analyzing the outfits in jawbreaker 🍬👠🍭

[Music] analyzing the outfits in jawbreaker you all loved the mean girl style analysis so i felt obligated to cover a click flick that preceded it 1999's jawbreaker the dark comedy takes inspiration from 1988's heathers which yes i will cover eventually and follows a group of teen girls dealing with the aftermath of accidentally killing one of their friends and trying to cover up the murder when asked about the similarities between the two films director writer of jawbreaker darren stein said quote the only thing that's similar between the two films is there are three high school [ __ ] and murder heather's is really about winona ryder and christian slater's love story in this you have a devious girl who's running the show jawbreaker is campy and over the top with a twisted edge that keeps it entertaining and is chock full of iconic lines that are equal parts chaotic and comedic remember everything is peachy keen peachy [ __ ] keen life's a [ __ ] then you die no honey you're the [ __ ] this is high school detective cruz what is a friend anyway costume designer vicky barrett who also worked with mona may on clueless and romy michelle's high school reunion wanted the girls to look colorful like candy but with some edge sweet yet hard enough to crack a tooth get it like a jawbreaker some of the sweetest candies are sour as death inside in an interview with vice she said quote my general mood for the movie was kind of the 50s pencil skirt but more contemporary a little edgier a little sexier but incorporating the 50s meets the 80s thing unquote basically the movie is if greece had a love child with heathers there's a lot of cardigans heels tight skirts and bustiers and many were actually purchased at thrift stores this unique styling decision is a large part of what i believe makes the fashion in this film so unique and memorable jawbreaker doesn't look like every other 90s teen film and that's because they're not dressed like they're in the 90s and they don't just look good they help with character development too today we're going to be looking at and breaking down the costumes of the four lead female characters in jawbreaker fern mayo julie freeman marcy fox and courtney shane let's get into it fern mayo your fern mayo right fern mayo is played by judy greer in one of her earliest supporting roles the character is introduced at the very beginning of the film along with the rest of the fabulous four but instead of strutting down the hallway with the other girls we see her sprawled across the floor as they walk past her without a second glance her long brown hair is unstyled and she appears to not be wearing any makeup a stark contrast to the rest of the girls who are perfectly polished from head to toe fern is wearing a pair of yellow trousers a light pink button-up shirt and a tan cardigan all over sized and ill-fitting this ensemble helps us quickly learn everything we need to know about fern she looks like as much of an outcast as she is and with the touch of pink in her shirt we're also given some foreshadowing the following day when liz purr is murdered fern wears plain brown flats a black pleated skirt a floral top and a dark green oversized cardigan while her outfit isn't necessarily out of style by today's standards the muted tones do make her fade into the background especially compared to the other outfits around and interestingly since she's the only one who actually looks like she could exist in the 90s she's the one who winds up looking out of fashion not them an admirer of the fabulous four specifically liz fern is both in awe of and afraid of the girls listening to just about anything they tell her to do which makes it hardly a surprise that when they offer up a position in their ranks if she keeps their killer secret she says yes in spite of the moral implications we're gonna make you one of us beautiful popular loved feared all that you've ever dreamed of if and only if you never ever tell anyone what you heard in a dreamlike makeover sequence fern's hair is cut and bleached blonde and she's given a brand new seemingly more fashionable look she's briefly shown wearing an iridescent pink gown with a matching feather boa our first glimpse at what is to become her signature color the outfit itself is very similar to courtney's in the same scene foreshadowing how fern is about to become a clone of courtney in the next scene courtney fern and marcy are shown walking down the hallway once again in slow-mo repeating the beginning of the film but now we're missing julie and liz fern is not only wearing the color liz was at the start of the film but she's also imitating her style which was on the conservative side this is the moment when fern has officially taken liz's spot in the group the dress while very different from her previous style is still visually sweet with its light pink shade and large floral print she's not a candy shop level of pink but she'll get there dane this is violet hmm violet i like it hi fern i don't know a fur there is no fern it's violet what my name's violet along with her new look fern also gets a new name violet something meant to give her a fresh start at the school and provide an air of mystique rose may have been a fitting name for her new color scheme but as courtney says herself it's too obvious a rose too obvious never send a rose unless dyed black as a warning the following day after news of liz's death breaks at school fern becomes a celebrity of sorts as she's rumored to be the last one to have seen liz before she died after she's treated in this new manner she begins growing more confident and we can see this reflected in her clothing which becomes louder and more ostentatious as a result unlike her first day as violet her outfits in the next few days have no subtlety or hint of her former shyness she begins wearing tighter silhouettes and more saturated shades of pink with many of her outfits resembling courtney's as she begins getting more and more attention she starts getting a bit of an attitude much to the chagrin of courtney and marcy haven't you met violet it's all about violet but i always sit here you do hi girls what's wrong with this picture courtney i think violet is totally out of control i mean the car the parking place fern flirts her way into getting a car and the pink dress that's shown for only a second is one of my favorites in the film in fact most of my favorite outfits in the film are ferns it's like barbie but if she were a [ __ ] when fern's new popularity goes too far courtney turns on her during their fight she's wearing a pair of hot pink bejeweled disco pants with a matching moto jacket and a pink cropped tank that says [ __ ] she's completely unafraid of drawing attention to herself and she's not afraid to be a [ __ ] the following day after courtney has plastered photos of her pre-makeover all over the school fern is wearing a similar outfit hot pink cigarette pants with a matching crop top with a silver body chain and a sheer jacket on top the outfit while perfectly embodying her new persona isn't enough to protect her from courtney and fern is an outcast once again but now she has julie on her side the two girls make their way to the school prom intent on stopping courtney once and for all fern's pink dress with its mermaid shape is again more vintage and conservative resembling liz's at the beginning of the film showing the audience who she's back to emulating liz not courtney this outfit is one that we can see fern is both comfortable and confident in and we can presume that when all is said and done this is the style of dress she'll continue wearing in the future on a side note while it is fun talking about characters who've had a serious style change and watching makeovers in movies is definitely enjoyable there's no denying that it glamorizes very specific beauty standards and can actually be quite harmful my friend mina talks all about this in a great video over on her channel and i highly recommend checking it out julie freeman a part of the fabulous four julie is friends with the rest by sheer coincidence one she looks the way she does making her popular automatically and two she's childhood friends with liz because of her lack of attachment to the group otherwise we understand why she quickly turns against them julie has no loyalty to courtney but she is afraid of her in the first scene julie is wearing a patterned miniskirt a green tank top and a purple cropped jacket and these are the colors and silhouettes we see her wear again the following day with a purple rubber pencil skirt with matching pumps and a coordinating pattern tank top unlike courtney's style of dress which is hypersexualized and in your face julie's is more cutesy almost like a kid in fact her outfits look like something you'd find on a polly pocket doll and this childlike quality is reflected in her personality where she's unable to accept the murder as quickly as the rest of the girls and as a note this is another of my favorite outfits in the film i'm obsessed with the matching skirt and pumps after she breaks free from the rest of the girls becoming a social pariah in the process julie's style becomes more casual similar to what one would expect from an actual teenage girl in the 90s denim jeans and jackets platform wedges and comfortable cotton t-shirts this is visual evidence that courtney's influence and control over her is waning for the most part julie wears blue a reflection not only of her sadness but also the new sense of calmness she has now that she's been released from courtney's toxic hold at the prom she wears an aquamarine dress with a sheer maxi overlay showing off her legs compared to fern's outfit which draws the eye julie's is a touch more subdued as if to say that she's had enough attention and drama to last her a lifetime she's okay being in the background now marcy fox marcy or foxy as she calls herself is courtney's right-hand woman doing everything she says and rarely having a thought of her own we're introduced to marcy wearing baby blue from head to toe visually she looks the most dated out of all the girls almost like something your mom would wear but more colorful the outfit is in stark contrast to courtney's which is a tight tube dress as if marcy is afraid to outshine her which makes sense because courtney doesn't wind up treating the people who take attention away from her very kindly after they've killed liz marcy takes the situation in stride just as courtney does the two girls being the most willing to cover up the incident what i love about this outfit is that it is a near-exact copy of courtney's while the colors are different they're both wearing very similar silhouettes and even have matching seamed stockings courtney's with a red seam and marcy with green this shows the audience that marcy is the girl courtney has the most control and influence over and that she isn't capable of being an individual or thinking for herself this is also one of the first times we get a clear look at marcy's necklace a diamond necklace that says foxy the necklace reveals how desperate and weak she is if courtney wanted people to call her by a nickname she wouldn't need a necklace to do it the following day after they've accepted fern into their little group marcy is wearing a tight knee-length floral dress with a yellow cardigan this ensemble solidifies her place in their new group she's on the same level as fern one of courtney's lackeys that she can boss around as she wants now courtney can shine just as she's always wanted now that the girl's individual color palettes have become more obvious fern in pink courtney in deep shades of purple blue and red marcy is left with few options wearing orange and yellow most regularly when she and courtney confront fern about her newfound cockiness she's wearing a hot pink skirt and a graphic orange and pink top and just like courtney that day she's wearing colored stockings to match her outfit while in color she resembles fern in silhouette she's still sticking to courtney's dictated 50s preference and this is a good example of what fern did wrong she made herself too different and attention-grabbing no matter what marcy lets courtney be number one the following day marcy wears an orange halter top and a striped skirt which is very similar to an outfit we've seen her in previously all of her outfits are so similar to one another that we can clearly see her lack of ingenuity while most people consider courtney the evilest character in the film it must be noted that while marcy doesn't do much thinking for herself she seems to enjoy tormenting others just as much as courtney does finding a sick childish delight in seeing other people suffer at the prom marcy looks sorta tacky the crimped hair and feather boa making her look way over the top it's no wonder courtney gets snarky with her after all it's supposed to be her evening oh my god courtney i am so sorry it's okay mars we can't all be up to speed can't wait at the end of the film when everyone turns against them marcy retreats to the floor cowering under a table in fear and that's the last we see of her which is very appropriate for her spineless character courtney shane she was like satan in heels courtney shane is this film's villain she is absolutely no remorse for her actions actually reveling in her new position as the queen bee after liz's death and has no concern for anyone's well-being other than herself she's completely and totally evil it's not like we kill people on purpose i i know of her knew of her past tense she's dead fern she died liz is in the trunk of this car and she is dead that is a sad [ __ ] up thing but you are gonna walk into that school and strut your [ __ ] down the hallway like everything is peachy [ __ ] king get it what if miss sherwood took it we kill her did you see her face she's so evil and she's only in high school as we discover through fern's narration while courtney rules the school through terror liz rules it through kindness becoming more popular as a result creating animosity on courtney's end we can see how the girl's individual power is reflected from the very first scene courtney is wearing a green tube dress with a matching choker the color symbolizing her jealousy towards liz's popularity liz stands out in a pink dress while courtney marcy and julie are all wearing colors that complement one another becoming a cohesive unit it's not until after liz dies and courtney seizes control of the group that this changes while courtney may not have intended for her prank to kill liz she definitely doesn't feel bad about it and we can see this lack of guilt and shame reflected in her wardrobe a bright red skin-tight skirt bustier and cardigan the outfit was initially going to be worn without the cardigan but according to director darren stein the studio expressed concerns over it being too provocative for school so they added the cardigan to cover her up and poked fun at the situation in the actual movie please cover your bosoms this is a learning institution it's not a brothel do it yourself here she's wearing bright red while julie and marcy coordinate with each other and the next day marcy and fern are coordinating courtney's showing us that she doesn't follow the rules she makes the rules and she's above the rules when fern has joined the ranks courtney's wearing a purple cardigan purple satin capri cigarette pants and a purple neck scarf not only is the color symbolic of royalty she is the queen now it's also the most obviously inspired by the 50s giving off a pin-up sort of vibe which matches with courtney's confident hyper-sexualized personality you could almost see her being inspired by those women aspiring to look like them and having the popularity that they did i brought you something sweet in the comfort of her own home courtney wears a baby pink lace nightgown the only time we see her in this color as if to show that deep down even she knows that she can't fully take liz's place it's also a clever way to show courtney's innate understanding of other people with dane the high school quarterback she wears this nightgown because it's seen as more demure and feminine something that he'd be more appreciative of as someone less experienced sexually but when she goes to pick up a stranger at a bar she dresses more provocatively in a hot pink leather skirt and corset that accentuates her figure we can understand how courtney controls people because she understands what makes them tick at school courtney continues wearing bright and bold colors having a penchant for blue and purple many of her outfits are skin tight and you can't help but look at her courtney not only thrives off of attention she needs it when courtney confronts fern she's wearing perhaps one of the wackiest outfits in the entire film a red miniskirt tights and boots along with a baby blue turtleneck with strategic mesh cutouts down the front i have no idea how this outfit doesn't break the dress code the following day when she takes fern down she's yet again wearing purple and heavily references the outfit she wore when she first let fern join the group i made you and i'm god that's all you need to do i made you and i can break you just as easily at the prom courtney wears a silver white dress and has matching pieces of silver in her hair this outfit symbolizes the fake innocence courtney's been putting on display while her hair reveals that no matter the situation she's going to show off if it hadn't been for fern and julie i don't doubt that courtney would have gotten away with the murder and perhaps even more as she got older overall this movie uses fashion as a way of showing the audience who's who and what kind of power they hold the film itself is enjoyable enough and i'd recommend watching it as a quadruple feature along with heathers mean girls and the click just as a reminder for those who may not have seen our announcement about it but the modern girls team is currently looking for paid freelance research assistants if you love film or fashion you should definitely consider applying applications close on january 15th and you can find out more in the link in our description in our community tab or on our instagram page i hope you enjoyed this video and don't forget to like and subscribe i'll see you soon bye

Channel: ModernGurlz

Views: 491,153

Keywords: style, modern gurlz, 90s fashion, fashion, movie review, movie commentary, moderngurlz, review, movies, Film analysis, film theory, TV, movie analysis, movie trivia, film trivia, tv analysis, tv shows explained, analysis, explanations, video essay, trivia, filmmaking, cinematography, movie reviews, entertainment reviews, endings explained, deeper meanings, symbolism, cinema, television, entertainment, deep meaning, explainer videos, movie answers, style analysis, jawbreaker, rose mcgowan

Id: qqxaGSi1l9Q

Length: 18min 26sec (1106 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 22 2020