546:, "Helen is a compelling character especially in horror, a genre that traditionally fails to give emotional backing to its doomed teenagers. On the surface, she's shallow, obsessed with beauty pageants and trips to New York. Yet there's something haunted in Helen from the very beginning, and it gives her character a lot more weight than what we see at face value. There have been full essays written on her death scene alone, and she has remained surprisingly influential." West states that her story line is the most visible out of the four central characters.
322:
riding a bicycle taped to her apartment door. After a series of bizarre encounters with the anonymous figure toying with them, Helen is confronted by
Collingsworth at her apartment, who reveals himself to be the older half-brother of the young boy she and her friends accidentally ran over and killed. She locks herself inside her bathroom and escapes through her window as he tries to break the door down. Later, Helen calls the police and sends them to Julie's house, who was Collingsworth's next target.
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reluctantly forced to accept Barry's indifference to her near the end of the novel. She also suffers verbal abuse from her bitter older sister, Elsa, who is resentful of Helen's good looks and success on television. Unlike in the film version, Helen was never popular at high school, as other girls were envious of her relationship with Barry, the handsome, rich and popular star footballer of the school. She was a poor student and relies purely on her looks to get her places.
1137:
524:, April Wolfe states, "The key to Helen Shivers’ success as a sidekick is her unabashed and shameless vanity. Sarah Michelle Gellar's portrayal of the character paints her as the beauty queen with depth, the most likely to succeed. She's the woman with the plan to track down the killer and the guts to charge into the crowd of the Croaker Queen Pageant talent competition to save her friend. Unfortunately, luck just wasn't on her side."
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killer enters through the unlocked back door and murders Elsa. Helen is chased to the third floor of the building and jumps out of the window. She manages to make it a few feet away from the parade, but the killer appears behind her and begins to slash her, her screams being obscured by the parade. Her corpse is later discovered by Julie.
421:"Director Jim Gillespie makes it clear that Helen is completely and utterly alone with no true connections, so much that she appears almost relieved when the notes that says, "I know what you did last summer" begin appearing, as it gives her an excuse to reconnect with her friends. Her death is equal parts tense and tragic."
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Alexandra West attests that the film constantly alludes to her physical attractiveness and superficial vanity, writing that "Helen is constantly framed in doorways and mirrors, lending to the notion that she is an object to be looked at and that her looks are her most indelible quality." However, she
342:
A year later, she is revealed to have failed as an actress - much to the delight of her spiteful elder sister Elsa - and now works at her family's store. When Julie receives a letter with no return address, stating, "I know what you did last summer!" she tracks her down and the duo reunite with Barry
408:
as one of the main characters involved in a hit-and-run accident. In this version she is named Helen Rivers, her family is poorer and larger than in the film, and she isn't murdered. Her aspirations as an actress are found with greater success in the novel than in the film adaptation. Gellar was the
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A year after the hit-and-run, Julie reveals a letter to Helen that says "I know what you did last summer". The next day, while tanning at her luxury apartment complex she meets
Collingsworth Wilson who moved into one of the vacant apartments the day before. She later finds a magazine cutout of a boy
309:, in which her name is Helen Rivers. She is depicted as a high school drop out from a large, financially struggling family who manages to launch a successful television career as presenter after submitting her photograph to the studio's beauty contest. She was involved in a hit-and-run accident of a
330:
Shivers makes her cinematic debut in the 1997 film. Although she and her friends graduated from high school a few weeks before the film starts, Helen is implied to have been an extremely popular girl in high school, and there are cheerleading pom-poms seen in her bedroom, implying that she was one.
317:
and Ray
Bronson. Helen is obsessively in love with Barry, and believes her loves her too and plans to marry her once he finishes college'; however Barry has no romantic interest in Helen at all, and dates her primarily for her beauty and fame, and repeatedly cheats on her with other girls. Helen is
346:
At the
Croaker Beauty Pageant, Helen witnesses the murder of Barry on the balcony. With his body nowhere to be found, a police officer escorts a hysterical Helen home, but the killer murders him in an alleyway. Helen breaks out of the back of the police car and is chased to her family's store. The
378:
There's a horrible chase scene where she knows this is it. If he gets her he is going to kill her and that's kind of it for her. So she has to really—she's really running for her life at this point. Up until then, the fisherman was using scare tactics. He was frightening them, he was sending them
39:
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described the character as being complex. Eggertsen praised Gellar for giving a "compelling" performance and for being able to transform Helen from a vapid self absorbed beauty queen to a fully realized and sympathetic character. Similarly, writer Sara
Century of
339:-based actress. Afterwards, she goes to the beach with her friends Julie James, Barry Cox, and Ray Bronson. While driving on the byway, they accidentally run over a pedestrian. They decide to dump the body into the sea and to never talk about what happened.
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last of the lead actors to be cast. In the 1997 film, she has been described as a "local beauty-pageant winner who wants to become an actress". Shivers is initially depicted as a vapid, egotistical
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and Ray. The rest of the group begin to receive taunting messages from the mysterious assailant. One morning, Helen wakes up to find her hair cut off and "Soon" written in lipstick on her mirror.
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269:. Helen’s storyline has often been referred to as a highlight of the film and debate persists about whether or not she should have filled the role of the story’s
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1996 Beauty
Pageant. Her chase sequence with the killer of the film has been deemed iconic and has been described as toying with the audience's expectations.
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While the film itself received mixed reviews, Gellar's performance was met with critical acclaim and the character has obtained a
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tropes of the time, in which the characters (in most cases teenage victims) were left underdeveloped and without a substantial
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notes that this is a stark contrast to her profound personal struggles that are revealed later in the film:
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657:"FILM REVIEW -- 'Last Summer' Offers Thrills But No 'Scream' / Story starts strong but turns formulaic"
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737:"I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER: THE UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL Makes Its Way Back To Los Angeles"
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841:"Happy Birthday, Sarah Michelle Gellar: A Brief Appreciation of 'IKWYDLS" Croaker Queen"
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Years since the release of the 1997 film, Shivers has been frequently referred to as a
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607:"On Set Interview - 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' - Sarah Michelle Gellar "Helen""
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as a young woman involved in a hit and run accident. In this version, she is known as
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Gellar's performance in the film was met with acclaim. Her portrayal earned her a
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644:(Blu-ray documentary short). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Event occurs at .
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described her as a "compelling character" and is notably different from other
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815:"16 AWESOME HORROR SIDEKICKS: A TRIBUTE TO OUR FAVORITE NOT-SO-FINAL GIRLS"
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letters, was toying with them, he was playing with them. Now it's serious.
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712:"I Know What You Did Last Summer: The Unauthorized Musical finds its cast"
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The 1990s Teen Horror Cycle Final Girls and a New
Hollywood Formula
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465:. Curiously, Gellar and Benz have previously worked together in
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528:
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in the form of Buffy
Gilmore (a nod to Sarah Michelle Gellar's
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788:"Best Movies of Sarah Michelle Gellar | Film and Movies"
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261:. The character is particularly notable for challenging
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Legacy of Blood A Comprehensive Guide to Slasher Movies
762:"Film Review: I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)"
578:"10 of the Most Frustrating Horror Movie Final Girls"
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462:Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th
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384:— Gellar discussing Helen's iconic chase sequence
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564:"10 Horror Movies That Chose the Wrong Survivor"
505:for Favorite Supporting Actress – Horror and a
242:in recent years. In 2018, she was portrayed by
389:The character originates from American writer
313:boy with her boyfriend Barry Cox, and friends
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1179:I Know What You Did Last Summer (franchise)
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960:
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1032:I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer
937:. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
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89:Helena Brittany Rosalina Shivers (films)
867:"In defense of bad decisions in horror"
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1184:Literary characters introduced in 1973
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636:Gillis, Michael (prod., dir.) (2008).
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360:(1998) in a photograph through use of
1024:I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
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357:I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
191:. She was created by American writer
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638:Now I Know What You Did Last Summer
231:(1997) as the Croaker Queen of the
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1189:Film characters introduced in 1997
1121:I Know What You Did Last Wednesday
865:Century, Sara (2 September 2020).
839:Eggersten, Chris (15 April 2015).
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655:LaSalle, Mick (17 October 1997).
1169:Female horror fiction characters
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895:West, Alexandra (June 5, 2018).
184:is a fictional character in the
182:Helena Brittany Rosalina Shivers
1164:Female characters in literature
1051:I Know What You Did Last Summer
1016:I Know What You Did Last Summer
996:I Know What You Did Last Summer
984:I Know What You Did Last Summer
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933:Duncan, Lois (5 October 2010).
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642:I Know What You Did Last Summer
542:characters due to her intimate
503:Blockbuster Entertainment Award
405:I Know What You Did Last Summer
306:I Know What You Did Last Summer
228:I Know What You Did Last Summer
214:. She was portrayed by actress
207:I Know What You Did Last Summer
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195:and originates from Duncan's
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137:(ex-boyfriend, deceased)
124:(older sister, deceased)
661:San Francisco Chronicle
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79:In-universe information
485:that premiered at the
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290:Helen originates from
253:that premiered at the
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362:Sarah Michelle Gellar
216:Sarah Michelle Gellar
73:Sarah Michelle Gellar
914:Harper, Jim (2004).
716:Entertainment Weekly
710:Highfill, Samantha.
520:. In an article for
87:Helen Rivers (novel)
918:. Critical Vision.
792:Filmsplusmovies.com
527:Chris Eggertsen of
444:Keenen Ivory Wayans
16:Fictional character
794:. November 5, 2012
518:breakout character
430:The character was
366:personality rights
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768:. 6 November 2019
580:. 5 October 2023.
440:Shannon Elizabeth
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155:(1997-07-04)
153:July 4, 1997
129:Significant
122:Elsa Shivers
69:Portrayed by
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1094:Julie James
1001:Lois Duncan
889:Works cited
798:December 7,
772:December 7,
681:Harper 2004
594:Duncan 2010
540:horror film
491:Los Angeles
452:Scary Movie
448:parody film
391:Lois Duncan
372:Development
315:Julie James
292:Lois Duncan
281:Appearances
275:Julie James
263:horror film
259:Los Angeles
193:Lois Duncan
114:store clerk
63:Lois Duncan
1158:Categories
1087:Characters
1043:Television
876:7 December
746:7 December
721:7 December
666:7 December
550:References
457:Julie Benz
286:Literature
271:final girl
168:1979-09-06
135:Barry Cox
111:(formerly)
106:Occupation
59:Created by
993:Based on
871:SYFY WIRE
698:West 2018
624:West 2018
535:Syfy Wire
497:Reception
474:In 2018,
446:directed
267:story arc
233:Southport
222:scripted
189:franchise
99:Southport
84:Full name
32:character
1142:Category
1115:The Hook
398:suspense
337:New York
299:suspense
200:suspense
145:Deceased
1108:Related
611:YouTube
442:in the
432:spoofed
331:On the
311:cycling
246:in the
218:in the
1124:(2002)
1070:Clumsy
1054:(2021)
1035:(2006)
1027:(1998)
1019:(1997)
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845:Uproxx
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487:El Cid
255:El Cid
142:Status
119:Family
54:(1973)
1062:Music
1008:Films
401:novel
302:novel
203:novel
131:other
94:Title
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878:2020
852:2020
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395:1973
326:Film
296:1973
197:1973
162:Born
150:Died
101:1996
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
