The highly talented Heather O’Rourke (1975-1987) was one of the brightest child actresses of her time, becoming a star with her now-famous line: “they’re here” from the 1982 classic Poltergeist. When she unexpectedly passed away at just 12 years old, rumors of cursed sets, hidden Hollywood secrets, and disturbing questions surrounding her untimely death surfaced, basically to exploit her and her family’s trauma.
Buy She Was HereDirector Nick Bailey’s low-key, wonderful documentary She Was Here sets the record straight by taking care of Heather’s legacy, with less sensationalism and more about remembering her life and impact. Interviews with Heather’s mother Kathleen, father Micheal, her older sister Tammy, best friends, and co-stars JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Linda Purl, and Zach Galligan reveal the professionalism and unusual maturity she possessed at a rather young age. They admired her remarkable talent and her adaptability with fame. With this, Bailey does a solid job of giving us details of how truly talented she really was and what she would have accomplished if she lived.
Behind those big, beautiful blue eyes; gorgeous blond hair; and angelic face showcased a little girl who had so much to give and wanted to do much more than just be an actress. The film talks about how she wanted to become a director. Gary Farmer, who directed her in Poltergeist III, details her interest in doing so by observing him when she didn’t have scenes to film and how he was with the other actors. You definitely sense his respect for her and wonderment that she would have become a terrific director.
I cried during the segments about her death and how it could have been prevented. It turns out there was a misdiagnosis that caused her passing, making it even more despairing. The pain that everyone in the film feels is palpable, especially when Kathleen talks about how she was labeled as a bad mother in the press, which really pissed me off. The media didn’t understand that she did everything she could to help Heather. It’s not her fault that doctors failed to inform her about Heather’s tragic condition. When she said that she was talking about it to help other parents avoid the same tragedy, it made me respect Kathleen more.
Heather may no longer be here, but with She Was Here, her spirit, determination, and grace will never die. When you watch it, you’ll see why she remains one of the seminal child actors of all-time.
The DVD from Kino Lorber includes trailers for the doc itself, as well as for Bullets and Blueberries, Home Free, Fish War, and ReEntry.
