Blyss's Review For:
Cast of Characters:
Rose McGowan.........Courtney Shayne
Julie Benz.......Marcie Fox
Rebecca Gayheart......Julie Freeman
Judy Greer........."Vylette" Fern Mayo
Charlotte Ayanna....Liz Purr
Chad Christ.......Zach Tartak
William Katt........Mr. Purr
P.J. Soles.....Mrs. Purr
Carol Kane............Mrs. Sherwood
Pam Grier......Detective Vera Cruz
1999.Rated R,Genre:Thriller, Comedy; 87 minutes
"Some of the sweetest candies are as sour as death inside."
The above quote from the movie, "Jawbreaker" definitely rings true in terms of the story that is told in this film. The story is one of four teenage girls, Courtney Shayne, Liz Purr, Marcie Fox, and Julie Freeman. They are the most popular girls at their high school and they, as Courtney, the leader of this group, so eloquently puts it "rule". Their lives are perfect until Courtney gets this wild idea to play a trick on Liz on her seventeenth birthday. Early that morning, Courtney, Marcie, and Julie dress in black cloaks and masks and sneak into Liz's room, pretending to be attackers. They tie Liz up and jam a gigantic jawbreaker into her mouth. The plan is to stuff her full of food and then tie her half naked to a flag pole at the high school. However, their plans are foiled when they open the trunk and find that Liz is dead, suffocated by the jawbreaker that she swallowed and is bulging in her throat. Courtney leaves her in the trunk and they go to school. Courtney calls the office and pretends to be Liz's mother, saying that Liz has the flu and will not be in today. She also requests that Liz's homework be sent home by one of her girlfriends. The principal is glad to oblige and the girls go into school and strut as if nothing has happened under Courtney's instructions.
But there is already a weakness in the group. Julie regrets what has happened and wants to tell the police about it from the start. Courtney is mad and tells her that they are going to stage Liz's body in her room as if she had been raped. Julie is mad but reluctantly goes with them to set up this scene. Meanwhile, Courtney remembers too late that she was supposed to take Liz's homework home and the principal gives it to class geek, Fern Mayo instead. Fern idolizes Liz and is more than happy to take her homework to her.
Meanwhile, Courtney and the others hurry to Liz's house and set up the body in the house to look like a rape attack. Fern comes inside when no one answers the door and finds them upstairs discussing what they have done. When they discover Fern and begin to question how much she saw, Fern sees Liz's body and runs screaming out of the house. Courtney catches up with her and offers her a deal of a lifetime: Fern will remain silent if Courtney gives her the chance to be popular and one of their clique. Fern agrees. Courtney shapes and molds Fern into a new person which she renamed Vylette. Vylette is truly Courtney's witchy creation and gets out of control before it is over with.
Julie gets further and further away from the group and Courtney basically "excommunicates" her. Vylette is not even supposed to talk to her. Things begin to look up a little for Julie though. Even though Courtney threatened to expose Julie as the real killer of Liz if Julie ever told what happened, Julie finds some real evidence that could point to Courtney as Liz's murderer and she decides to use it. Will she be able to use it in time before Courtney becomes Prom Queen? Watch and see!
I thought this was going to be a really stupid movie when I first started watching it, but I was wrong. Every high school has the clique of really popular people. Not only that, this movie reminded me a little of the 80's movie, "Heathers" which I also liked. Rose McGowan shined as the witch, Courtney Shayne, proving that she can play a great bad girl. It was also different to see Julie Benz (aka Darla on the WB series, "Angel") playing a different role. Parts of it were a little corny, but overall, it was a very entertaining film. For that, I rate this movie an 8, on a scale of 1 to 10.
Blyss