Heathers is a 1989 American satirical teen film written by Daniel Waters and directed by Michael Lehmann, in both of their respective film debuts. The film stars Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, Kim Walker and Penelope Milford. The plot revolves around four teenage girls—three of whom are named Heather—in a clique at an Ohio high school, one of whose lives is disrupted by the arrival of Jason "J.D." Dean, a misanthrope intent on murdering the popular students and staging their deaths as suicides.