User reviews

Lesbian murderers ? I'm sort of guessing that I might not like this movie very much . No doubt we'll be seeing some polemical do gooder film maker with zero talent making a movie where anyone who gets murdered by the gay girls probably asked for it because they were a rabid homophobe

That was my abstract opinion of HEAVENLY CREATURES when it was released to some critical acclaim ten years ago , with much of the acclaim going to writer/director Peter Jackson whose previous gory horror comedies I'd enjoyed . Yeah the guy was talented I remember thinking , but in a liberal climate we'd no doubt be hearing a myriad of excuses via the film for the girls crime and it was this attitude that stopped me from watching the movie until it was broadcast on BBC 2 tonight

I was fooling myself if I thought Jackson was going to make a bad movie . This is another piece of heart melting , intelligent movie making from the Kiwi genius and I'm sorry for doubting Jackson for a moment . What Jackson has done has made a movie where it's difficult to think of the two protagonists as " lesbian lovers " , Pauline Reiper and Juliet Hulme are two teenagers who love each other full stop and the screenplay doesn't once make any excuses for anything that happens , we're not supposed to feel disgusted by their relationship , we're not supposed to feel that they are victims in any way and we're not supposed to feel that a conservative , homophobic society is to blame for what happened . Jackson deserves much credit for making an amoral movie without an agenda , it's up to the free thinking audience to make up their own minds on the case. Take for example the murder of Mrs Rieper who kindly takes the girls to a tea house then for a walk in the countryside . It's difficult not to notice that if she'd been an uncaring cruel dragon with absolutely no conscience the girls wouldn't have had an opportunity to murder the woman .

It's also a movie that captures the spirit of being a teenager in love . When for whatever reason you have to say goodbye to your first love it's the end of the world . You'll do anything to stop it happening - ANYTHING - and you won't forgive anyone who caused it to happen . Fantasy sequences similar to the ones shown here are also a staple diet of the teenage mind and if you disagree with me you're either being dishonest or you're under twelve years of age . Believe me this movie reminded me , perhaps a little too much , of my own teenage angst

Jackson also deserves credit for his casting Melanie Lynskey and ( A then totally unknown ) Kate Winslet as Pauline and Juliet . Neither of them can be described as strikingly attractive and you do have to worry who we would have got instead if this was a Hollywood production , but they play the star crossed lovers with absolute conviction , as indeed do the rest of the cast

HEAVENLY CREATURES is beautiful , haunting , thoughtful and incisive . With the exception of Martin Scorsese I rate Peter Jackson as the world's greatest living film maker and HEAVENLY CREATURES is the first movie that showed the true greatness Jackson is capable of

In 1952 Christchurch, New Zealand, 14-year-old Pauline Yvonne Parker (Melanie Lynskey) is a bitter introverted student from an all-girls school. Juliet Marion Hulme (Kate Winslet) is the flamboyant new girl from England. Pauline forms a friendship with Juliet obsessed with their imaginary Fourth World. Juliet's parents abandon her in the hospital with TB. Pauline's mother becomes concerned about her rebellious turn and the girls' possible homosexuality.

These are two amazing performances. Lynskey is a wonderful weird introvert. The girls bring out the desperation of puberty coming-of-age. Director Peter Jackson brings out an interesting imaginary world. The movie brings out an early sign of wonder things to come.

In retrospect, you'd never know this is a Peter Jackson film. Not after becoming familiar with his recent work, anyway. "Heavenly Creatures" contains all the subtlety and nuances that his later work desperately needs - the graceful arc of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, despite its critical lauding, doesn't hold a candle to this film.

Melanie Lynskey plays Pauline, a young girl who, along with her best friend Juliet (Kate Winslet), often envisions herself in fantasy worlds and alternate realities. The two girls' parents become so worried about their fantasies that they separate the two girls - but, in a fit of rage, Melanie and Juliet plan a dreadful revenge.

Most shocking of all is that this story sounds like some lame supernatural thriller that would be on a made-for-TV special, in which the girls share some kind of psychic connection - but it's not like that at all. It's a true story, and it's handled quite delicately.

The performances are, for the most part, very good. Winslet shines in one of her earlier performances and displays raw talent.

Overall, watching this I couldn't help but be reminded of how talented Peter Jackson used to be, and how lately he has succumbed to making, for lack of a better description, Hollywood shlock. I liked "Lord of the Rings." I liked "King Kong." But this is better.

When Juliet Hulme moves from England to New Zealand with her parents, she meets Pauline Rieper – a rather disaffected girl who is happy to have a friend. As they get to know each other, Pauline is pulled into the fantasy world of Royals and scandal that Juliet has written. However as the two fall deeper and deeper into the characters they have created, their relationship becomes ever more intense and their parents step in to separate them. Facing a geographical separation, the two plot to take revenge on the adults who seek to split them up.

At the time of release I remember thinking that this was an unusual film for Peter Jackson to have made given that he was more of a gore merchant as I was aware. Watching it not it still feels like a strange film for him to have done, but now it is for different reasons – that is, that he has made one of the biggest trilogies of all time™ etc! Ignoring his previous and later works, this is a great little film and it acts as a showcase for Jackson as it shows he can be imaginative and also sensitive when required – certainly coming to this on the back of Bad Taste, I had low expectations on how he would do it but he did it. The true story is adapted from Pauline's diaries and, while it must be impossible to see how they saw the world, the fantastic fantasy worlds we see here are better than the probably quite repressed world they had in mind – from this film I saw the two as being more insular and self defensive than the elaborate fantasy scenes would suggest. The film did well to depict their relationship, immediately having worrying signs but being the sort of thing kids do – and the killing hinted at by the film's opening is brutal and unpleasant – we are never allowed to side with these people.

The direction is great, creating normal domestic scenes with the same confidence as it uses full size plastic models within the fantasy sequences.

The cast also do well, in particular two great lead performances. Naturally Winslet gets all the kudos for her character is ott at times and spins wildly emotionally – a hard role to carry off but she does it very well and showed great promise (even if she looks too old for the role in my opinion). Lynskey impressed me much more as her role was more controlled and was delivered a lot better by an actress who looked like a shy, embarrassed little girl. Both were great for different reasons and they are a big reason this film works so well. Support from the likes of O'Connor, Kent and a few other well known faces are also good but there is never a question about their role within the film – they are supporting the main two.

Overall I imagine this film will get a audience boost now as lots of LOTR fans go trawling through Jackson's back catalogue to see what else he has done (boy are they in for a surprise!) and I'm glad more people will see it.

The direction is great and it delivers a complex story in a colourful and fanciful manner, but the main praise should go to the two lead actresses who deal with really difficult characters and do so in a confident and believable manner – even if the material means that many of us will want to find what they did abhorrent.

"The next time I write in this diary, mother will be dead. How odd, yet how pleasing."

This early writing and directorial effort by Peter Jackson and starring a young Kate Winslet is an odd one to pin down. Especially odd, since it's based on a true story (which I didn't know until the film was over). It's about the intense friendship between two girls living in New Zealand. One is sullen and withdrawn, the other, a wealthy transplant from England, is outspoken and draws attention with her very presence. Both are intelligent, imaginative, and share a similar casual darkness in their personalities. 

As their friendship blooms and grows more and more intense, their parents (this being set in the 50's) begin to suspect an unwholesome aspect to their relationship. When the threat of separation arises, the girls swiftly and resolutely settle on a grisly solution to their forced division: murder.

The movie shifts in tone often, from a sort of coming of age story, to the fanciful world of the girls' imaginations, to their rage and heartbreak at their parents. Kate Winslet was pretty good, but you could tell that she was still finding her way and confidence as an actress. I found the plot to be rather dull at the start, but it grew more interesting as it continued on to a rather abrupt ending. 

Interesting is a good word to use describe Heavenly Creatures, as a whole. It held my attention, even during the parts where I was a little less than entertained. It's unflinchingly dark in some aspects, and innocent and childlike in others. I'd recommend it to most just based on the fact that it's something different, and there's merit in that. It's well-made, also, I just found my interest fluctuating too often to give the movie a higher score. 

And how does Kate Winslet look almost exactly the same today as she did in 1994? Now that's a topic that's interesting enough to make a movie about.

I understand why teenage girls would like this movie--the thrilling rush of new found deep friendship tied together with nascent sexuality and all that comes with it...the defying of the confines of the world around them...the incredible power of unfettered creativity and self-delusional belief...

What's amazing is that a jaded thirty-something man like myself would consider it to be his favorite film of all time. Peter Jackson shows a deftness in handling interpersonal characterizations and blending in amazing special effects in a way that seems so natural...so fluid...that you while you're awed by what you see, you're not so aware of the process that you're distracted. The oh-so-1993 effect of "morphing" is used better here than any other film (save, perhaps, Terminator 2--but in that movie, the morphing WAS the film...when here, it is merely one element.)

The direction is exemplary. The cinematography is awe inspiring. The script is sharp. The acting...down the line...is superb. Melanie Lynskey delivers a brave performance--giddy, childish, frightening, sexual, clouded... She's everything Christina Ricci pretends to be. Kate Winslet--hyper-bright and wonderful...her performance here reminds you that her "Titanic" performance was "sunk" (sorry!) by the extremely poor dialogue she was given. Her character's overly cheerful demeanor is a mask that covers her disappointment in her parents--but it's extended so far that it no longer seems like a mask...it seems to be a force of nature that drags Lynskey's Pauline along for a dangerous ride...a ride that Winslet's Juliet is in no position to control. There are crisp performances from all of the supporting cast as well.

Jackson should be listed with Gilliam and even Lynch when it comes to directors who can achieve a glorious, if dark, vision. The fact that Jackson's movies (save for "Meet the Feebles") are mainstream accessible--in ways that Lynch, especially, could barely consider (although "The Frighteners" was painfully overlooked by the US market)--makes me wish that he'd try his hand at more mainstream material.

Imagine what a Peter Jackson "Titanic" would have been like...and compare that to what a James Cameron "Heavenly Creatures" would have been like and you get my point.

I really liked this film. Like the overwhelming majority of people, I didn't know about the real crime behind the story of this film, where the friendship between two teenagers turns into a sexual and romantic obsession and leads the two young women to kill the mother of one of them, in hope that they can run away or stay together.

Directed by Peter Jackson, still a long way from dreaming that he would be as successful as "The Lord of the Rings", the film is excellent and does a great job in terms of recreating the events and psychology of the two central characters. Of course, according to what I've read, the facts are not entirely clear as to the nature of the relationship the two girls had, but it seems quite clear that, at the very least, there was a very strong obsession between them and a certain dissociation from reality. , through the creation of a fantasy alternative world that functioned as an escape. The film shows us this clearly and manages to maintain a certain ambiguity where it seems most necessary.

This was the debut film for young Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynksey. None of them seem exactly like newcomers or inexperienced in the cinematographic art, which can only be a revealing parameter of talent, and of the great qualities that both have revealed since then, most especially Winslet, who has dedicated more time to cinema and achieved a different level of recognition. In addition to them, we also have the excellent performances by Sarah Peirse, Clive Morrison and Diana Kent, in the role of three of the paternal figures.

Technically, the film doesn't have any major problems. The pace is ideal, there are no dead moments or situations that seem to be too much or to have been stilted, and the editing is very good and well executed. The cinematography is excellent, with great color and light, particularly in the fantasy scenes, where we enter the fantastic world that these young women created for themselves. The sets are good and, together with the costumes, recreate the period portrayed with verisimilitude. The filming locations are magnificent, very well selected and used. The soundtrack is equally good.

This film is astonishing. Really, I rank it tied in first place as the best film of 1994, shared with PULP FICTION.

Peter Jackson's masterpiece (thougth I love the Lord of the Rings films) is definitely HEAVENLY CREATURES. It's a challenging film, very difficult to watch at times. But it brilliantly captures the brightly burning, constantly changing, wild emotions of these two intelligent and creative but seriously damaged teenage girls.

Sarah Peirse as the mother is incredible in her role. Melanie Lynskey reaches such a depth with her character...I actually think it's a bit frightening how good she is. And Kate Winslet...ahhh KATE WINSLET! At first glance...the performance might just be blown off as over the top and amateur. But that's only at first glance. Look closer, and stay with it, and you will see what amazing things she has done with this character. It's a remarkable achievement unlike any other acting I've seen in any film of this kind, which is to say a true life crime thriller.

Heavenly Creatures is, and I say this with absolute certainty, the best true life crime thriller ever made. Because instead of trying to be a classic thriller with cheap tricks, Peter Jackson gets you inside the twisted minds of these two girls, and whether you hate them in the end or not, you completely understand why these girls did what they did...and that it was doomed from the start. Kate Winslet is just brilliant. WHY wasn't she given every award under the sun for this?!?!??!

Heavenly Creatures is a stunning film, surprisingly coming from the gore-maestro Peter Jackson. It follows two girls, Juliet Hulme and Pauline Rieper, who start talking to each other in a P.E. lesson. Over the days their friendship progresses, until they become good friends, and spend time with each other discussing actors, listening to records, and playing dress-up. The acting from Winslet and Lynesky is absolutely terrific from the beginning, Lynesky playing a moody young girl, and Winslet playing the happy, inventive young lady, who is a dab hand a clay modelling and painting. As the film continues, Juliet and Pauline's friendship becomes more and more stronger, as they begin to spend practically every minute of every day with each other. Sarah Peirse give a fine performance as Hilda Hulme, Pauline's mother, who by this time in the movie has become more than a little concerned about the bonding of the two girls. The ending is unforgettable. It is brutal and shocking, however the minutes leading up to the end are beautiful, complete with a spine-tingling, haunting choir music soundtrack. This movie is a beautiful, moving experience, which should leave you tearful by the end.

My Rating : 7/10

Kate Winslet's debut feature directed by the one and only Peter Jackson. Kate Winslet's outrageous persona along with the idiosyncrasies of Peter Jackson make 'Heavenly Creatures' an interesting true-crime tale from down under New Zealand.

'Heavenly Creatures' is dreamy, romantic, innocent and wild. While not a lesbian affair, it is more akin to an obsessive platonic relationship that both protagonists equally participated in and developed into a fantasy world of their own to do as they willed.

Fairytale for adults.

Heavenly Creatures, based on a true story, is written, directed and produced by Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame. This film captivates, catching you off guard.

Jackson sets the audience up in the beginning by focusing on the tranquil, predictable world of 1950s Christchurch, New Zealand. Before long, the peaceful world is exposed for what it is, repressed.

Two teenage girls, Juliet and Pauline, befriend each other at a private girl's school. They find out they have a lot in common. Sharing a world of fantasy and make believe, leads to an insane reversal. Their fantasy world becomes their reality.

Once they cross that line, their otherwise superficial, conventional world is turned upside down. All the repressed dysfunction surfaces. Ironically, Juliet's mother is a psychotherapist who doesn't see her daughter's neurosis becoming a psychosis. Eventually, Pauline and Juliet go off the deep end, drowning in their make believe world. By the end of the film, they do the unthinkable.

Kate Winslet is superb as Juliet. The rest of the cast is outstanding. Peter Jackson does a masterful job of capturing the essence of 1950s religious repression in New Zealand. It could be England or American in the 1950s. Heavenly Creatures will appeal to anyone who enjoys psychological twists and turns.

This early Peter Jackson film is certainly off the beaten path of mainline cinema. However, it is based on actual events, so credit much be given to the director for maintaining the integrity of the story line.

The film introduces an obviously very talented Kate Winslet, and the female version of Vincent Donofrio, Melanie Lynskey, who also gives an interesting performance. The two schoolgirls develop what would be called in 1954 an "unhealthy" relationship in New Zealand. There are several references to other films in this movie: In Cold Blood is one, The Sound of Music is another, The Third Man is actually featured, and Full Metal Jacket via the Vincent D'onofrio comparison.

Some will sympathize with the two young girls, but nothing can excuse their ultimate behavior. The special effects are ok, but nothing compared to what Jackson would achieve several years later.

I am a huge fan of Kate Winslet, she is my favorite actress of all time, simply because she is possibly the most honest. It seems like she has the most natural talent and when she has a role she embraces it, recently I had a message from a IMDb user who asked me if I saw this film and if I hadn't, I should due to the fact that Kate was amazing in it. I also noticed it in my "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" book, so I had passed it over at Hollywood Video and figured to give it a look. I noticed also that it was directed by Peter Jackson who is now more famous due to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, but I thought this film was really over looked and one of his finest. It's incredibly unique, artistic, and disturbing in some ways.

Pauline is a out cast at school and she meets the new girl, Juliet, together they find out that they have a major thing in common, a wile imagination. They want to write a story together, they go as far as to call each other by their story names and spend time with each other constantly. But the parent's concerns grow more and more as the girls become a little more... "obsessive" of each other. Juliet's parents wish to send to her Africa to live with her aunt, but Juliet and Pauline do not want to let go of each other, and Pauline sees only one obstacle keeping them from seeing each other, her mom. So they devise an evil plan to get rid of her mom, permanently.

Heavenly Creatures was incredibly unique and an amazing film. I couldn't believe my eyes watching this film, it was so interesting to watch, especially being in these girl's minds and imagination. Kate and Melanie had great chemistry and Peter Jackson made this film into his own. I would recommend it for movie buffs and definitely if you want to see how Kate got her start, she was amazing.

9/10

Two girls have an intense fantasy life; their parents, concerned the fantasy is too intense, separate them, and the girls take revenge.

Up to the point Peter Jackson may have been more of a niche director, known for such films as "Brain Dead" and "Bad Taste". He quickly moved up in the world, and this film no doubt helped him land the "Lord of the Rings" series (which also benefited from his New Zealand homeland). The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay but lost to "Pulp Fiction".

The story itself is fascinating, and makes you wonder if imagination can be dangerous or if childhood fantasy can be pushed too far. Despite being a fan of Jackson, this went over my head at the time of release. It seems to have grown in stature since, no doubt due to his success and the success of Kate Winslet.

I must preface this review by saying that "Heavenly Creatures" is my all-time favorite movie. I say that mainly because certain aspects of it remind me of my own youth. I am not a lesbian or a murderer, but I enjoy writing and had a few close friends when I was younger that shared my passion. We created characters and whole worlds, and yes, even the occassional alter ego. Watching "Heavenly Creatures" brought a tear to my eye because I could relate to the close friendship of Juliet Hulme and Pauline Parker. It also made me cry because of where they ended up and also how unfairly their friendship was viewed by their families.

Every time I watch this movie, I want to jump into the TV and stop the characters from their heinous actions. I want the movie, and their true lives, to end up differently, but of course that never will happen. This is a bittersweet film that is filled with sharp dialogue (some of it coming from Pauline Parker's actual journal), as well as amazing actors. I think Melanie Lynsky, who plays Pauline, has yet to get the recognition she deserves for her awesome acting skills, and Kate Winslet is 100 times better in "Heavenly Creatures" than she was in Titanic (the movie for which everyone seems to remember).

To sum this up, "Heavenly Creatures" is a unique and incredible film that will tug at your heartstrings while breaking your heart at the same time.

Peter Jackson known for low budget gory splat movies from New Zealand makes his first steps in serious film making in this murder drama based on a true incident.

The film opens with the aftermath of the slaying as two teenage girls emerge hysterical from the woods in Christchurch.

The film is about two schoolgirls, Mario Lanza, Orson Welles and living in early 1950s New Zealand which might had been decades behind the 1950s where rock n roll was to emerge in America.

Awkward, morose, gawky schoolgirl Pauline (Melanie Lynsky) meets a new arrival from England, Juliet (Kate Winslet) who is confident, clever and brings Pauline out of her shell. Both bond closely with their love of opera and begin to live in a fantasy land which also allows Jackson to keep his horror fans satisfied with special effects scenes.

The friendship between Juliet and Pauline soon becomes unhealthy as they feel superior and reality and fantasy collides. Pauline is resentful of her hokey, backwards family, especially her mother. Not helped by them not understanding her burgeoning sexuality, especially when a older boarder takes advantage of her and they blame the daughter.

Juliet is ignored by her self centred parents who on the verge of splitting up and Juliet might end up going to South Africa. As the girls are forcibly kept apart they hatch a violent plan which ends up in disaster and tragedy.

This is really a small scale drama from Peter Jackson, a world away from his recent overblown, enormous budget epics with even lengthier directors cuts.

Here the acting from Winslet and Lynsky does the talking. Jackson brings the New Zealand of the 1950s to live, a world that is very insular. However the film is an efficient drama, nicely acted, a gory ending but not too far away from a well made television drama with some good special effects.

Words cannot describe how good this film was. This is easily one of Peter Jackson's best films, and I think his most emotional and in many ways. Heavenly Creatures is disturbing and shocking, but it is also very beautiful, haunting and quite thoughtful as well, as well as having a masterly mix of nostalgia, menace and innocence. It looks beautiful, with the cinematography simply stunning, and the score is both haunting and beautiful. The story is interesting and the dialogue makes you think and even more than that. Peter Jackson directs wonderfully, and boasts superb performances not only from Kate Winslet and especially Melanie Lynksey- who is mesmerising in the more controlled and I suppose meatier role- but also from Diana Kent, Clive Morrison and Sarah Peirse. Overall, brilliant and one of Jackson's best. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I wish I could say I liked 'Heavenly Creatures' more than I did. It's well-made and well-acted, with strong debut performances from the two young stars Melanie Lynsky and of course Kate Winslet. But the story and characters just didn't appeal to me. The frighteningly intense, passionate friendship between the girls could probably only arise in ones so young. Maybe I'm just too old to appreciate it. The fantasy sequences weren't my cup of tea either. It's easy to see, though, how this movie could be a favorite of some. But it's definitely not for everybody.

Call me odd, but I thought this was a complete waste of my time. I tried watching it once and got about 1/3 of the way through before I turned it off. Then I decided to give it another chance, figuring it had to improve. It didn't. I understand that this was a true story and was, most likely, shocking to the community. I will also agree that it did, in fact, show the inner workings of an obviously insane mind (or minds). Nevertheless, I was bored out of mine.