Heathers by JULIA RODKEY https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes Heathers!!! en-us 2017-11-08 19:13:14 UTC 2026-03-18 04:49:35 UTC hello@padlet.com Summary jmrodkey https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/209284983 Veronica was once just a lonely outcast in high school, but was taken in by Heather Chandler to be part of the most popular clique in school because she could forge a hall pass. The clique of Heathers are the typical bullying snobs which Veronica knows is wrong, but is too scared to leave because of the consequences. Veronica was hanging out with her new mysterious and sketchy boyfriend, J.D., one morning when they decide to go to Heather Chandler's house to give her a cure for her hangover. Veronica thought it would be funny to give her milk and orange juice, but J.D. had other plans. He switches Veronica's cup for a concoction of chemicals and bleach that Heather drinks and then dies from. Veronica and J.D. freak out because they don't want a murder on their hands, so Veronica forges a suicide note. The trend of killing the popular kids continues and it is ironic because J.D. and Veronica hate them for how popular they are, but their suicides makes them even more popular.]]> 2017-11-21 22:01:55 UTC https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/209284983 Heathers jmrodkey https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/209286564 New World Pictures, 1988]]> 2017-11-21 22:16:11 UTC https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/209286564 Themes jmrodkey https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/209287381 1. Conformity: The whole movie criticizes the culture that celebrates mediocrity and ignores suffering. It calls attention to how oblivious adults can be.
2. Power: The film has the courage to sympathize with a psychopath who exposes how dangerous it can be when 'fads' and gossip are more influential than basic decency.
3. Deception: The students are easily deceived when they sign J.D.'s petition because Heather tells each group of students that it's for something different, but really only J.D. knows that it's for their mass suicide. Deception is ironic because the students think they are signing for something positive. J.D. also uses Ich lüge bullets to kill Kurt and Ram and it means "I lie" in German.
]]> 2017-11-21 22:22:27 UTC https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/209287381 School Culture jmrodkey https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/209292217 1. Heather Chandler, the lead "heather" is extremely cruel to Heather Duke and bullies her quite often throughout the film which creates a lot of rage within Duke. Heather Duke wishes many times for Heather Chandler to die and thanks God at her funeral when she finally does. Heather Duke takes over Heather Chandler's position as lead Heather after her "suicide". Duke put up a front and dealt with Chandler everyday, but when Chandler committed "suicide" (since she doesn't know the truth) she is grateful and insensitive. The culture makes her want to have more power and popularity and that is why she is indifferent towards Chandler's "suicide".
2. Two jocks, Kurt and Ram spread a rumor about Veronica giving them oral sex which ruins her reputation. J.D. proposes that Veronica lure them into the woods and then shoot them with fake  bullets. J.D. shoots Ram but Veronica misses Kurt, who runs away. Veronica realizes that the bullets are real while J.D. chases Kurt back towards Veronica, who panics and shoots him. J.D. plants "gay" materials beside the nude boys, and a suicide note stating the two were lovers participating in a suicide pact. At their funeral, the culture is so twisted that the boys are made into martyrs against homophobia.
3. Martha Dunnstock, also known as "Martha Dumptruck", pins a suicide note to her chest and walks into traffic. She survives but is badly injured and is mocked for trying to "act popular" when she felt so hopeless that she genuinely tried to take her own life, but everyone thought she was trying to be "cool".

]]> 2017-11-21 23:02:40 UTC https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/209292217 School Climate jmrodkey https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/209292225 1. Once Heather Chandler commits "suicide", Principal Gowen decides to keep business as usual because he doesn't want to draw attention to the situation. The only resistance to the idea is Pauline Fleming who is seen as a "hippie" by her peers and thinks the administration is being too insensitive to the traumatic event. Therefore, the students are insensitive to the event as well.
2. In contrast to Chandler's suicide, the administration allows Pauline to hold her "Love In" after Kurt and Ram's suicides, so students can talk about their feelings. This causes all the superficial students to try to get upfront with the news reporter that arrives so they can use the experience on college applications. On the other hand, a student who is emotional to the situation like Martha Dunnstock hides under a table and later attempts suicide herself.]]> 2017-11-21 23:02:43 UTC https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/209292225 Additional jmrodkey https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/209292789 Westerberg High was named after The Replacements' singer-songwriter Paul Westerberg.

Brad Pitt auditioned for Jason Dean and told Waters the script was “brilliant.” However, producers decided that Christian Slater had the right look for a murderer, and Pitt looked too nice.

The movie was titled Lethal Attraction in Europe. It was an unsubtle attempt by New World Pictures to exploit the successes of Lethal Weapon and Fatal Attraction.]]> 2017-11-21 23:07:06 UTC https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/209292789 Teachers and Principals jmrodkey https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/210089909 Positives: The English teacher, Ms. Fleming, noticed that the administration was taking the suicides of students too lightly. She thought less about the school's reputation and more about the well-being of the students. 
Negatives: Principal Gowen is worried about his job once he receives news about Heather Chandler's suicide and wants to act like nothing happened as to avoid any further commotion. Counselor Paul suggests they have a half day, but Gowen thinks that is still too much. The tragic destruction of youth is not enough to make Gowen get in touch with humanity.]]> 2017-11-26 01:21:23 UTC https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/210089909 Accurate Portrayal? jmrodkey https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/210089913 Hippie Teacher: Pauline Fleming is portrayed very accurately and stereotypically. She is the outgoing and free-spirited teacher who wants everyone to talk and feel after the tragic suicide of Heather Chandler. 
Principal: Principal Gowen is portrayed accurately as the power-drunk ruler of the school. He is a negative character, but that's his role and he does a very good job living up to it. He is insensitive and doesn't want to make a scene of the suicides.
Parents: Veronica's parents were very stoic and empty. Every scene they are involved is for meal time and they never ask any deep questions. When Heather Chandler commits suicide, there is only one comment about it and then they move right onto something else. It is not a very accurate portrayal of how parents are, but the director was trying to show how oblivious adults are.]]> 2017-11-26 01:21:42 UTC https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/210089913 Recommend to use for EDU 205 on schooling? jmrodkey https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/210227840 I think there are a lot of good lessons in Heathers, but I would not recommend using it to teach schooling in EDU 205 because of how harsh it is. It may upset some students to be forced to watch a movie based around murders/suicides, so to be on the safe side I would use a more family friendly movie. I could see Heathers as an option for an exploratory project to delve into the truths about humanity and what society has become, but it wouldn't be the best pick for teaching schooling in EDU 205.]]> 2017-11-27 00:53:50 UTC https://padlet.com/jmrodkey/4ggd84w6uxes/wish/210227840