Heavenly Creatures is based off a true story but don't allow that to let you think this movie is average. It stars Kate Winslet, in her big screen debut, and Melanie Lynskey as Juliet and Pauline, two teenage girls who find friendship and romance in each other and escape from their daily lives to a world of fantasy in their minds that allows them the freedom they desire. They also murder Pauline's mother because they are not permitted to be together and other teenage rebellion issues.
I'll admit that personally, I didn't completely connect with this movie. At parts, it was a tad too strange and the characters were so spastic and crazed that they were difficult to connect with. However, I also found the movie to connect in a special way through it's hidden meaning.
For me, the movie is not about two teenage girls who murder their mother. It's a metaphor for the oppression that is experienced by gay people, which is clearly visible by the 1950's setting of the film. Pauline is presented as young, timid girl who appears trapped in her life. She doesn't seem too visibly unhappy but we see a sense of emptiness in her life. On the other hand, Juliet is portrayed as confident in herself and her abilities from her first scene where she corrects the lesson of a teacher on her first day.
Through her friendship with Juliet, Pauline finds a sense of freedom and discovers her true feelings. It's not a stretch to consider this relationship her liberation as the two girls do participate in homosexual activity. Pauline's homosexuality is most easily found through a comparison of the two sex scenes she participates in. The first is with a boy that she knows and throughout it, she escapes to her fantasy world of creepy clay people, where violence is enthralling the people and she stares off longingly at Juliet, displaying her true desires. Later when Juliet and Pauline engage in sexual activity, Pauline's escape to her fantasy world involves their alter egos engaging in sexual activity and joy is found throughout this universe.
However, with the time period of the film comes the less progressive attitudes that were present at the time. After a doctor warns that the girls' relationship might have become more than friendship, their parents prevent them from seeing each other and place this heavy restriction on their sexuality. The inability of the girls to be together and realize their true nature is severely damaging and creates a deep rage within Pauline. By the time they go to kill her mother, you can see that they are not committing a murder. To them, this is their freedom from their oppressor and a way to truly experience their love without the restrictions of society which is represented by her mother.
The most interesting part of the film is that Jackson starts it off beautifully with the two girls running to Juliet's house after the murder to inform her parents of the death. Both are clearly upset and distraught at what has just occurred although we are supposed to believe this is an act. Despite this fascinating deeper meaning that Jackson has placed within the movie, he does not forget that no matter how freeing this killing was, it was a still an act of violence and a death was involved. It was horrific, bloody and altogether wrong. Overall, Jackson appears to not take a stance on whether the murder was alright. He spends the film showing us their motives and giving us reasons to sympathize with the characters yet the horrific opening and the clear hesitation found within the girls, especially Juliet, displays the knowledge that there is a moral issue with Juliet and Pauline's actions.
This is why I consider this movie much more important that Jackson's famous trilogy. It offers a fascinating take on morality and is an important story of identity, especially within homosexuals that is rarely found with such a mainstream director. It is a daring film and I applaud Jackson for making such an important movie.
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