• Rose McGowan as: Courtney Alice Shayne
• Directed by: Darren Stein
• Selected Cast: Rebecca Gayheart, Julie Benz, Judy Greer
• Written by: Darren Stein
• Release Year: 1999
• Genre: Comedy / Crime
• MPAA Rating: R
Sypnosis
Jawbreaker is a dark comedy about three of Reagan High School's most popular girls trying to pull off a harmless birthday prank for their girlfriend. After pretending to kidnap her, shoving a Jawbreaker in her mouth to keep her from screaming, they soon find their friend - beloved Liz Purr (Charlotte Ayanna) - dead. The cool and calculating Courtney Shayne (Rose McGowan) tries to cover the crime but is found out by school geek Fern Mayo (Judy Greer). In return for her silence, Courtney transforms the gawky Fern into the stylishly beautiful Vylette, leaving the conscience-stricken Julie (Rebecca Gayheart) out in the cold. Now the war of the ex-friends is on and Courtney will do anything to keep their secret... And we mean anything.
Rose McGowan's Role
Rose McGowan portrays Courtney Shayne in
Jawbreaker, the so-called 'satan-in-heels' and the head of the most popular girls, but not the most loved... and she knows it. Courtney is a cold hearted bitch who cares more about covering up the death of her best friend than - well, the death of her best friend. But karma is a bitch, or is it that just Courtney is the bitch?
Jawbreaker Online
» More information at
The Internet Movie Database.
» More information at the
Official Site.
» Shop for related productions online at
Amazon and
eBay.
» View Rose pictures in the
Rose-McGowan.com photo gallery.
» View film clips at the
Rose-McGowan.com video vault.
From the Gallery
From the Video Vault
Quotes: Rose McGowan
•
On why they thought it would be a good movie to do
Rebecca Gayheart: Because it was a good script. And because it's smart, clever movie for teens who have been undermined by teen movies of the past.
Rose McGowan: and sassy and a... a... bit of deviance. A bit of deviance will always do the world good.
• On working with Rebecca Gayheart
"We made out as much as possible."
• On Pam Grier
"My brand of humor does not go over big with her. She'd just look at me, and I'd know she could knock me down with one blow."
• On having 'Courtney Shayne' / evil moments
"I'm a pussycat unless you do something to one of my friends. Then I'll think of unique ways to get back at you. I'm more creative than your average bear."
• "I love Courtney Shayne, she was hilarious. She was very misunderstood. People said she was so evil and I say, Well, she was just a sociopath. And not to let sociopaths off the hook because O.J. [Simpson] certainly did it, but he doesn't think he did it. And people are like, she was diabolical... Yes, but accidentally. She didn't think so. I actually based it on a Gene Tierney character in Leave Her to Heaven."
• "Even I, while watching this movie, was taken aback at how devious Courtney could be. And everybody has a little evil in them. I just get to work it out in the movies and not in real life."
• "Well, it's funny, because I didn't want to do any more high school movies or bitchy girl stuff. I just wasn't in the mood for it. But I kept coming back to this script, and just kept repeating the lines to myself. And [Courtney] is so evil, and she's only in high school! There are some pretty genius lines in there, and they stuck with me. And it was really fun to shoot."
• "Yeah, it was a very girlie thing. But it was really exhausting. I mean 16-hour days in high heels — that'll kill anybody. I was hoping that the male crew members would have to wear heels too, just to average things out. Of course, they didn't."
• "I'm really uncomfortable with being sexy; I'm really shy. [Laughs.] It was such a campy role in a way that I just went for it. I was completely ridiculous. Upon seeing the movie, I was even thinking I'm ridiculous and evil — for shame, for shame. But it kind of fits right into it. I mean, her whole thing is about using the power of everything that she has. So she's kind of a nouveau Southern belle in a way."
• On Manson's role
"He actually asked me if there was anything in the movie he could do. And then I found this part, and I thought it would be funny. It's better than having to do a sex scene with somebody you don't know. Because they were going to hire a day player: 'This is Bob, he's the one who's going to be pretending to have doggie style sex with you.' 'Nice to meet you.' I mean, we're totally clothed and it's more for the effect of it — it's a joke. They actually cut the line that I said that I thought was really funny. [Whispers.] 'Do it to me, Daddy, do it to your bad, bad girl.' [Laughs.]"
• It was really fun, but exhausting. For every five lines I had, someone else had only one line. It was a lot of dialogue for me and 16-hour days, six days a week, and my eyes were just rolling in the back of my head."
Quotes: Others on Rose McGowan
•
Darren Stein on Rose McGowan
• "Then Rose McGowan, she was just born to play Courtney Shane. I saw her in
The Doom Generation and was completely captivated by her, as I think a lot people are from her in that film. She's just a complete work of art, all pale with the black haircut and just naturally bitchy."
Quotes: Her Character
• "I killed Liz. I killed the teen dream. Deal with it."
• Courtney: "We just killed our best friend! Do you realize what this means?"
Marcie: "You're a shoo-in for prom queen?"
• "Rape... they'll check to se if she was raped right? Maybe Liz had a friend over, you know, mommy and daddy's last night away, maybe he's from school, maybe not. But definitely into kink. He got a little rough, went a little to far, you know, there's a fine line between pleasure and pain. She screamed for help, but no one could hear her. Her screams were muffled by the huge candy ball, she tried, but there was nothing, only sugary sweet death."
• "They'll believe it because it's thier worst nightmare: Elizabeth Purr, the very picture of teenage perfection, obliterated by perversion. "
• "OK, reality check, Liz is in the trunk of this car. And she is dead. That is a sad, fucked up thing, but you are going to walk into that school and strut your shit down the hallway like everything is peachy fucking keen - get it?"
• "I'm Courtney Shayne. I don't think we've officially met what with the cruel politics of high school and all."
• "I made you and I'm God. That's all you need to know."
• "I could use some kink."
• "Listen bitch - one word and you're over."
• Courtney: "Life's a bitch, then you die."
Julie: "No, honey. You're the bitch!"
Courtney: "Oh, so agressive, Julie! Kind of turns me on."
Trivia & Facts
•
Jawbreaker was filmed in March/April 1998.
• Marilyn Manson was given his cameo part because he was engaged to Rose McGowan at the time the movie was made. He came up with the idea himself.
• Rose ad-libbed one line during the scene she did with Manson, but it was cut from the film. The line? "Do it to me, daddy, do it to your bad, bad girl." Rose thought it was a funny and retarded thing to say.
• Rose based her character on a Gene Tierney character in Leave Her to Heaven.
• Rose wears a light blue turtle neck sweater with diamond cut outs down the front. Manson gave it to Rose, she asked the director if she could wear it in the movie.