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It's been 30 years since Cher Horowitz was first declared "a virgin who can't drive" and, to commemorate the anniversary, the movie is getting a nationwide re-release on both sides of the pond this June.
Directed by Fast Times at Ridgemont High helmer Amy Heckerling, Clueless is loosely based on Jane Austen's 19th Century novel Emma, about a well-meaning but self-centered matchmaker.
In this version of the story, Alicia Silverstone plays Cher, a wealthy and popular high schooler with a talent for talking her way out of trouble. Unlike the stereotypical popular girl in a teen movie, however, Cher is a little different: she's likeable. She may be self-serving and selfish (as her "ex-step-brother" Josh, played by Paul Rudd, is always willing to point out), but she's also good-natured and optimistic, and discovers in the movie's first act that helping people out actually feels pretty nice when she engineers a meet cute between two of her teachers in an attempt to secure herself a better grade.
Certified classic
When "clueless" new student Tai (Brittany Murphy) joins her class, Cher takes it upon herself to mentor her in the ways of fashion, boys, and popularity – whether Tai likes it or not. When Cher's plan ends up working a little too well and Tai's popularity threatens to outshine her own, she's forced to do some soul-searching, which is further complicated by Tai admitting to a crush on Josh. Just like Emma Woodhouse in Austen's novel almost 200 years earlier, Heckerling's script allows Cher to develop some self-awareness and realize that she's been the clueless one all along.
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The movie was a huge success when it was released in 1995, making almost $90 million at the global box office on a budget of $12 million, and it's achieved classic status in the three decades since its premiere. Its enduring popularity, like its protagonist's, is no wonder: Clueless combines tongue-in-cheek social commentary, a killer wardrobe, a razor-sharp script, and pitch-perfect performances in an irresistible cocktail that few filmmakers have been able to replicate in the teen comedy genre since.
Clueless was a breakout role for both Alicia Silverstone and Brittany Murphy: Silverstone, who was relatively unknown at the time, is perfectly cast as Cher, making sure the movie's good nature never descends into corniness, while it's hard to believe that this was only Murphy's second feature film role. She was only 17 during filming, but has a presence and charm on camera that can't be taught.
Ahead of the curve
Of course, you can't talk about Clueless without mentioning the costumes, and Cher's plaid yellow two-piece has become symbolically synonymous with the movie. Like the Winona Ryder-led Heathers before it, Clueless isn't afraid to get a little over-the-top with the wardrobes of its privileged teens, but it pays off.
By contrast, teen movies now often feel like homage by comparison, trying to emulate what's come before rather than forging their own path. Everything from commercials to music videos have directly referenced Clueless, and Netflix movie Do Revenge was one of the most recent films to honor the teen classic. It tries and comes close to doing what Clueless does, but ultimately doesn't handle its literary source material (Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train) with the same panache that Heckerling moulds her Austenian inspirations.
In the 30 years since it first hit the big screen, Clueless has remained a staple in any teenager's watchlist – and for good reason. Appetite for Cher and her outfits is still ravenous, as the movie has spawned a TV show, novels, and a stage musical adaptation, which opened on Broadway in 2018 and in London's West End just this year. When I rewatched the movie recently, for the first time in at least a decade, my main concern when I pressed play was that it wouldn't have aged that well. All I have to say to that now is, "As if!"
Clueless will be re-released in UK cinemas from June 27 and US theaters from June 29. For more on what to watch, check out the rest of our Big Screen Spotlight series.
