Why a Booktrail?
1954, 1994: The story behind the film Heavenly Creatures
The Search for Anne Perry
What you need to know before your trail
In 1994, director Peter Jackson released the film Heavenly Creatures, based on a famous 1950s matricide committed in New Zealand by two teenage girls embroiled in an obsessive relationship. this film launched Jackson’s international career. It also forever changed the life of Anne Perry, an award-winning, bestselling crime writer, who at the time of the film’s release was publicly outed as Juliet Hulme, one of the murderers.
Locations
Reset- New Zealand - Christchurch
- A: Victoria Park
- B: University of Canterbury in Christchurch
- C: Christchurch Girls' High School
Travel Guide
The real life case of Heavenly Creatures
Juliet Hulme and Pauline Parker were arrested for the killing of Parker’s mother. They were fast friends and had gone for a walk in Victoria Park in Christchurch before Parker apparently threw a stone to try and kill her mum, but it took longer than they thought.
The two girls stood trial in Christchurch in 1954 and were found guilty on 29 August that year. They were too young to be considered for the death penalty and were jailed. They were released five years later.
The 1994 film Heavenly Creatures, takes the story to the big screen
Booktrail Boarding Pass: The Search for Anne Perry
Author/Guide: Joanne Drayton Destination: Christchurch Departure Time:1954
Back to ResultsWhere Next?
