Clueless

Title: Clueless
Author/Director: Amy Heckerling
Cast: Alicia Silverstone (Cher), Stacey Dash (Dionne), Paul Rudd (Josh), Donald Faison (Murray), Elisa Donovan (Amber), Breckin Myer (Travis), Jeremy Sisto (Elton), Dan Hedaya (Mr. Horowitz), Wallace Shawn (Mr. Hall), Twink Caplan (Miss Geist), Brittany Murphy (Tai).
ASIN: B00001MXXE (DVD)

Plot Summary: Cher Horowitz, a rich, spoiled Beverly Hills teen, enjoys shopping, hanging out with her friend Dionne, and playing matchmaker to all the people in her life. However, she's not as good at it as she thinks. Although Cher successfully matches two of her teachers together, when she tries to get Tai, the new girl in town, together with Elton, an obnoxious rich kid with a famous father, she finds out too late that Elton is interested in her instead, and Tai only has eyes for Travis, a good-hearted if slightly dim slacker. When Cher tries to pick out a love interest for herself, Christian, the object of her affections, turns out not to be as interested in her - or in her gender - as she had hoped. Throughout Cher's matchmaking misadventures, Josh, her ex-stepbrother who is living with Cher and her lawyer father, provides sardonic commentary, often provoking Cher into arguments in the process. However, it is not until Tai sets her sights on Josh that Cher realizes two things: first, that she has less of a clue than she thought about matchmaking, and second, that she may not hate Josh so much after all.


Critical Evaluation: This film is a modern adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma, and is, in my opinion, one of the better film versions of the novel currently available. Despite its modern setting and language, it remains true to the spirit and characters of the original, rendering their situations at once relevant and accessible to modern viewers. If viewed purely on its own merits, the film is by turns charming and hilarious, if occasionally a bit weak in adding dimension to minor characters. Those who see this film prior to reading the original may be encouraged to do so by finding just how fresh and relevant its themes still are.

Viewer's Annotation: Cher Horowitz is a pretty, popular, rich girl who loves bringing other people together, even if the matches she makes don't always work out. When it comes to finding her own soulmate, though, Cher comes to realize that maybe she doesn't know as much about relationships as she thought.

About the Director: Amy Heckerling was born in 1954 in The Bronx, New York. She went to the High School of Art and Design in New York City, where she studied photography, and earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Film from New York University and the AFI Conservatory, respectively. A number of her films have been box office hits, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the Look Who's Talking series, and Clueless, which Heckerling adapted herself from Jane Austen's Emma, and which subsequently became a television series. She has been married twice, and has one daughter, Mollie.

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Curriculum Ties: Women's Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, British Literature, Health and Wellness

Booktalking Ideas:

No booktalk, but discuss the fact that the movie was based on a Jane Austen book and compare to film.

Reading Level/Interest Age: Grades 7-12

Challenge Issues: Mild offensive language, sexual content, drug use, homosexuality.
Cher and her friends use marijuana recreationally, but differentiate between using the drug on occasion and using it constantly, like Travis and his stoner pals. Being sexually active is considered a sign of maturity, as well as of passing an important milestone in a serious relationship. Although the language in the film tends more towards silly slang than profanity, the characters in this movie often use sexual innuendo, and do not shy away from insulting each other when they feel it is warranted. The difference in drug use between characters, in my opinion, is that between addiction and knowing one's limits. Although parents may not want their children to use drugs at all, it may relieve some to know that the movie condemns excess. Although Tai is not a virgin, and Murray and Dionne consummate their relationship, it is worth noting that Cher has still not lost her virginity at the end of the film, and appears to be taking things slow in her relationship with Josh. Additionally, although Cher is initially dismayed that Christian is gay - as much because she didn't realize it as because it means her rejection - she is able to remain friends with him, and neither she nor her friends ostracize him for it. Overall, I feel the strongest reason for keeping this movie available in libraries is its presentation of options to teenagers: to have sex or to wait, to use drugs or abstain, and to let others love whom they will without interference or judgment.

Why I Chose This Movie: When I first saw Clueless, I did not realize it was an adaptation of a Jane Austen novel until I was told otherwise. In seeing a film version of the original, I was able to see just how strong and faithful of an adaptation it really was. For those averse to period pieces who would still like to find out about Austen's underlying themes, this movie is indispensable.