Jawbreaker (film)
| Jawbreaker | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Darren Stein |
| Written by | Darren Stein |
| Produced by | Adam Silverman |
| Starring | Rose McGowan Rebecca Gayheart Julie Benz Judy Greer Ethan Erickson Carol Kane Pam Grier |
| Cinematography | Amy Vincent |
| Edited by | Troy T. Takaki |
| Music by | Stephen Endelman |
| Distributed by | TriStar Pictures |
Release dates | January 30, 1999 (Sundance) February 19, 1999 |
Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | Template:Film US |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3.5 million |
| Box office | $3,117,085[1] |
Jawbreaker is an American black comedy thriller film, directed by Darren Stein. It was released February 19, 1999. The film stars Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, Julie Benz, and Judy Greer as girls in an exclusive clique in their high school. Charlotte Ayanna has a non-speaking cameo role as a murdered prom queen. The film was inspired by the infamous movie Heathers, and is often compared to it, particularly the plot involving a popular female clique, and the accidental murder of one of its members. It also holds similarities to Carrie. Of his concept for the film, Stein has stated The jawbreaker just came to represent the duality of the poppy sweetness of the girls, of high school and of youth, versus the whole idea that this thing could break your jaw.[2]
A musical adaptation of the film, which Stein also wrote the book for, is scheduled[needs update] to be performed on July 29, 2010, featuring Jenna Leigh Green.[3][4]
Plot
Blessed with beauty, wealth and charisma the "Flawless Four" are the most popular girls in Reagan High school. The clique consists of Courtney Shayne (Rose McGowan); Marcie Fox (Julie Benz); Julie Freeman (Rebecca Gayheart); and Elizabeth Purr (Charlotte Ayanna), the "Princess Di of Reagan High." Of the four, Elizabeth Purr was the only one who was genuinely kind-hearted and loved by the entire school. Julie was "doomed to be popular because of 'that face' and because she was best friends with Elizabeth Purr". Cold-blooded queen bee Courtney and her airheaded friend, Marcie, demanded respect through terror.
However, Courtney, Marcie and Julie play a mindless prank on Liz the morning of her seventeenth birthday, by performing a fake kidnapping with Courtney ramming a jawbreaker into her mouth to gag her. Still in her underwear, the girls trap Liz in the trunk of a car and drive off.
However, upon opening the trunk, they are greeted with the grisly sight of Liz dead, having choked to death by aspirating the jawbreaker into her larynx. Horrified, Julie wants to go to the police but Courtney forbids her. Instead, Courtney calls the school pretending to be Liz's mother and tells them Liz is ill and cannot attend school. To keep up appearances, Courtney, Marcie and Julie then go to school as though nothing had happened. When the principal sends school outcast Fern Mayo (Judy Greer) to deliver Liz's homework at the end of the day, she stumbles upon the three girls and Liz's mangled body. Out of jealousy, Courtney fabricates a story that Liz died at the hands of a rapist, and plots to tarnish Liz's good reputation by spreading false rumors that she was actually a rebellious, promiscuous girl, and not the perfect angel she made herself out to be.
Fern, who had admired Liz to the point of hero worship, is appalled and attempts to flee the house, but the girls easily catch her. To buy Fern's silence, Courtney accepts Fern into the clique, telling her to take Liz's place. Courtney and Marcie then give her a makeover, transforming her from plain and awkward to elegant and beautiful. Later in the school cafeteria, Courtney introduces Fern as the beautiful exchange student "Vylette." Julie, overwhelmed by guilt at her part in Liz's death, distances herself from the clique, only to be tormented by her former friends and becomes a new target for abuse throughout the school. Her only real friend during this time is her drama student boyfriend, Zack.
As Vylette's popularity soars, Julie watches in mute horror as Courtney spins a relentless web of lies, trickery and manipulation to cover up the murder and maintain her popularity. Julie discovers, to her disgust, that after they'd returned Liz's corpse to her house, Courtney went out and seduced a stranger (Marilyn Manson) at a sleazy bar and had sex with him in Liz's bed, making it seem as though he had raped Liz.
In time, Vylette becomes intoxicated with her newfound popularity, which has eclipsed Courtney's own. Realizing she has created a monster, Courtney threatens to reveal the truth about Vylette, but Vylette vows she will reveal the whole truth about Liz's death if Courtney attempts to expose her. Infuriated, Courtney and Marcie post enlarged yearbook photos of Fern Mayo all over the school with the message "Who is Vylette" written on them, revealing Vylette's true identity. Fern is thoroughly humiliated by the entire school and once again reduced to an outcast. Feeling no remorse for the things she has done, Courtney casually attends the senior prom with jock Dane Sanders (Ethan Erickson), who was in love with Liz before she died.
Julie takes pity on Fern and forgives her for falling under Courtney's influence. Later that night as she sulks in her room, going through a bag of Liz's belongings that were given to her, Julie finds the recording card she was fiddling with when Courtney was faking Liz's death and discovers it has incidentally recorded Courtney's admission to the murder. Struck with an idea, Julie, Fern and Zack all hurry to the prom. As Dane and Courtney are announced as Prom King and Queen, Zack sneaks backstage and broadcasts the card message over the sound system while Courtney is making her acceptance speech. Dane (seized with shock and disgust over the revelation) quickly abandons Courtney. Horrified that her scheme has become unraveled, she races for the exit as the rest of the students pelt her with corsages and call her a murderer. Awaiting Courtney at the very end of the mob is Julie, who gleefully snaps a picture of her former friend's anguished face to immortalize the occasion.
Main characters
| Actor | Role | Description |
| Rose McGowan | Courtney Alice Shayne | Courtney, described as "Satan in Heels", is a cruel, sociopathic, self-absorbed high school senior, whose thoughtless prank on Elizabeth Purr left her dead. Courtney is obsessed with being feared by all around her and will stop at nothing to maintain her popularity. It is implied that Courtney intentionally murdered Liz out of envy that people adored Liz, and hated her. Courtney is finally exposed after Julie discovers the recording card she was holding when she said (and mistakenly held down the recording button), "I killed Liz. I killed the teen dream. Deal with it." |
| Rebecca Gayheart | Julie Freeman | Julie was stated to be "doomed to be popular", not just because of her beauty but also because of her close friendship with Elizabeth Purr. Initially just another snobby popular girl, Julie's attitude significantly changes after Liz's death. Julie repeatedly enforces her desire to tell the authorities what really happened, but Courtney refuses and, thus, kicks her from the clique. Her popularity declines and she is left nearly alone, unsupported by all except her boyfriend Zack and later by Fern after Courtney turns on her. She eventually triumphs over Courtney at the senior prom after broadcasting her admission over the sound system. |
| Julie Benz | Marcie Fox | Courtney's dim-witted right hand woman, who has assigned herself the nickname "Foxy", oblivious to the fact that no one but herself ever calls her that. She comes from a single parent family, and shows disdain for her father. She is a typical, airheaded Valley girl, spending most of her time trying to impress Courtney and speaking in outdated slang, but she also abandons Courtney after the truth of Liz's death is revealed to everyone and hides under a table. |
| Judy Greer | Fern Mayo/Vylette | Fern is a dull, mousy girl who is regarded with contempt and indifference by most of the student body. She also serves as the film's narrator. Fern was one of Elizabeth Purr's many fans and admitted she often dreamed about being so beautiful and popular. After stumbling upon Liz's murder, Fern's silence is bought by Courtney and Marcie accepting her as one of them and turning her into a beautiful new student named "Vylette." Vylette however turns out to be just as spiteful and self-centred as Courtney, but her real identity is exposed to the school after she displeases Courtney. Fern joins forces with Julie to bring down Courtney after this. |
| Charlotte Ayanna | Elizabeth "Liz" Purr | The most popular girl in Reagan High. Elizabeth only appears in flashbacks or as a corpse, and does not utter a single line of dialogue throughout the entire film. Therefore what information is known of her comes from other characters. Elizabeth was a beautiful, wealthy girl and very kind-hearted. All of Reagan High adored her, and she treated people with kindness - which earned resentment from Courtney. Liz is killed by Courtney after the girls performed a fake kidnapping on her, and Courtney stuffs a jawbreaker into her mouth. Liz chokes to death in the trunk of Courtney's car. |
Minor characters
- Chad Christ as Zack Tartak
- Shar Jackson as Keisha
- Ethan Erickson as Dane Sanders
- Pam Grier as Det. Vera Cruz
- Carol Kane as Ms. Sherwood
- Marilyn Manson as The Stranger
- Tatyana Ali as Brenda
- P. J. Soles as Mrs. Purr
- William Katt as Mr. Purr
- Jeff Conaway as Mr. Fox
Reception
The film's critical response was overwhelmingly negative. It currently holds a 7% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes based on 57 reviews (4 positive, 53 negative), leading to it's inclusion on several of the websites lists ranking the worst films, earning the distinction of being the single worst film of 1998 as well as ranking among the top ten worst films of the 1990s.[5] Roger Ebert gave the film 1 and a half out of 4, stating "The movie is a slick production of a lame script ... If anyone in the plot had the slightest intelligence, the story would implode".[6] Francesca Dinglasan from Boxoffice magazine gave the film 1 and a half out of 5, criticizing the film's humor and similarities to Heathers.[7] James Berardinelli gave the film a more favorable 2 and a half out of 4, calling it "palatable, and occasionally even clever", however concluding that "while the film offers more than a Heathers rehash, it never fully develops its own identity.[8]
Soundtrack
| Track # | Song title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yoo Hoo | Imperial Teen | 3:31 | |
| I See | Letters To Cleo | 3:56 | |
| Next To You | Edna Swap | 2:35 | |
| Don't Call Me Babe | Shampoo | 2:58 | |
| Bad Word For A Good Thing | Friggs | 2:53 | |
| Stay In Bed | Grand Mal | 4:49 | |
| Flow | Transister | 5:59 | |
| She Bop | Howie Beno | 3:06 | |
| Water Boy | Imperial Teen | 1:36 | |
| Rock You Like a Hurricane | Scorpions | 4:14 | |
| Rock 'n' Roll Machine | The Donnas | 2:54 | |
| Beat You Up | The Prissteens | 2:36 | |
| Trouble | Shampoo | 3:21 |
See also
References
- ^ "Jawbreaker". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Maslin, Janet (February 19), "FILM REVIEW; Eye Candy: Teen Queens of Mean", New York Times, New York, NY
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|date=and|year=/|date=mismatch (help) - ^ http://www.playbill.com/news/article/140775-Espinosa-Snyder-and-Green-Join-Cast-of-Jawbreaker-Concert-in-Los-Angeles
- ^ http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Espinosa_Bean_et_al_Lead_JAWBREAKER_Concert_for_Show_at_Barre_729_20100628
- ^ "Jawbreaker". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Ebert, Roger (February 19, 1999). "Jawbreaker". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Dinglasan, Francesca (August 1, 2008). "Jawbreaker". Boxoffice magazine. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Berardinelli, James. "Jawbreaker". Reelviews.net. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help)