The Lost Highway: Heavenly Creatures
Posted by Mary Markham on 11.18.2005
Before Frodo and Sam there was Juliet and Pauline.
We all know Peter Jackson. He’s that awesome director who was responsible for bringing Tolkien’s trilogy to the big screen. We also know that he is responsible for the upcoming (third times a charm) remake of “King Kong”. But do you really know Peter Jackson. Die hard fans do, but the rest of the second rate movie goers do not. Allow me to introduce you to a Peter Jackson classic. A strange little biopic called “Heavenly Creatures”.
“During 1953 and 1954 Pauline Yvonne Parker kept diaries recording her friendship with Juliet Marion Hulme. This is their story. All diary entries are in Pauline’s own words.”
This is the opening statement before the movie begins. “Heavenly Creatures” is a very disturbing, sometimes comical film about unhealthy friendships. It takes place in New Zealand in the 1950’s and tells the story of Pauline (aka “Paul” or “Gina”) and Juliet (aka Deborah). Both girls attend Christchurch School for Girls. Pauline, first time role for native New Zealander Melanie Lynskey, is the introverted girl in school who’s a bit awkward and doesn’t have many friends, if any. Had she not met Juliet, I feel she would have pushed through her teenage years and come out okay on the other side. Juliet, a most brilliant performance by Kate Winslet, is the over dramatic daughter of very successful parents who decide to settle in New Zealand for a bit. She is pretentious, falsely confident and disdainful of her peers and teachers. Pauline is fascinated by her and the girls quickly become friends. The girls are not only bright but somewhat damaged as well. Juliet’s parents seem to constantly abandon her when she is ill (she suffers from a recurrent respiratory illness) with the empty statement of “it’s for the good of your health”. Her fear of abandonment and wild imagination lead her to create an alternate reality where she can be safe and secure in the knowledge that no one can leave her when she is in that place (The Fourth World-as she calls it).
The girl’s friendship begins to tailspin after Juliet is hospitalized for Tuberculosis and they are unable to see each other for a few months. Pauline decides to write to Juliet as a fictional character named Charles who is the lord or prince of Juliet’s make believe kingdom, Borovnia. Juliet in turn writes as Charles’s love, Deborah. When Juliet is released from the hospital the girl’s attachment takes a dark and unnatural turn. To the outside world and more importantly their parents, they become withdrawn, angry, and seem to have fallen into love. This prompts Juliet’s father to confront Pauline’s parents and both agree the girls need to be separated. What happens following this decision is the final straw for Pauline and Juliet. Their madness consumes them, driving them to a final act of desperation. Murdering Pauline’s mother. The date was June 23, 1954. This is an excerpt from Pauline’s diary about the fateful event:
“We have worked it out carefully and are both thrilled by the idea.
"Naturally, we feel a trifle nervous, but the pleasure of anticipation is great.
"I shall not write the plan down here as I shall write it up when we carry it out (I hope).
June 20: "Afterwards we discussed our plans for moidering mother and made them a little clearer.
"Peculiarly enough, I have no qualms of conscience (or is it peculiar, we are so mad?)"
June 21: "I rose late and helped mother vigorously this morning.
"Deborah rang and we decided to use a rock in a stocking rather than a sandbag.
"We discussed the moider fully.
"I feel very keyed up as though I were planning a surprise party.
"Mother has fallen in with everything beautifully and the happy event is to take place to-morrow afternoon.
"So next time I write in this diary mother will be dead.
"How odd, yet pleasing: I have discussed various saints with her to-day as I thought it would be interesting to have her opinion."
June 22: "The Day of the Happy Event: I am writing a little of this up in the morning before the death.
"I felt very excited and the 'Night before Christmassy.'
"Last night, I didn't have pleasant dreams though. I am about to rise."
Peter Jackson and longtime collaborator and producer, Jim Booth wanted desperately to tell a story about a friendship that went terribly wrong as opposed to all the tabloid fodder they were up against in researching for the film. Jackson and Booth performed a nationwide search for anyone who had been around the girls at the time of their mad friendship. This included former students, neighbors, friends, work colleagues etc. It was Pauline’s diary that allowed them insight to the intelligence and imagination that these two girls possessed. Most of the story came from Pauline’s diary which she wrote in religiously.
I can honestly say that my teenage years although full of friendships and fun are never to be relived. There is nothing more painful than making the transition from a child to a teen. In the case of Juliet and Pauline this transition proved deadly.
