Jawbreaker [DVD]

Jawbreaker staring Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart and Julie Benz is one of the slickest and most deliciously entertaining teen movies of the late 90's. However at the same time this film does cater to a niche audience and will not be enjoyed by everyone.

The plot revolves around three girls who have a tradition of pulling a prank on their friend Liz for her birthday, only this year's prank goes wrong when Courtney (McGowan) accidentally kills Liz by gagging her with a jawbreaker. One of the girls, Julie (Gayhart) wants to come clean about the whole thing, but clique leader Courtney refuses to tell anyone what they have done and instead hatches a plan to make it look like Liz was the victim of a perverse sexual encounter gone wrong, shattering Liz's good girl image. However, their plan is thwarted by high school outcast Fern Mayo (Judy Greer) catches them moving Liz's body so in an effort to keep their secret Courtney promises to make Fern "one of them" in exchange for her silence. And things spiral out of control from that moment on.

The plot is very ludicrous but the film is executed in such a brilliantly unique way that it just about works. Much of this is down to Rose McGowan who is having the time of her life in the role of bitchy queen-bee Courntey Shayne. The supporting cast is great, especially Julie Benz who is hilarious as the ditzy sidekick and Judy Greer as geek turned chic Fern Mayo. But McGowan owns the movie and it's a thrilling ride watching her go from one despicable act to the next as she attempts to keep herself out trouble whilst remaining on top of the high school social ladder.

This is not a film that was made with a lot of money or big movie stars, it was made with a lot of love by people who are obviously big fans of the teen movie genre. The casting of McGowan, Benz and Gayhart reflects this. They aren't teenagers (they don't even look like teenagers) but in the same way that Grease famously cast actors in their 30s and 40s to play high school students, Jawbreaker's cast gets away with it because you get swept away by their performances. I don't think anyone other than Rose McGowan could have lead this movie and you don't for one second care that she isn't a teenager.

However, where a lot of teen movies fail, Jawbreaker succeeds in portraying a films which acts as a metaphor for high school life. The idea of a jawbreaker works really well and gives the film some depth as the underlying message is that (like a jawbreaker) high school is tough to get through. This metaphor is further extended to characters, particularly Courtney, who has a sweet and sugary exterior but beneath the surface lies something very dangerous. It may sound bizarre that such a movie does have something to say about high school life, but it does and I think by doing so it gives the film slightly more depth than your average high school movie.

While this film is never going to win any awards, I feel that at the same time it has been unfairly judged in the past. This is a good film and I think that many viewers (and critics) have been put of by the slightly silly plot. Yes, the plot is ridiculous at times but that is all part of the charm - the film is dark at times, very satirical and very bitchy however it does have a message, it does have a (sort of) happy ending and will make you laugh. It's a dark, satirical look at high school life in a similar way to that of Clueless a few years earlier only with slightly more of an edge. And while this is not a film that requires you to constantly be thinking about the plot, what this film has to say is obvious in its execution. While not as true to high school life as films such as Mean Girls, the stereotypes and issues of high school are all present in this film. While some people have taken this film far too seriously (leading to may negative comments about the film) it knows what it wants to do and it does that very well. A lot of people say that this film is trying to be like Heathers, and maybe it is but Jawbreaker holds it own amongst films of a genre where it really has all been done before by adding its own style and flare, a killer soundtrack and some great performances by the lead actresses.

I can understand why some people don't particularly like this movie, but I personally enjoyed it immensely. Of course, I enjoy anything featuring Rose McGowan, but the movie itself is actually a lot of fun. If you tend to take movies seriously and have trouble suspending your disbelief, this movie isn't for you, and a short description of the movie should easily convince you to take your cinematic interests elsewhere. I happen to like over the top movies about high school life, and Jawbreaker takes the stratification of high school society, something we are all acquainted with in one form or another, and runs with it. Rose McGowan plays Courtney Shane, considered by some to be "Satan-in-heels." She is your ultimate clique controller, operating the controls of high school popularity and approachability with the help of faithful and reliable henchbabe Marcie Fox (Julie Benz) and two goody-goodies who somehow manage to stay cool despite hobnobbing with their social inferiors from time to time. Rebecca Gayheart (who finds herself in the odd situation of being rather invisible whenever McGowan shares the screen with her) plays Julie Freedman, and she is in fact complicit in the unusual death of Elizabeth Purr, sweet little angel and fourth member of the ruling babes of Reagan High School. Courtney, Marcie, and Julie celebrate Liz's 17th birthday by disguising themselves, sneaking into her room, tying her up and gagging her, throwing her into the trunk of their car, and eventually letting her go to enjoy the hilarity of their innocent little prank. Wouldn't you know it, something goes awry. The insanely large jawbreaker that Courtney stuffs in her mouth before taping it closed manages to work its way down Liz's throat. With their friend dead, the three girls must take action quickly to avoid detection; Courtney is a natural at evil plotting and quickly enacts a plan. Unfortunately, class geek Fern Mayo happens along and overhears the big secret, prompting Courtney to take drastic action; in return for Fern's silence, she will transform Fern into the beautiful, popular girl she has always wanted to be. Julie wants no part of it, but her own guilt and complicity leads her to do little more than go schoolmarm and reject her more evil compatriots.

This movie does raise issues about high school life, but it does not attempt to make some meaningful statement about it . The common stereotypes are presented but not dwelt on. Those who would not understand how nice, sweet Fern could be enticed into going over to the dark side were obviously not among the nerds and geeks of their own graduating class. Even though Courtney was hated as much as she was loved, the vast majority of her peers wanted to be like her, immensely popular, beautiful, intimidating, and awe-inspiring. Sure, she is selfish, evil, and uncaring, but that's part of her charm. I personally prefer her to Julie, who pretends to be something she is not and blames Courtney alone for an act she herself played a large part in.

Don't even try to think about this movie; you're not supposed to learn anything here. This is entertainment and nothing more, and I for one was greatly entertained. The ending leaves a little something to be desired, but all in all this is a marvelous dark comedy. Rose McGowan makes this movie cool all by herself, but the kicking soundtrack is more than ready to assist in this endeavor whenever it is called upon, which is quite often. The music is almost a character in and of itself, beautifully assisting in the creation of whatever atmosphere is required for each scene, and its incessant energy never allows for a moment of drag as the story works itself out. There is quite a bit of profanity in the script, and it is this much more than the all-too-brief nudity that earns this one its R rating. Rose McGowan's sizzling partially nude scene is perhaps the shortest in the history of cinema, here and gone before your DA--- reaches its ---MN. I seem to take delight in praising movies of this type, and I take extreme delight in praising this one. My best advice to the prospective viewer is this: if the movie sounds stupid to you, you probably won't like it. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy the candy (jawbreaker as well as eye candy).

This film reminded me of a cross between Heathers, Shallow Grave and Clueless - altogether a worth watch. The cast are excellent and there's cameos from Marilyn Manson, Tatyana Ali and The Donnas. The thing which really stands out in the film though is the creative surreal shots of 3d style art works. Definitely worth a rent.