Cherry Falls

Cherry Falls is a 1999 American slasher film directed by Geoffrey Wright, and starring Brittany Murphy, Jay Mohr, and Michael Biehn. The plot focuses on a small Virginia town where a serial killer is targeting teenaged virgins. After being submitted to and rejected by the MPAA numerous times, Cherry Falls premiered in May 1999 at Marché du Film in France and subsequently screened at several film festivals in some countries in early 2000, but did not have a theatrical release in the United States. Finally it was purchased by USA Films, who telecast it in the fall of 2000. Plot In the woods outside of Cherry Falls, Virginia, a teenage couple, Rod Harper (Jesse Bradford) and Stacy Twelfmann (Bre Blair) are getting romantic in a car when a black-haired woman appears and murders them both. Meanwhile, in town, teenager Jody Marken (Brittany Murphy), the daughter of the local sheriff, is with her boyfriend, Kenny (Gabriel Mann), who thinks it is time to "see other people." Jody goes back home to find her father, Brent (Michael Biehn), upset that she is out past her curfew. Brent and his deputies begin to investigate the murders the next day. They see that the killer carved the word "virgin" into both victims. At school, Brent sees English teacher Mr. Leonard Marliston (Jay Mohr), who urges him to divulge more details of the murder to students and the town so as to eliminate the possibility of secrets. Annette Duwald, also a virgin, is home alone when she is killed in the same manner as the other two teenagers. Concerned for the town's safety, Brent holds a meeting at the high school to tell parents the nature of the crimes. No students are invited, but Jody and her friend Timmy, who stayed after school, witness the meeting. Timmy asks to borrow Jody's cell phone, and goes into the stairwell to make a call. Jody goes downstairs to find him, and discovers his dead body in a locker room. She is confronted by the killer, who attacks her, but she manages to escape. At the police station, Jody describes the killer to an officer, who draws a composite. Brent confides with an old friend, Tom Sisler, the current high school principal, that the suspect looks like "Lora Lee Sherman." The two are both visibly nervous, and Jody listens in on their conversation. Back at school, Jody and Kenny reconcile. Later Jody learns from her mother about the tale of Lora Lee. Twenty-seven years ago, Lora Lee was a high school loner.