Jawbreaker (film)

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Jawbreaker
Directed by Darren Stein
Produced by Stacy Kramer
Written by Darren Stein
Starring Rose McGowan
Rebecca Gayheart
Julie Benz
Judy Greer
Pam Grier
Music by Stephen Endelman
Cinematography Amy Vincent
Editing by Troy Takaki
Distributed by TriStar Pictures
Release date(s) February 19, 1999
Running time 87 min.
Country Flag of the United States USA
Language English
Budget $3.5 million
IMDb profile

Jawbreaker is a 1999 comedy-drama directed by Darren Stein. Although targeted towards a teen audience, the film's darker elements set it apart from others in the teen film genre. It was released February 19, 1999. The film stars Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, Julie Benz, and Judy Greer as girls in a clique that is at the top of the feeding order in their local high school.


There's a wicked clique in Reagan High School, Los Angeles. Cursed with beauty, dark wit and cold charisma, the girls in the pack are making their way up the social ladder, leaving casualties in their path. That is, until a mindless birthday prank leaves Liz Purr choked to death with a jawbreaker, still in her bra and panties, in the trunk of a car. The girls responsible for the grisly (yet accidental) murder are Courtney (Rose McGowan), the cold hearted leader; Marcie (Julie Benz), the adoring best friend; and Julie (Rebecca Gayheart), the sensible and kind one. Courtney insists on covering up the murder, making it look as if Liz had died at the hands of a rapist. Stumbling upon the dark plot is school outcast Fern (Judy Greer); to buy Fern's silence, Courtney accepts Fern into the clique, transforming her into beautiful exchange student "Vylette." Disgusted and horrified with her friends' actions, Julie, the only one with remorse, leaves the group, only to be targeted by her former friends. Julie watches in mute horror as Courtney spins a web of lies, betrayal and manipulation to cover up the murder and to ensure her popularity.

Fern's new popularity makes Courtney angry because Fern is now more popular than she is. Courtney eventually turns on her and reveals that Vylette is actually Fern, and Fern is once again an outcast at school, but Julie takes pity on her and forgives her for falling under Courtney's influence. Later, Julie finds the recording card she was fiddling with when Courtney was faking Liz's death (containing the message. "I killed Liz. I killed the teen dream. Deal with it") among a bag of Liz's possessions she was given. Fern, Julie, and her boyfriend, broadcast this card at the school Prom when Courtney is making her Prom Queen speech, and this brings the demise of her popularity as the students of the school pelt her with flowers and call her a murderer. Dark, edgy, yet still teenage, the movie obviously pays homage to the 1989 dark comedy Heathers. It has also been compared to other teenage movies such as Clueless and Carrie.

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[edit] Trivia

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  • Marilyn Manson, who was Rose McGowan's boyfriend at the time, appears as the man whom Courtney picks up in a bar and with whom she has sex in Liz's bed.
  • During a scene where Courtney is providing oral sex to her boyfriend the song "Lollipop Lips" by Connie Francis is heard. Francis, who found the content of the film objectionable, filed a lawsuit. News story about the lawsuit
  • PJ Soles and William Katt, who play Mr. and Mrs. Purr, have both appeared in movie versions of Stephen King's Carrie.
  • Several cast members had (or were to have) prominent parts in supernatural based teen-orientated TV shows. Rose McGowan was to play Paige Matthews in Charmed. Rebecca Gayheart was to play Betty Rohmer in Dead Like Me. Julie Benz played Darla in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Ethan Erickson played Percy West in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And Charlotte Ayanna played several characters in Weird Science.
  • California rock band The Donnas appears as the band playing at the prom. They later played on the show Charmed which Rose McGowan starred in for 5 years.
  • The film was named Hard Candy ハード・キャンディ (Haado Kyandi) in Japan.
  • Rose McGowan starred as Tatum Riley in the horror/satire Scream. Julie Benz starred in Shriek if You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th (a film which parodies Scream) and parodied the death scene of Tatum.
  • The only line of dialogue Liz Purr (Charlotte Ayanna) has in the whole film is, "What are you doing to me?" which is a recording from the birthday card.
  • The "Reagan High School" building is actually University High School in Los Angeles, CA.
  • Writer/director Darren Stein is featured in one of the yearbook photos that flash across the screen