Heavenly Creatures (1994)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Peter Jackson

Writers:

Fran Walsh (screenplay) and
Peter Jackson (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 October 1994 (New Zealand)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

The true story of a crime that shocked a nation.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Writing | 1950s | Friendship | Love

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 16 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Melanie Lynskey	...	Pauline Parker
Kate Winslet	...	Juliet Hulme
Sarah Peirse	...	Honora Parker Rieper
Diana Kent	...	Hilda Hulme
Clive Merrison	...	Dr. Henry Hulme
Simon O'Connor	...	Herbert Rieper
Jed Brophy	...	John / Nicholas
Peter Elliott	...	Bill Perry
Gilbert Goldie	...	Dr. Bennett
Geoffrey Heath	...	Rev. Norris
Kirsti Ferry	...	Wendy
Ben Skjellerup	...	Jonathan Hulme
Darien Takle	...	Miss Stewart
Elizabeth Moody	...	Miss Waller
Liz Mullane	...	Mrs. Collins
Moreen Eason	...	Mrs. Stevens
Pearl Carpenter	...	Mrs. Zwartz
Lou Dobson	...	Grandma Parker
Jesse Griffin	...	Laurie
Glen Drake	...	Steve
Nic Farra	...	Boarder (as Nick Farra)
Chris Clarkson	...	Boarder
Ray Henwood	...	Professor
John Nicoll	...	Professor
Mike Maxwell	...	Professor
Raewyn Pelham	...	Laura
Toni Jones	...	Agnes Ritchie
Glenys Lloyd-Smith	...	Miss Digby
Wendy Watson	...	Mrs. Bennett
Jean Guérin	...	Orson Welles
Stephen Reilly	...	Mario Lanza
Andrea Sanders	...	Diello
Ben Fransham	...	Charles
Jessica Bradley	...	Pauline 5 Years
Alex Shirtcliffe-Scott	...	Juliet 5 Years
Barry Thomson	...	Farmer / Policeman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kylie Cushman	...	Student - Class 3a (uncredited)
Peter Jackson	...	Bum outside theater (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Jackson

Writing credits
Fran Walsh		(screenplay) (as Frances Walsh) and
Peter Jackson		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jim Booth	....	producer
Bridget Bourke	....	line producer
Hanno Huth	....	executive producer
Peter Jackson	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Peter Dasent

Cinematography by
Alun Bollinger

Film Editing by
Jamie Selkirk

Production Design by
Grant Major

Art Direction by
Jill Cormack

Costume Design by
Ngila Dickson

Makeup Department
Marjory Hamlin	....	makeup supervisor
Cheryl Newton	....	wig maker
Debbie Watson	....	hair stylist
Debbie Watson	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Honor Byrne	....	production manager
Jamie Selkirk	....	post-production supervisor
Graham Thompson	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carolynne Cunningham	....	first assistant director
Andrew Hampton	....	trainee assistant director
Emma Johns	....	third assistant director
Phee Phanshall	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Meryl Cronin	....	property buyer
Meryl Cronin	....	set dresser
Brendan Devlin	....	set painter
Sue Franks	....	assistant set decorator
Jacqueline Gavin	....	assistant set decorator
Rob Gordon	....	sculptor
Bev Hinchey	....	stand-by props
James Johnston	....	sculptor
Erana Kennedy	....	assistant set decorator
Nigel Thomas Kerr	....	stand-by carpenter
Ian McDonald	....	scenic artist
Mac McDonald	....	carpenter
Mark McEntyre	....	set painter
Joyce Palmer	....	art department runner
Maurice Quin	....	sculptor
Jovanka Rarm	....	assistant set decorator
Christian Rivers	....	storyboard artist
David Turner	....	assistant art director
Ken Turner	....	construction manager
Ron Turner	....	carpenter
Bodhi Vincent	....	sculptor

Sound Department
Greg Bell	....	sound editor
John Boswell	....	assistant sound mixer
Michael Hedges	....	sound mixer
Mike Hopkins	....	sound editor (as Michael Hopkins)
Michael Jones	....	adr recordist
Michael Jones	....	foley recordist
Axel Paton	....	boom operator (as Alex Paton)
Hammond Peek	....	sound recordist
Craig Tomlinson	....	sound assistant
Hamiora Williams	....	sound assistant

Special Effects by
Richard Taylor	....	borovnian prosthetics and suite effects designer
Richard Taylor	....	prosthetic effects

Visual Effects by
Alun Bollinger	....	miniature shoot camera
Tim Haigh	....	miniature shoot video assistant
Ian McCarroll	....	miniature shoot grip
Warrick Peace	....	miniature shoot gaffer
George Port	....	digital effects operator
Brian Scadden	....	opticals
Richard Taylor	....	miniatures supervisor
Gerry Vasbenter	....	miniature shoot camera assistant

Stunts
Nickey McCarthy	....	stunt double: Pauline
Michael Wilson	....	stunt double: Pauline

Camera and Electrical Department
Rick Allender	....	additional Steadicam operator
T.K. Bedford	....	gaffer
Joe Bollinger	....	electrician
Solomon Bollinger	....	electrician
Adam Clark	....	camera trainee
James Creery	....	additional grip
Gordon Fawcett	....	additional lighting technician
Allen Guilford	....	additional cinematographer
Linda Halle	....	assistant grip
Graham Hall	....	additional lighting technician
Sharon Hawke	....	clapper loader
John Mahaffie	....	Steadicam operator
John Mahaffie	....	additional cinematographer
Bary McGuinn	....	crane operator
Hamish McIntyre	....	grip
Brett Mills	....	electrician
Roger Norton	....	electrician
Reiner Schoenbrum	....	camera operator
Brendan Shadbolt	....	electrician
Jeremy Tomkins	....	grip trainee
Gerry Vasbenter	....	focus puller
Steve White	....	crane operator
Pierre Vinet	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Bryce Campbell	....	casting assistant
John Hubbard	....	casting: UK
Ros Hubbard	....	casting: UK
Liz Mullane	....	casting: New Zealand

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cushla Foley	....	stand-by wardrobe assistant
Pauline Laws	....	wardrobe supervisor
Jamie MacEwan	....	wardrobe assistant: Auckland
Gavin McLean	....	stand-by wardrobe
Lee-Ann Mercer	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Emma Haughton	....	assistant editor
Lynne Seaman	....	color grader

Music Department
Peter Dasent	....	additional musician
Peter Dasent	....	music producer
Chris Gough	....	music supervisor
John Neill	....	music mixer
John Neill	....	music recordist
Peter Scholes	....	conductor
Bob Young	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Andrew Beattie	....	minuature technician
James Bell	....	additional prosthetics assistant
Nigel Black	....	video diary
Lisa Chatfield	....	production runner
Lynn-Maree Danzey	....	continuity
Sean Foot	....	prosthetics technician
Tim Haigh	....	video split
Beryl Hampson	....	machinist
Peter Hutchinson	....	additional prosthetics assistant
Anna Hutchison	....	production assistant
Amanda Jenkins	....	video diary
Mandy Kingsbury	....	minuature technician
Linda Klein-Nixon	....	production assistant
Joe Kreyl	....	additional prosthetics assistant
Martin Long	....	location manager
Maida	....	additional prosthetics assistant
Peter Martin Nelson	....	legal services
Sarah Peirse	....	acting coach
Maurice Quin	....	prosthetics technician
Nicola Rodger	....	additional prosthetics assistant
Tania Rodger	....	foam technician
Tania Rodger	....	prosthetics coordinator
Sue Rogers	....	title designer
Merrin Ruck	....	continuity trainee
Barry Scott	....	rushes projectionist
Colin Sutherland	....	caterer
Chantal Taylor	....	additional prosthetics assistant
Bill Thomson	....	prosthetics technician
Hugh Thomson	....	additional prosthetics assistant
Grant Wallis	....	minuature technician
Grant Wallis	....	prosthetics technician
Geraldine Ward	....	machinist
Jennifer Ward-Lealand	....	acting coach
Jacqui Wood	....	production coordinator

Thanks
Kathleen Bennett	....	special thanks
Wayne Birmingham	....	special thanks
Rosie Bolton	....	special thanks
Richard Coop	....	special thanks
Joan Earl	....	special thanks
Otabuna Homestead	....	special thanks
Jane Lodge	....	special thanks
Shane Lodge	....	special thanks
Harry Sinclair	....	special thanks
Barbara Sweetman	....	special thanks
Charles Sweetman	....	special thanks
Barry Thomson	....	special thanks
Hugh Young	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Fontana Productions
• New Zealand Film Commission
• Senator Film Produktion
• WingNut Films

Distributors

• Cipa (1996) (France) (theatrical)
• Concorde Film (1995) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Eurocine (1996) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Focus Film AG (1995) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (1994) (USA) (theatrical)
• Senator Film (1995) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Sogepaq Distribución (1995) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2002) (Canada) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (199?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Boxxz Screen Entertainment (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2010) (Belgium) (DVD) (re-release)
• Homescreen (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (re-release)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Rizzoli Corriere della Sera Home Video (RCS) (Italy) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Weta Digital

Other Companies

• Act Now  special thanks
• Alan McConnell Talent Studio  special thanks
• Arts Centre of Christchurch Trust  special thanks
• Auckland Philarmonic Orchestra  orchestral score performed by
• Banks Peninsula District Council  special thanks
• Canterbury Embroiderers Guild  special thanks
• Canterbury Regional Council  special thanks
• Centennial Hall, Spreydon  special thanks
• Christchurch City Council  special thanks
• Ferrymead Historic Park Trust  special thanks
• Film Facilities Ltd.  Arriflex cameras and lenses provided by
• First Australian Completion Bond Company (FACB)  completion bond
• Flying Trestles  catering
• Graphitti  publicity
• Hagley Community College  special thanks
• Lumiere Pictures  The Third Man extract courtesy of
• Lyttelton Port Company  special thanks
• Mana Music  music supervision
• National Archives of New Zealand  Christchurch historical footage courtesy of
• Nelson, Guggenheim & Felker  legal services: Los Angeles
• New Zealand Police  special thanks
• Pacific Sound Services  sound post-production
• Queen Mary Hospital  special thanks
• Radio New Zealand Sound Archives  special thanks
• Rudd, Watts & Stone  legal services: Wellington
• Sanitarium Health Food Company  special thanks
• Skellerup  marmoleum resilient flooring furnished by
• St. Andrews College  special thanks
• The Film Unit  sound mixing studio
• The Film Unit, Wellington  additional music recorded at
• Theatre Royal  special thanks
• Tramway Historical Society  special thanks
• Tutchuarewa Manor, Port Levy  special thanks
• University of Canterbury  special thanks
• Upper Deck Film Services  negative cutting
• Village Sound Recording Ltd.  sound facilities
• Vintage Car Club of Canterbury  special thanks
• Willis Corroon Ltd.  insurance
• Wormald New Zealand Ltd.  special thanks
• York Street Studios, Auckland  score recording

Also Known As:

Heavenly Creatures: The Uncut Version (USA) (longer version)
Himmlische Kreaturen (Germany)
Créatures célestes (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Criaturas celestiales (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Almas Gêmeas (Brazil) [pt]
Amizade Sem Limites (Portugal) [pt]
Creature del cielo (Italy) [it]
Heavenly Creatures - taivaallisia olentoja (Finland) [fi]
Mennyei teremtmények (Hungary) [hu]
Nebeska bitja (Slovenia) [sl]
Niebianskie istoty (Poland) [pl]
Ourania plasmata (Greece) [el]
Svarta änglar (Sweden) [sv]
Taivaalliset olennot (Finland) [fi]

MPAA:

Rated R for a chilling murder and some sexuality.; Rated R for violence and sexual content. (uncut version)

Runtime:

99 min | USA:108 min (uncut version)

Country:

UK | Germany | New Zealand

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Singapore:R21 | South Korea:18 (re-rating) | South Korea:(Banned) (original rating) | Finland:K-15 | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:18A | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Chile:18 | Denmark:16 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Mexico:C | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 (video premiere) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Canterbury, New Zealand

Company:

Fontana Productions

Trivia:

Orson Welles' photograph in the stream is a reference to a similar shot in The Third Man (1949).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Juliet drops the gem, Pauline then points it out and we see a shot of it. Then we see a second shot of it, as Honora picks it up. Between the two shots the position of leaves and twigs around the gem changes.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[Director Peter Jackson opens with the scene that should, logically, end the film: that is, the moments immediately following the murder. The girls Juliet and Pauline run screaming up the hill-path to the tea-house, sobbing and covered in blood. The scene is intercut with b&w visions of the two running across a ship deck to meet Dr. and Mrs. Hulme, whom they both refer to as their mother, as the first three exclamations of "Mummy!" demonstrate]
Juliet Hulme: Mummy!
Pauline Parker: Mummy!
Juliet Hulme: Mummmmy!
[the scene changes from the ship to the hilltop tea-house. The girls are screaming hysterically as the tea-house woman runs out to see what the noise is all about]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hellish Creatures (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Humming Chorus

A disturbing story told with imagination and confidence by a talented director and lead actresses

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.