Melanie Lynskey: Pauline

Heavenly Creatures

Pauline

Pauline Parker: [narration] The next time I write in this diary, Mother will be dead. How odd... yet how pleasing.

Pauline Parker: She is most unreasonable. Why could not mother die? Dozens of people are dying all the time, thousands, so why not mother? And father too.

Pauline Parker: [voiceover, from her diary] We have decided how sad it is for other people that they cannot appreciate our genius.

Pauline Parker: Oh, I wish James Mason would do a religious picture! He'd be perfect as Jesus!
Juliet Hulme: Daddy says the Bible's a load of bunkum!
Pauline Parker: But we're all going to heaven?
Juliet Hulme: I'M not! I'M going to The Fourth World... it's sort of like heaven. Only better, because there aren't any Christians!

Pauline Parker: [narrating] We realised why Deborah and I have such extraordinary telepathy and why people treat us and look at us the way they do. It is because we are MAD. We are both stark raving MAD!

Pauline Parker: [narrating] This notion is not a new one but this time it is a definite plan which we intend to carry out. 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.

[shortly before the murder]
Juliet Hulme: [admiring the view that includes the path down the hill, where the murder occurred] Isn't it beautiful?
Pauline Parker: Let's go for a walk down here. Come on, Mummy!
Honorah Parker Rieper: Oh! No, I'd like a cup of tea, first. Come on!
[the girls reluctantly follow her into the tea-house]

Pauline Parker: Mother gave me a fearful lecture along the usual strain. I rang Deborah immediately, as I had to tell someone sympathetic how I loathed Mother.

John: [Chasing Pauline on his bike] Yvonne! Stop! I still love you! Yvonne!
[Juliet and Pauline look out the train window at him, and grin to each other]
Pauline Parker: [voiceover] Compared with these two, every man is a fool. The world is most honoured that they should deign to rule, and I worship the power of these lovely two, with that adoring love known to so few.

Pauline Parker: I felt thoroughly depressed and even quite seriously considered committing suicide. Life seemed so much not worth the living and death such an easy way out.
Honorah Parker Rieper: Love, you can still write to each other.
Pauline Parker: Anger against Mother boiled up inside me, as it is she who is one of the main obstacles in my path. Suddenly a means of ridding myself of this obstacle occurred to me. If she were to die...

Juliet Hulme: Daddy says the Bible is a load of bunkum.
Pauline Parker: But we're all going to Heaven.
Juliet Hulme: I'm not. I'm going to the Fourth World. It's sort of like Heaven, only better, because there aren't any Christians. It's an absolute paradise of music, art and pure enjoyment.

[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]
Pauline Parker: It's Mummy! She's terribly hurt!
Juliet Hulme: Please! Help us!

Pauline Parker: [narrative from the diary] My new year's resolution is a far more selfish one than last year. It is to make my motto, eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow, you may be dead

[voiceover; narrated from her diary]
Pauline Parker: There are living among two dutiful daughters - of a man who possesses two beautiful daughters - you cannot know nor yet try to guess, the sweet soothingness of their caress. The outstanding genius of this pair is understood by few, they are so rare.

[last lines]
[the last lines show scenes of the murder intercut with b&w shots of Juliet being taken away by her parents on the ship. Pauline and Juliet are sobbing and screaming for each other; and the girls scream as they beat Honorah Parker to death]
Juliet Hulme: Gina!
[sobs as she reaches a hand over the ship railing]
Pauline Parker: Juliet, don't leave! I'm coming! Don't go! You can't! Oh, no!
[as the girls cry and reach helplessly toward each other, Juliet's parents come and stand on either side of her, trying to comfort her]
Juliet Hulme: I'm sorry...
[Pauline screams, and the b&w scene fades into the murder scene]
Pauline Parker: No!
[That last bloody shot fades into the credits]

[Pauline and Juliet are planning to run away to Hollywood and meet their favorite actors, such as James Mason and Mario Lanza]
Juliet Hulme: As soon as those bods in Hollywood cop a look at us, they'll be falling over themselves!
Pauline Parker: Oh, it'll be amazing to meet James in person. I just know we'll hit it off brilliantly. And Guy Rolfe. And Mel Ferrer.
Juliet Hulme: And Mario!
Pauline Parker: Oh, I can't wait to do the love scenes.
Juliet Hulme: Ooh.
Pauline Parker: But what if they're married?
Juliet Hulme: Oh, don't worry about that. We'll simply 'moider' any odd wives that get in our way!