film has received significant critical acclaim and includes a respectably-sized fanbase and cult following. The film continues to inspire audiences several years later (including influencing the development of the wiki).

## Credits

### Starring

Emily PerkinsKatharine Isabelle

Kris Lemche

Mimi Rogers

## Synopsis

In the town of Bailey Downs, Canada, a rash of dog killings has been perpetrated by a creature nicknamed the Beast of Bailey Downs. Brigitte and Ginger Fitzgerald are teenage sisters who harbor a fascination with death and, as children, formed a pact to move out of the suburb or die together by the age of 16. The sisters were antagonized by their peers for their introverted personas and aversion to modern society and contemporary social norms. One night, while on the way to kidnap a dog owned by school bully Trina Sinclair, Ginger begins her first period. The scent of blood results in the girls being attacked by the creature responsible for the dog maulings. An unsuspecting young man named Sam runs over the beast that was chasing them, inadvertently saving the sisters.

Following the attack, Ginger undergoes transformations that concern Brigitte: Ginger starts to sprout hair from her wounds, display aggressive and promiscuous behavior, has unprotected sex with a student named Jason McCardy, furiously beats Trina in public, and manifests her new urges in mauling a neighborhood dog. While Ginger starts pursuing her own desires, Brigitte finds herself being increasing distanced from her older sister. Reluctant to see her parents for help, Brigitte finds Sam for information on what he hit, and they both agree that Ginger was attacked by a werewolf and is transforming into one. Sam first proposes a ring piercing treatment, which fails to deliver any improvement in Ginger. Brigitte conducts research about werewolves (but is unable to come up with anything other than fictional schlock), and she tracks her sister's transformation (to which she is shocked that Ginger started growing a tail). She visits Sam for further help, who suggests infusing a monkshood extract, which is impossible to create as the plant is only found in the spring.

Trina shows up at the Fitzgerald house to accuse Ginger and Brigitte of kidnapping her dog. As she fights with Ginger, Trina is accidentally killed. The sisters narrowly avoid their parents and bury the body; unfortunately, two of Trina's fingers are misplaced. Brigitte tells her sister she cannot go out anymore until news about Trina's murder has passed, but Ginger remains defiant.

On Halloween, Brigitte takes monkshood purchased by her mother Pamela for a craft project and asks Sam to make the cure. He prepares an extract which he aspirates into a syringe. Brigitte first uses the extract on Jason McCardy (who was infected by Ginger due to unprotected sex) when he attacked her, and she witnesses his immediate change in behavior, which proves it is a cure. At school, Brigitte discovers Ginger’s murder of Mr. Wayne and witnesses her killing the school janitor. Ginger then informs her intent to go after Sam next at the Greenhouse Bash, a Halloween party hosted by him, leaving Brigitte alone.

Brigitte runs toward the party and is picked up by her mother who was searching for her missing daughters. On the ride there, Pamela expresses her worry for her daughters and vows to do everything to protect them, including burning the house down and running away with them. Brigitte arrives at the party to find Ginger hurting Sam for refusing her advances. In despair, Brigitte wounds Ginger's and her own palm and clasps their hands together, infecting herself with Ginger's blood. She convinces Ginger of her loyalty and genuine willingness to help her sister, ending their long fight. While leaving the Greenhouse with Ginger, Brigitte sees her mother searching for them, and she decides to abandon her. Brigitte and Sam take Ginger back to the Fitzgerald house in his van to prepare more of the cure for Ginger.

Ginger fully transforms into a werewolf on the way home and escapes the van. Aware that she has transformed, Sam and Brigitte hide in the pantry as Sam makes the cure. When he goes to find Ginger, a transformed Gingerwolf attacks and drags him away. After finding Sam, injured and bloody, she tries to save him by drinking his blood to calm Ginger, but is unable to go through with it. Ginger senses Brigitte's revulsion and insincerity, and she kills Sam in front of Brigitte.

Brigitte defends herself while holding the syringe in one hand and a knife in the other. Ginger lunges at Brigitte and into the knife, fatally wounding herself. Looking at pictures taken of both sisters throughout their adventures on the bedroom wall, Brigitte lays her head upon her dying sister's chest and sobs.

## Plot

Main article: The Full Story

*Ginger Snaps* is the first film of the trilogy; however, the events of the film happen "second" chronologically in the full story.

## Timeline of Events

Main article: Timeline of Ginger Snaps

The events of *Ginger Snaps* take place in September - October 1999, starting on an unspecified date in September 1999 and concluding on October 31, 1999. The dates and months featured in the film is fictional and are completely in-universe, as the October 1999 dates do not exist in the real world, and there were no full moons occurring on those dates.

### Character Descriptions

* Emily Perkins as Brigitte Fitzgerald: The younger sister of Ginger Fitzgerald and the daughter of Pamela and Henry Fitzgerald. She tries to help Ginger deal with the effects of lycanthropy that were slowly turning her into a werewolf. Brigitte ultimately fails to cure her sister, resulting in Ginger fully transforming into a werewolf. She accidentally kills Ginger when defending herself.
* Katharine Isabelle as Ginger Fitzgerald: The older sister of Brigitte Fitzgerald and the daughter of Pamela and Henry Fitzgerald. She was attacked and bitten by the Beast of Bailey Downs who infected her with the curse of lycanthropy. Ginger begins going through erratic changes, and her ferocity became uncontrollable where she murders several people and neighborhood dogs. Ginger at first refused Brigitte's serum cure, wanting to embrace her new sense of power from her werewolf transformation, but eventually acquiesced, albeit too late. Ginger fully transforms into a werewolf, kills Sam, and attacks Brigitte at the family home. She accidentally dies after lunging into Brigitte's knife.
* Kris Lemche as Sam Miller: A drug dealer who used his work at the County Regreening Programme greenhouse as a double to sell marijuana. Sam accidentally hits the Beast of Bailey Downs with his van, saving the lives of Ginger and Brigitte Fitzgerald. He suggests Brigitte try a silver piercing cure and tells her about monkshood, a perennial plant that might hold the cure to lycanthropy. Sam prepares the monkshood as a serum and aspirates it into a syringe, which was first used by Brigitte on Jason, seemingly curing him. At the Fitzgerald house, he prepares another dose, but was slaughtered by Ginger (now a werewolf) while trying to administer it.
* Mimi Rogers as Pamela Fitzgerald: Wife of Henry Fitzgerald and the mother of Ginger and Brigitte Fitzgerald. She is a happy-go-lucky motherly figure and cared for her daughters, but was often oblivious to her daughter's situations. After discovering Trina's murder, Pamela vows to protect her daughters at all costs.
* Jesse Moss as Jason McCardy: A student at Bailey Downs High School. He developed an interest in Ginger Fitzgerald, particularly when she began adapting a more aggressive, promiscuous behavior due to her transforming into a werewolf. In her sexual escapade with Jason, Ginger passed the infection onto him. Jason develops violent tendencies and grotesque physical features associated with lycanthropy. Brigitte corners Jason and injects him with a monkshood extract, which appears to cure him.
* Danielle Hampton as Trina Sinclair: A member of the high school field hockey team and a rival of Brigitte and Ginger Fitzgerald. On two occasions she takes her frustrations out on Brigitte only to find herself on the receiving end of sister Ginger's punches. She accuses the sisters of stealing her dog, but during the confrontation, she accidentally dies from an accident. Ginger and Brigitte bury Trina's body in the back yard, which was later discovered by Pamela Fitzgerald.
* John Bourgeois as Henry Fitzgerald: The husband of Pamela Fitzgerald and the father of Brigitte and Ginger Fitzgerald. Henry was portrayed as a pushover who doted on his daughters and rarely took on the role of disciplinarian, of which his wife Pamela took the role. Henry is oblivious to his daughter's murder of Trina Fitzgerald.
* Peter Keleghan as Mr. Wayne: A teacher and guidance counselor at Bailey Downs High School. He was murdered by Ginger who sensed he was threatening Brigitte after he decided to call her sister to his office.
* Christopher Redman as Ben: A student at Bailey Downs High School and friend of Jason McCardy.
* Jimmy MacInnis as Tim: A student at Bailey Downs High School and friend of Jason McCardy.
* Lindsay Leese as Nurse Ferry: The school nurse at Bailey Downs High School. A cheerful and bubbly woman, she invited the Fitzgerald sisters into her office so she could educate them on puberty and the feminine cycle, but fails to address the Fitzgerald sisters' concern about Ginger's unusual menstruation.
* Wendi Fulford as Ms. Sykes: The Bailey Downs High School gym and field hockey teacher. She breaks apart Ginger from Trina as they get into a heated argument.
* Ann Baggley as Mother: An unnamed mother who, after finding her toddler playing with a severed paw, discovered that her dog was murdered by the Beast of Bailey Downs.
* Pak-Kong Ho as Janitor: A custodial staff member of Bailey Downs High School who is seen helping Brigitte Fitzgerald on multiple occasions. He witnessed the murder scene of Mr. Wayne and was killed by Ginger.
* Bryon Bully as Hockey Kid: Neighborhood kid who was the owner of Baxter, a dog who was killed by Ginger.
* Steven Taylor as Puppy Kid: A young boy who was terrorized by Jason McCardy and saved by Brigitte Fitzgerald.
* Nick Nolan as creature and Gingerwolf (Ginger as a werewolf): Nicknamed the Beast of Bailey Downs, the creature that was killing the town's dogs. Nolan also plays as Gingerwolf, who kills Sam and accidentally kills herself after lunging into Brigitte's knife.

## Film Interview

Main article: Interviews

Several interviews were conducted with the film's writer Karen Walton and with producer John Fawcett.

## Deleted Scenes

Main article: Deleted Scenes

There are 15 deleted scenes in the DVD release of Ginger Snaps.

 Let's Kill Them All!

### General

* The taglines for this film are, "They don't call it the Curse for nothing," "She's got the curse," "They are weird... she's got the curse... now her sister tries to save her..." "Hungry like the wolf," and "Ginger Snaps... and Bites."

* The title of the film is a pun on the biscuit of the same name. "Snap" also relates to losing one's self-control, or a quick, aggressive bite.

* Ginger and Brigitte's project involving "mock suicides" was filmed in a young family's house in Canada while the family - including a four-year-old child - was home. Various crew members had to spend the day playing with or otherwise distracting the child so she wouldn't see the gory scenes being filmed outside.

### Goofs

#### Continuity Errors

* When Brigitte and Sam are running through the house trying to find Ginger as a Werewolf, every window they pass has light shining in through them, even though it's supposed to be late at night.

* When Ginger and Brigitte go to visit Sam because he has an idea, he slams the door when Ginger and Brigitte come in. Then when you see Sam and Brigitte talking the door is open. Also when the door is slammed the hinge is on the left when they are talking the door is the other way round; if you were looking from the same view as when he slammed the door the hinge would be on the right.

* When the girls are eating supper after Ginger has been bitten, there is a ham on the table, but their father Henry is eating a chicken leg.

* When Brigitte pulls out the Polaroid picture out of the camera, the picture comes out the wrong way with the bottom of the picture last (the bottom should come out first).

* Sam hits the werewolf with the front-left of his van, with the werewolf prop bouncing off and to the left. While there is lots of blood splatter, the prop is clearly not very heavy, so the van is not damaged in any way. Just a few seconds later, in the next shot of the van, the front grill is missing and part of the hood and area behind the front bumper are caved in.

## Further Film Recommendations:

* Curse of the Werewolf
* Dog Soldiers
* Full Eclipse
* **Ginger Snaps**
* Ginger Snaps: Unleashed
* Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning
* Howling
* Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf
* Howling III: The Marsupials
* Howling IV: The Original Nightmare
* Howling VI: The Freaks
* Howling: New Moon Rising
* Huntress: Spirit of the Night
* Hybrid
* Silver Bullet
* Teen Wolf
* Teen Wolf Too
* Werewolf of London
* Wolf
* Wolf Man

## Connections

### References

Werewolf of London (1935)

* A plant is used as a means of treating lycanthropy.

Kuroneko (1968)

* The scene of Ginger transforming and biting Jason during sex.

Carrie (1976)

* Uses horror movie conventions as an inspired metaphor for puberty.

Halloween (1978)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

* The abrupt ending, as the monster dies, is a direct stylistic reference to the ending of An American Werewolf in London.

Blade Runner (1982)

The Company of Wolves (1984)

* Curse as in werewolf and as in menstruation.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

* When Ginger is originally dragged off, we are given a shot of Brigitte running into the forest shouting, "Ginger! Ginger!" exactly like the shot of Heather (in BWP) running into the forest screaming, "Josh! Josh!". Same jerky handheld camerawork and lighting etc. Also, the scene where Brigitte slowly descends into the basement (multiple landings and everything) tearfully muttering, "Sam?" (much like Heather does at the end of The Blair Witch Project, muttering, "Mike?").

Silent Hill (1999) (Video Game)

### Referenced In

Som and Bank: Bangkok for Sale (2001)

* Poster on wall.

Jersey Girl (2004)

* Video case is shown in a video store.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

* There is a shot of a woman screaming "Baxter" after her dog is killed by the Beast of Bailey Downs, directly followed by a shot of a dog identical to Burgundy's dog Baxter. Ron Burgundy screams Baxter in the same way after Baxter is punted off the bridge. There is also a reference to bears being able to smell menstruation in Ginger Snaps, this is echoed by Brick's objections to Veronica Corningstone in Anchorman.

Jennifer's Body (2009)

Splice (2009)

* Ginger... snaps.

Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010) (Video)

* Robert Englund mentions it.

Inside the Whore (2012)

* DVD is visible.

An American Mary in London (2012) (Video)

Darknet: Darknet 6 (2013) (TV Episode)

* Poster seen.

WolfCop (2014)

* Willie tries to cure Lou with wolf's bane and comments that he may or may not start to get his period.

Until Dawn (2015) (Video Game)

* A trophy can be earned called "Ashley Snaps", named after a character with red hair.

### Featured In

The Bastard (1968)

SexTV: Dark Desires: Sexuality in the Horror Film (2003) (TV Episode)

* Clips from movie used in episode.

Nothing (2003)

* On the TV.

Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (2004)

* There are a few audio clips from the first movie and some clips from it are shown.

Nightmare in Canada: Canadian Horror on Film (2004) (TV Movie)

* Includes clips from and discussions of the film.

Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche (2004) (TV Movie)

* Clips are shown from the movie as an example of the overall topics of the documentary.

Filmography: Ginger Snaps (2004) (TV Episode)

* Clips are shown and are talked about.

13 Scarier Movie Moments (2009) (TV Movie)

* #6 scary movie moment.

WatchMojo: Top 10 Werewolf Movies (2013) (TV Episode)

* Ginger Snaps is #6.

Beyond Clueless (2014)

* Clips shown.

The 50 Best Horror Movies You've Never Seen (2014) (TV Movie)

* One of the featured films.

Ginger Snaps: Blood, Teeth and Fur (2014)

* Clips shown.

Growing Pains: Puberty in Horror Films (2014) (Short)

* Clips shown.

Why Horror? (2014)

* A scene is shown.

WatchMojo: Top 10 Horror Movies: 2000s (2015) (TV Episode)

* Ginger Snaps gets an honorable mention.

WatchMojo: Top 10 Hottest Goth Girls in Movies (2016) (TV Episode)

* Ginger Fitzgerald is #4.

MsMojo: Top 10 Smartest Female Horror Movie Characters (MATURE) (2017) (TV Episode)

* Brigitte Fitzgerald gets an honorable mention.

MsMojo: Top 10 Teen Horror Movies (2017) (TV Episode)

* Ginger Snaps gets an honorable mention.

WatchMojo: Top 10 Scariest Teen Horror Movies (2019) (TV Episode)

* Ginger Snaps gets an honorable mention.

WatchMojo: Top 10 Scariest High School Horror Movie Moments (2019) (TV Episode)

* Ginger, Wolf is #9.

Another WolfCop (2017)

* SPOILERS AHEAD! Kat's transformation into a werewolf parodies Ginger's appearance in this movie.

## Quotes

Main article: Quotes

**Ginger**: [*to Brigitte*] A girl can only be a slut, a bitch, a tease, or the virgin next door.

**Ginger**: I get this ache... And I, I thought it was for sex, but it's to tear everything to fucking pieces.

**Ginger**: Out by sixteen or dead on the scene, but together forever.

[*Growing impatient waiting for Brigitte to hold her hand*]

**Ginger**: C'mon! Together forever.

**Brigitte**: United against life as we know it.

**Ginger**: I said I'd die for you!

**Brigitte**: No. You said you'd die with me. Cause you had nothing better to do.

**Ginger**: [*Playing with a kitchen knife*] Wrists are for girls. I'm slitting my throat.

**Brigitte**: [*on suicide note*] Long is the way that out of hell leads up to the light.

**Ginger**: You swore we'd go together, one way or another.

**Brigitte**: When we were eight.

[*after killing the janitor*]

**Brigitte**: You like it.

**Ginger**: It feels so... good, Brigitte. It's like touching yourself. You know every move... right on the fucking dot. And after, you see fucking fireworks. Supernovas. I'm a goddamn force of nature. I feel like I could do just about anything.

**Sam**: See, I flattened an animal. Furry, all-fours, could be anything. But here I am thinking "lycanthrope". That's crazy, huh? Book me in to the rubber motel, I'm officially all fucked up, right?

**Brigitte**: What if you're not?

**Sam**: Well, that would explain the human circumcised dick... and why you were running for your life from it.

**Brigitte**: Are you \*sure\* it's just cramps?

**Ginger**: Just so you know... the words "just" and "cramps", they don't go together.

[*Snatches the box of tampons away*]

[*after Brigitte cuts her palm*]

**Brigitte**: You wrecked everything for me that isn't about you.

[*Brigitte cuts Ginger's palm, exchanges blood with her*]

**Sam**: No. Shit.

**Brigitte**: Now I am you.

**Ginger**: I know you are. But what am I?

**Ginger**: You know, we're almost not even related anymore.

**Brigitte**: Baxter's fertilizer, and everyone's standing there just... staring. Why don't they just catch that thing? How hard could it be in a place full of dead ends?

**Brigitte**: [*Ginger has spent a while in the toilet*] Ging, what's going on? Something's wrong with you. More than you being just... female. Could you just say something please?

**Ginger**: [*suicide note*] No comment.

**Ginger**: Y'know, maybe you're right. Maybe I \_do\_ see a monster. Yeah... It's got these little green eyes...

**Brigitte**: Oh yeah, like I really wish I were hemorrhaging, hairy, and sucking off Jason McCarty.

**Pamela Fitzgerald**: Jesus Christ on a bicycle! What the - ?

**Brigitte**: I don't want any drugs.

**Sam**: Then am-scray.

**Ginger**: Pervert, she's fifteen.

**Brigitte**: Ginger, wait outside for me!

**Ginger**: Fine. He rapes you, don't come crying. I'll be at home.

[*Leaves*]

**Brigitte**: She's just freaking.

**Sam**: Um, I do not think of you that way.

[*Brigitte looks at Sam, sighs and rolls her eyes*]

**Ginger**: Do you think I want to go back to being nobody? You're fucked!

**Pamela Fitzgerald**: Your father and I are going to counseling tonight so don't leave the house, they still haven't caught that animal that's loose.

**Henry Fitzgerald**: They never go anywhere.

**Pamela Fitzgerald**: You're a big help. As usual.

**Trina Sinclair**: [*about Sam*] Don't give her the satisfaction!

[*crying*]

**Trina Sinclair**: For once someone shouldn't give that fucker the satisfaction!

**Brigitte**: I didn't betray you.

**Ginger**: You locked me up!

**Brigitte**: Ginger, a word?

**Ginger**: Is it 'sorry'?

**Sam**: Understand, you may kill her trying to save her.

**Brigitte**: What?

**Sam**: It's for Ginger, isn't it? Look, worst-case scenario, you put her out of her misery. Just as long as you're prepared for that, and I mean, sure. Try to come to that.

**Jason**: Hey, diss me or whatever, but, I got three sisters, and nothing quite takes the edge off like a good toke.

**Ginger**: Well, maybe I like my edge. Thanks.

**Jason**: Or maybe you're just chicken to lose it.

**Brigitte**: You always blow off anything that you don't get.

**Ginger**: Yeah, when it's bullshit!

**Ginger**: [*about becoming a werewolf, drunk on blood*] You love it. Should come for the ride. A little scratch. Swap some juice. We'll be our own pack, like before. It's so 'us' B.

**Brigitte**: Just say you won't go average on me.

**Ginger**: Just 'cause some gonad gets his zipper going? I'd rather be dead.

**Ginger**: You picked Sam over me, anything that happens now it is your fault!

**Pamela Fitzgerald**: Ginger, don't push your sister!

**Ginger**: God, I hate our gene pool.

**Brigitte**: I'm not dying in this room with you!

**Jason**: I just got a few questions for her, like uh, I'm growing a goddamn TAIL outta my ass, and I thought she might have a few tips on how to deal with keeping that quiet!

**Brigitte**: Hurting me won't help.

**Jason**: See? I'm up to some whack shit right now. I'm way out on the corner of Fucked-Up and Evil. You wanna know what I did for fun last night, huh? I killed my own freakin' dog, OK? Now what am I supposed to do about that, huh?

**Brigitte**: If you give up now you leave me alone, I would never do that to you!

**Ginger**: I'm sorry. I'm scared...

[*starts crying*]

**Brigitte**: High school: just a mindless little breeders' machine.

**Brigitte**: It's like an infection. It works from the inside out; it's like a virus.

**Sam**: Right, see, Biology! Now there's something you can sink your teeth into, so to speak. You're real. Your problem is real. The solution is real. Not bam, death by morality call. Then again, when I started that piercing shit? I got infections. Girl says, 'Try pure silver." It cleared up like that.

[*snaps his fingers*]

## External Links

* *Ginger Snaps* on Wikipedia
* *Ginger Snaps* original script by Karen Walton
* *Ginger Snaps* film script
* *Ginger Snaps* official website (cached)
* *Ginger Snaps* official UK website
* Ginger-Snaps.com

**The *Ginger Snaps* Trilogy**

****Ginger Snaps** - Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed - Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning**