This 1988 film, directed by Michael Lehmann and written by Daniel Waters, tells the story of teenager Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) as she meets mysterious new kid, Jason Dean, also known as JD (Christian Slater), and they embark on a dark adventure to try to make their high school a nicer place; by killing some of their fellow classmates. Veronica Sawyer has been able to be a part of the most powerful clique in her high school, the Heathers. After being pushed around and humiliated by it’s leader, Heather Chandler, she decides to get revenge. Her new boyfriend JD comes along with her and in a moment of distraction, Veronica’s harmless prank turns deadly. Heather Chandler unknowingly drinks a glass of drain-cleaner and dies immediately.
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The plot is put into motion by Veronica’s desire to get revenge on Heather. It plays with the idea that seeking revenge is always going to end badly and that revenge is not justice. There is no way to predict the outcome and it makes you just as bad if not worse than the person you’re getting revenge on. Veronica may have original plan to spit flem into Heather’s hangover cure wasn’t that bad but her mixing up the glass of cure and the glass of drain cleaner shows how easily worse mistakes can be made. Revenge makes people blind to the consequences of their actions. Another way this movie covers the topic of revenge is through it’s use of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Early in the film the book is seen carried by Heather Duke with the cover facing just enough to the camera that the viewer can read the title. Later, she’s seen reading it, and finally JD tells Veronica he’s been marking meaningful passages to use in Duke’s forged suicide note. Moby Dick is a classic tale of the dangers of seeking revenge and the plot of Heathers has many similarities to it. Both explore the futility of revenge and the dangers of blaming one being for all of life’s problems. Another connection to the book is a line said by a background character talking about the coroner's report of Heather Chandler’s death and comparing her to a whale as she fell through the glass table, the connection between Chandler and Moby
The plot is put into motion by Veronica’s desire to get revenge on Heather. It plays with the idea that seeking revenge is always going to end badly and that revenge is not justice. There is no way to predict the outcome and it makes you just as bad if not worse than the person you’re getting revenge on. Veronica may have original plan to spit flem into Heather’s hangover cure wasn’t that bad but her mixing up the glass of cure and the glass of drain cleaner shows how easily worse mistakes can be made. Revenge makes people blind to the consequences of their actions. Another way this movie covers the topic of revenge is through it’s use of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Early in the film the book is seen carried by Heather Duke with the cover facing just enough to the camera that the viewer can read the title. Later, she’s seen reading it, and finally JD tells Veronica he’s been marking meaningful passages to use in Duke’s forged suicide note. Moby Dick is a classic tale of the dangers of seeking revenge and the plot of Heathers has many similarities to it. Both explore the futility of revenge and the dangers of blaming one being for all of life’s problems. Another connection to the book is a line said by a background character talking about the coroner's report of Heather Chandler’s death and comparing her to a whale as she fell through the glass table, the connection between Chandler and Moby