Director: Amy Heckerling
Starring: Stacy Dash,Brittany Murphy,Paul Rudd,Alicia Silverstone
“Ok, so you’re probably going, is this like a Noxzema commercial or what? But actually, I have a way normal life for a teenage girl. I mean I get up, I brush my teeth, and I pick out my school clothes.” So I’ve probably seen “Clueless” a few too many times, but as a teenage girl myself, I am completely addicted to this movie. I mean, what’s not to love? It’s got romance, comedy, interesting characters and great costumes. What more could you want in a movie? Seriously, though, “Clueless” is an awesome movie about learning to fit in, and also learning that it’s ok if you don’t always fit in.
The film follows the adventures and misadventures of Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone), a teenage girl who just happens to live in Beverly Hills and was raised by a single father. She and her best friend Dionne (Stacy Dash), who are both “named after great singers of the past who now do infomercials,” tackle high school together. They convince their teachers to change their grades by bribing them, they talk on their cell phones in the hallways, and their favorite thing to do is give people makeovers. So when Tai (Brittany Murphy), who obviously doesn’t belong in Beverly Hills, moves to their school, Cher sees immediately that she is “screaming for a makeover.” Tai becomes their friend, and together the three of them take on the unattainable goal of love in high school. Based on the Jane Austen novel “Emma,” “Clueless” has something for everybody.
Written and directed by Amy Heckerling, part of the movie’s brilliance is the witty dialogue. The characters are able to voice what every teenager has always thought but never been able to put into words. The quotable dialogue is not only snappy and well written, but also created a plethora of catch phrases among American teenagers. Cher and her cronies speak in a valley girl language of endless colloquialisms and slang that makes you immediately feel uncool if you don’t understand them.
More interesting than the dialogue, though, are the characters themselves. At first, Cher just seems like a spoiled rich kid, and her ex stepbrother Josh (Paul Rudd) a cocky college freshman. However, the turning point is when Cher realizes that after giving all of her friends makeovers, it turns out that she is the one who is “clueless.” She decides to give herself a makeover, “only this time, I make over my soul.” She then becomes president of a community service project, and helps her dad with his job. By the end of the movie, she realizes what we knew all along – she actually is intelligent and caring. At the same time, Josh realizes he can learn something from Cher’s carefree lifestyle, and the two end up having much more in common than they ever thought.
All of these things combined make “Clueless” one of the most enjoyable movies ever made. The characters and plot are easy to relate to, and don’t forget about that amazingly quotable dialogue. So if for some reason, you missed this one, you won’t want to wait any longer to go rent it.
