History Film / Jawbreaker

* HundredPercentAdorationRating: With the exception of Courtney, Liz was beloved by her classmates before she died. Everyone was visibly heartbroken when they learned of her death.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment:
** The opening shot of the film is Courtney, Marcie, Julie, and Liz walking down the hallway, while Fern drops some papers in front of them. While the other three walk past without so much as a passing glance, Liz stops to help Fern pick up her things. This establishes her as the NiceGirl of Courtney's GirlPosse, making her death much sadder.
* EveryoneHasStandards: Dane initially seems like a dumb JerkJock, fittingly as Courtney's prom date. [[spoiler: But he is among the first to be disgusted with her when she's exposed. He even walks off the stage, showing her she's on her own]].

* PinkIsFeminine:
** Fern, after her makeover into "Vylette" dresses in varying shades of pink.
** In her brief moments, Liz Purr is seen in this color with classically feminine styles to underscore how beloved she was by the school for her beauty and kindness.

* MyNaymeIs: According to the cast list, Fern's alter ego is named "Vylette" rather than "Violet"

* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: Courtney is only popular because she is feared around the school, [[spoiler:the moment the whole student body discovers she was responsible for Liz's death at prom, her boyfriend abandons her to her fate and the prom-goers quickly turn against her and furiously pelt her with their corsages and call her a murderer, while Marcie does nothing to help Courtney and hides under a table instead.]]

* BareYourMidriff: The three main characters (see the film poster above) and most female characters have worn outfits that leave their midsection exposed.

* HumiliationConga: Courtney didn't expect [[spoiler:how awful her high school prom was going to be... especially when it is revealed]] that there was proof where she admitted to have killed Liz. "Eat shit," indeed.

* VanityPlate: When Fern starts to embrace her new identity as “Vylette” she gets a red convertible with a vanity plate that reads “BITCH”

* SmokingIsGlamorous: Fern starts to smoke after "becoming" Vylette.
* ShrinkingViolet: Fern is your standard shy and quiet girl from High School that is not as beautiful as the GirlPosse and would be unnoticed by the crowd and the rest of her classmates. As a way to silence her about Liz's death, Courtney convinces her to "transform" into a different person. And this makes her more confident... and it works pretty well, even with a name such as ''[[EvilIsSexy Vylette]]''.
* StalkerWithACrush: Fern Mayo was this to Liz Purr. She even calls her "The Cat's Meow"

* OneNameOnly: Fern's new identity as Vylette doesn't include a last name. Other characters {{lampshade|hanging}} this, comparing her to Madonna.

* NarratorAllAlong: [[spoiler:Fern]], although it's not a huge surprise when you pay the slightest bit of attention in the first scene.

* MeaningfulEcho: Fern says the page quote to Detective Cruz while being interrogated about Liz. The same line is repeated at the end.

* IncompatibleOrientation: Fern Mayo (who's a closet gay or bisexual student) had a secret crush on Liz (who's straight).

* TheMakeover: Fern's transformation into Vylette, in a rather... surreal [[MakeoverMontage sequence]].

* GirlinessUpgrade: Fern's makeover to become Vylette involves lots more [[PinkMeansFeminine pink]].

* BeautifulAllAlong: Fern's makeover into Vylette is a textbook case; she goes from wearing heavy sweaters and long skirts with mousy brown hair to a stylish blonde with glamorous outfits.
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Fern's liking of Liz was because she was nice to her. Even helping her gather her homework together when Liz's posse knocked it down.

* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: Fern Mayo dropped off Liz's homework because she had a crush on her.

** While Julie doesn't stop to help like Liz, she still steps over Fern's dropped papers rather than ''on'' them, a subtle hint that while not as nice as Liz, she still has it in her to be kinder than Courtney and Marcie.

* BackstabbingTheAlphaBitch: Fern, as Vylette, once when she realizes that she has the power to overshadow [[AlphaBitch Courtney]], takes advantage of the attention given to her. That's when Courtney knocks her down a peg.

* AmbiguouslyBi: Fern was positively enamoured by Liz, and admits to staring at the beauty marks on her neck whenever she sat behind her. And although she flirts with Zack because it's expected of her, she does seem to find him attractive.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Marcie isn't going to be dragged into Courtney's nightmare at the end.

* DumbBlonde: Marcie fits this to a T, being very much on TheDitz end of the scale... until the HighSchoolDance.

* KarmaHoudini: Marcie doesn't really receive any comeuppance for her hand in things, as everything else is aimed at Courtney. Then again, she did decide, ScrewThisImOuttaHere.

* PopularIsDumb: Marcie is a little too willing to go along with whatever Courtney says.

* MissingMom: Marcie's mother is out of the picture and she is quick to remind her dad that he's a single parent.

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[BetaBitch Marcie]] abandons Courtney in the end, instead of being dragged to her HumiliationConga.

* BetaBitch: Marcie is just as mean as Courtney and, although shocked by their accidental murder of Liz, is perfectly fine with covering it up once she thinks they'll get away with it.

* {{Goth}}: Julie befriends the Goths at school after she falls out with the clique.

* ShamedByAMob: Courtney is shamed by the students towards the end of the film [[spoiler:after her involvement in killing Liz is revealed]].