Jawbreaker (Darren Stein, 1999)

Question: When you were in high school, did any of the girls wear stockings with seams? Personally, I can't remember anyone who wore stockings at all, let alone ones with seams. Such is one of the many interesting stylistic conundrums that flooded my psyche as I gazed upon the super sheer glow of Jawbreaker (a.k.a. Der Zuckersüße Tod), a dark, yet optically soothing film about candy-based manslaughter and the pressures that come with trying to fit in at a cruel collegiate institute. The teens that populate this hyper-colourful adolescent world all looked as if they were pushing thirty. I mean, they didn't look "too old" in the classic sense, they just looked overly sophisticated; hence, the seams. However, it seemed to go beyond archaic stocking design. In that, the confidence the main characters projected had an almost regal air. This royal smell is most prominently on display when the catty foursome find themselves walking down the hall in slow motion to the strains of Imperial Teen. Opening with the semi-accidental killing of the benevolent member of a cocksure clique of chichi seniors, Jawbreaker manages to out Heather Heathers with its morbid commencement: Three girls plan on celebrating their friends birthday by pretending to kidnap her and doing all sorts of prankish deeds to her lively organic structure. Unfortunately, things go terribly wrong from the get-go, when an ill-conceived gagging technique goes awry and their angelic friend ends up asphyxiating on a golf ball-size ball of dissolving candy (a.k.a. a jawbreaker or gobstopper).

The alpha female of the group immediately takes control of the unique situation and all seems to be going "peachy fucking keen" (a weak yet plausible cover-up is already in the works).

Then Fern Mayo shows up.

Now, the film's tone is pretty toxic up until this point; thus, my comparison to the Daniel Waters penned classic. However, things don't stay so dark for long. Oh, don't get me wrong, it's got lot's of bite here and there. It's just that it softens a tad after the body is hauled away.

What I did enjoy this time around was the unspecific approach to when the film actually takes place. The moderately-sized cell phones, some of the music, and references to cyberspace put it taking place squarely in the late 1990s. But everything else had an indistinct quality about it that kept me guessing. For example, they use of an old style diner, the drive-in theatre, the Connie Francis ditty, and the car the hunky hero (Chad Christ) drove all screamed 1955.

Unclear periods of time are great and stuff, but what keeps coming back to Jawbreaker again and again is the opportunity to bask in the coordinated attractiveness of Rebecca Gayheart, Rose McGowan, Judy Greer, and Julie Benz. I mention Julie last because her Marcie Fox fails to exhibit any individuality (she's a sycophant of the worst kind). Though, I should say, Miss Benz does garner two or three hardy laughs.

The always amazing Judy Greer gets to play two characters: The socially awkward Fern Mayo and the instantly popular Vylette. The chance to go from grungy earth-tones to gaudy pinks must have been a joy for Miss Greer. And, for some strange reason, the way she towers over McGowan and Benz during the slo-mo walking sequences always cracks me up.

The statuesque Judy narrates the film's prologue and to hear one of favourite actresses call another one of my favourite actresses "the leggy one" was the kind of treat only I could extract pleasure from. The actress denoted as leggy was the fabulous Rebecca Gayheart, who gives a measured performance as Julie Freeman, the films conscious. I never noticed this before but I was quite impressed by the physical dominance she had over the other ladies. Check out her proficiency during the film's many walking scenes for proof of this control.

The high school equivalent of a genocidal madwoman, Rose McGowan is a force of nature as Courtenay Shayne. Immoral, unscrupulous, mean-spirited, and a tad kinky, the shapely actress is gorgeously evil from start to finish. Boasting not a single redeeming quality, I loved the pure nastiness of character. Plus, I can't imagine any school allowing someone that sexy to walk halls of their installation. An impotent principal (the always appealing Carol Kane) tries to curb Courtnay's sexiness by asking her to button up her blouse, but such actions are rendered futile when looked at from a distance. Seriously, you can see her delicious curves from space.

Anyway, I truly believe, if given the chance, that Rose's character would kill a million people if, say, there was some sort of lip gloss theft or an incident involving a broken heel. Yep, she's that depraved.

The legendary Pam Grier, Riff Randell herself P.J. Soles, Ann Russo (credited as Ann Zupa), Marilyn Manson, Jeff Conaway (as Marcie's dad), Lisa Robin Kelly (Laurie from That 70's Show), The Donnas and the tastily stemmed Tatyana Ali all make brief appearances throughout the film, but they're not in it enough to justify any sort of long-winded spiel.

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