Heathers is 30 years old: Is it the Greatest Teen movie ever?

[Mr Trick]

Michael Lehmann on the legacy of his cult teen film Heathers

Thoughts on Heathers?

Is it the best teen movie ever? If not what do you think is?

I've never seen it in the cinema so I hope to do so when it gets re-issued on Friday🙂

 

[thetopher]

No, because its not as daring or as clever or as and subversive as it clearly thinks it is. I think its way down the list actually.

However I don't dislike it for the reasons 'The Guardian' obviously dislikes it; they find parts of it 'shocking and inappropriate' by today's standards (as it was back then) but it was also hollow.

I liked Christian Slater- the real draw of this movie I feel- much more in 'Pump Up The Volume'

There are much cleverer 80's teen comedies out there; ones that are 'light' on the surface but more satirical.

 

[Mr Trick]

No, because its not as daring or as clever or as and subversive as it clearly thinks it is. I think its way down the list actually.

However I don't dislike it for the reasons 'The Guardian' obviously dislikes it; they find parts of it 'shocking and inappropriate' by today's standards (as it was back then) but it was also hollow.

I liked Christian Slater- the real draw of this movie I feel- much more in 'Pump Up The Volume'

There are much cleverer 80's teen comedies out there; ones that are 'light' on the surface but more satirical.

Think you might have read that wrong. They were actually describing that as a positive for the film. Think they were just pointing out that such things wouldn't go down so well today. Also that the reactions to such things is the reason the film wasn't a box office hit.

 

[thetopher]

However I don't dislike it for the reasons

Should've read 'don't like for the reasons...' *slaps own face*

Think you might have read that wrong. They were actually describing that as a positive for the film.

Nah, but I sure typed it wrong! 😳

What I meant was why they liked it/thought it stood out as a film compared to others. They acted like that was something dark whereas I think the darkness is one of the least interesting things about it.
Some of the lines are good but overall I don't consider it a classic of either the genre or the 80's in general.

 

[Taake]

No, because its not as daring or as clever or as and subversive as it clearly thinks it is. I think its way down the list actually.

.

Banned.
😛


Greatest ever? That’s a pretty big title. So I won’t say ever. But it is one of the few teen movies I still own and wouldn’t get rid of. It is one I never get tired of watching. In my memory I found it as daring, clever and subversive (when I first saw it), as thetopher did not. 🙂

 

[Mr Trick]

Banned.
😛


Greatest ever? That’s a pretty big title. So I won’t say ever. But it is one of the few teen movies I still own and wouldn’t get rid of. It is one I never get tired of watching. In my memory I found it as daring, clever and subversive (when I first saw it), as thetopher did not. 🙂

Its an interesting question (which is why I asked it😉) because with teen movies you sometimes group them in with the High School set ones like Heathers. Think one of the things that stands out about Heathers is how it was ahead of its time for those movies. But the teen movie is so broad. When I asked the question on a facebook group earlier, someone answered, Rebel without a Cause, West Side Story and Morvern Callar. Films you probably forget are teen movies.

 

[Anyanka Bunny Slayer]

Fast Times at Ridgemont High and The Breakfast Club were the ultimate teen films; I'll also add The Craft to that list. Perfection!

As for Heathers, it annoyed me. I watched it twice, and each time I was like, "Huh? What? This sucks." It tried waaaay too hard to be "clever" and "dark." Major fail.

 

[Anyanka Bunny Slayer]

 

[thrasherpix]

I liked the movie and the musical, but don't own either, and wouldn't call them favorites by any means. But I only got see both since joining Buffyboards (which means like that last 2 years, I think, if even that long) rather than when it was fresh and new, and that surely makes a difference for more than one reason.

I suppose it's worth mentioning that I like Jennifer Connelly as an actress while not particularly fond of Winona Ryder (I don't hate her acting, just don't find it particularly mesmerizing, and I'd even forgotten she played Spock's mom in the Star Trek reboot until I just now looked her up), but I'm glad they got WR to play Veronica rather than JC. That said, I'm at a loss to understand why (I just now realized it, having read that she was approached about playing in Heathers and either she or her parents said no).

 

[Mr Trick]

I liked the movie and the musical, but don't own either, and wouldn't call them favorites by any means. But I only got see both since joining Buffyboards (which means like that last 2 years, I think, if even that long) rather than when it was fresh and new, and that surely makes a difference for more than one reason.

I suppose it's worth mentioning that I like Jennifer Connelly as an actress while not particularly fond of Winona Ryder (I don't hate her acting, just don't find it particularly mesmerizing, and I'd even forgotten she played Spock's mom in the Star Trek reboot until I just now looked her up), but I'm glad they got WR to play Veronica rather than JC. That said, I'm at a loss to understand why (I just now realized it, having read that she was approached about playing in Heathers and either she or her parents said no).

Was going to say the musical might be worth seeing. It opens in the UK next month.

Two modern teen movies I'd put up there as favourites are Ghost World and Donnie Darko. Both do something fresh and cutting edge. Both have distinct styles (love the use of the small town setting and music in both), and both treat teenagers as adults with proper depth.

 

[HowiMetdaSlayer]

What are the parameters for something being called a 'teen movie', though? Googling a few best of lists and there seems to be a rather wide variance in films listed. Would it be anything with a mostly ten cast, or centered on a teen? Seen some interesting and rather surprising choices on there. Here's a few (speaking of wide variances) off the top of my head...
The Breakfast Club
Lady Bird
The Edge of Seventeen
American Pie 1 & 2
Thirteen
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Juno
Ordinary People
Some Kind of Wonderful
Empire Records

BTW - one list had the new movie Eighth Grade listing #1! Looking forward to seeing that this week. 🙂

 

[Mr Trick]

What are the parameters for something being called a 'teen movie', though? Googling a few best of lists and there seems to be a rather wide variance in films listed. Would it be anything with a mostly ten cast, or centered on a teen? Seen some interesting and rather surprising choices on there. Here's a few (speaking of wide variances) off the top of my head...
The Breakfast Club
Lady Bird
The Edge of Seventeen
American Pie 1 & 2
Thirteen
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Juno
Ordinary People
Some Kind of Wonderful
Empire Records

BTW - one list had the new movie Eighth Grade listing #1! Looking forward to seeing that this week. 🙂

Think most of those would count. Good shout with Y Tu Tambien. Great film.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

The ultimate teen movie has to be American Graffiti. There are car shows in my area every Wednesday and Saturday and there were two replicas of the yellow hot rod Ford that Bob Falfa (played by Harrison Ford) drove at the show last night. It still has a huge following.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

 

[MarieVampSlayer]

Heathers is awesome but it would not be my first choice for best teen movie of all time. For me it's this one:

Runner-up would probably be Mean Girls and 10 things I hate about you!

 

[MarieVampSlayer]

Empire Records
🙂

 

[Ethan Reigns]

I am surprised no one has mentioned "Risky Business" yet. Rebecca de Mornay at her best.

 

[RachM]

Heathers is one of my absolute favourite movies, I think it's clever, dark and subversive, definitely ahead of its time and a nice change from the sometimes saccharine and cliched teen comedies of the 80s like Sixteen Candles, Pretty In Pink and (as much as I do enjoy it) The Breakfast Club.

I don't think it's possible to just name one teen movie as the "greatest" of all time but I would say that there are several which are truly great and stand the test of time, Heathers being one of the them. Empire Records and 10 Things I Hate About You are two others which spring to mind, both of them clever and very entertaining.

 

[Mr Trick]

There's a screening of this next Friday at my local picturehouse so will be seeing it then. Very excited!

 

[The Bronze]

I'd need a definition and then a list to jog my memory before I could pick the greatest teen movie. American Pie springs to mind because it's fun, sunny and has a great sound track.

Unfortunately I've never seen Heather's. Bit before my time, us youngsters struggle to join in with you old timers discussing classic films 😛