Judy Greer Revisits Jawbreaker
Highlights: her first job out of college, she idealized Gayheart and feared Rose.
Something was happening in the late 1990s. The New Queer Cinema wave that blossomed in the first half of the decade had changed the DNA of even mainstream genre films: Gay screenwriters were flourishing with Kevin Williamson’s Scream, Don Mancini’s more queered Child’s Play entry Bride of Chucky, and Silvio Horta’s Urban Legend. And just on the outskirts was Darren Stein’s blackhearted horror-comedy Jawbreaker. Following in the grand high-bitch footsteps of Heathers, Jawbreaker gave us teen femmes so dolled up they were nearly in drag and an all-time evil high-school hellcat, Courtney Shayne (Rose McGowan). Cementing its mission to give the gays everything they wanted was a double serving of Judy Greer as both mousy outsider Fern Mayo and her vampire-glam alter ego, Vylette.
Greer was hardly removed from her college theater days, still planted in the Midwest and only visiting Los Angeles for casting calls. But thanks to a “911” page from her agent, Greer skipped a flight to audition for the role that would ignite her career and make her an icon for young queers obsessed with Stein’s campy, candy-colored fairy tale of adolescence. Greer’s performance was, to be extra but accurate, everything. She was an outcast who sat silently in awe of the dream girl, then seduced the school in skintight Manic Panic–pink pedal pushers; in the parlance of the mean-teen subgenre, she learned to fly and got to fuck with the eagles. In honor of this legacy, Vulture checked in with Greer to break down her cult hit and talk about the notes people still pass her all these years later.
| by Anonymous | reply 21 | March 19, 2022 1:24 PM
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Other then a passing sense that I’ve heard the title before, I have no recollection of this movie, though I would have been very up on film at this time, especially Indie movies. Is this streaming anywhere presently?
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | March 19, 2022 12:18 AM
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Never seen it, don't even remember it being in the theaters.
Straight to video?
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | March 19, 2022 12:24 AM
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This movie has nothing to do with New Queer Cinema, it was a rip off of Heathers.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | March 19, 2022 12:27 AM
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This was not a good film. It was not financially or critically successful. I hoped it would be. It was not. I don't know who the interviewer is but he's definitely re-writing history. Apparently it has a cult following, but as said above, it was a Heathers rip-off and it is nowhere near as good as that film.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | March 19, 2022 12:30 AM
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Agreed, R4, describing “Jawbreaker” as an important, influential film is revisionist history.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | March 19, 2022 12:49 AM
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I love Judy Greer. And I love that she remains a professional.
She basically insinuated that Rose is a cunt without even saying it and still came off as classy.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | March 19, 2022 12:56 AM
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I liked the flashy late-90s wardrobes but this movie is not as funny as Heathers.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | March 19, 2022 12:59 AM
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I killed Liz, I killed the teen dream. Deal with it!
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | March 19, 2022 3:24 AM
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`God I hated Rose McGowan. Even before she went crazy you could tell she was an asshole.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | March 19, 2022 3:37 AM
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I don't know who decided this movie actually has a following, but it's pure fiction.
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | March 19, 2022 3:52 AM
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Heather Chandler would have broken Courtney Shayne in half and forgotten where she put the pieces by next lunchtime poll.
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | March 19, 2022 5:04 AM
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It's not really a good movie at all, but it has its moments, I guess. Judy Greer is very likable in it, but Rose comes off as the bitch she really is and Rebecca Gayheart and Julie Benz are totally meh. A poor Heathers rip off is right.
During Rose's meltdowns in recent years, I always think of the ending scene of this movie. People should've just posted a gif of that scene in response to her crazy posts.
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | March 19, 2022 5:25 AM
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I watched it a few months ago and I remember nothing about it.
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | March 19, 2022 5:27 AM
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I really liked it a lot, thought it was memorable and underrated
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | March 19, 2022 5:28 AM
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I also liked it and loved the line about the Karen Carpenter table.
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | March 19, 2022 5:31 AM
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I love this movie and the soundtrack.
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | March 19, 2022 5:53 AM
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Never liked this movie at all.
[quote] `God I hated Rose McGowan. Even before she went crazy you could tell she was an asshole.
I liked her looks a lot back in the day.
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | March 19, 2022 6:03 AM
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So, was this just a random posting by the president of the Judy Greer fan club to drum up more adulation for her or what? Should I watch this or no, and if yes, where?
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | March 19, 2022 12:51 PM
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I was born in 1990, and I know several people in my age range who are fans of this movie. I don't think it has a widespread cult following, but it has a small fanbase. I saw it when I was in around 8th grade and it has remained a favorite of mine. It's stupid, but it's quotable and always fun to watch. The scene where McGowan's character gets her (gorgeous) boyfriend to fellate a popsicle is hot.
| by Anonymous | reply 21 | March 19, 2022 1:24 PM
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