As February greets us once again, we thought it only appropriate to take a look at something with a dash of romance for our Good Vibes movie review. Luckily for us, it just so happens that one of the best coming-of-age romcoms of all time is turning 30 years old this year. ‘Clueless’ remains an enduring benchmark within its genre and for the 1990s as a whole. But what makes it so good exactly? Let’s take a look...
It seems fair enough to say that the 90s at least seemed to be a simpler time than today’s world. Back then, computers weren’t used for arguing with strangers on the internet, but instead assembling the perfect outfit, or at least that’s the case according to ‘Clueless’. It’s against this backdrop that our story is set.
Cher Horowitz is a stylish, rich, and popular student at a Beverly Hills high school, who after successfully playing Cupid between two of her teachers to bump up her lower-than-expected grade, decides to fully embrace matchmaking and help “clueless” new transfer student Tai, giving her a complete makeover in the process. All the while, Cher somewhat unsuccessfully navigates her own love life before eventually beginning to look inwards. If that sounds simple and superficial, it’s because it’s supposed to be.
The story itself is actually a modern interpretation of Jane Austen’s novel Emma, and much like its source material, ‘Clueless’ is highly self-aware and satirical. Whilst it does examine social class and economic status like Austen’s work, this time around the story is mostly an observation and critique of teen culture. In fact, we’d go so far as to say that ‘Clueless’ operates as an incredible time capsule, providing a perfect snapshot of American high school life in the 1990s.
It’s not just teenagers this movie resonated with, though. It landed right in the sweet spot of managing both box office success and critical acclaim. Thanks to its sharp, witty, and genuinely funny writing, it is a movie you could just as easily watch with your parents as with your friends.
Much of the credit for this goes to writer and director Amy Heckerling, who had already achieved success in the “coming-of-age” genre by directing ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’. In preparation for the film, she actually sat in on classes at a real Beverly Hills high school to observe the students, so it’s no wonder that the script absolutely nails the tone and slang of the time.
But what is a great script without great actors to bring it to life? Well, probably not much of a movie at all. Thankfully, that’s not the case here, with a then little-known Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd (who inexplicably looks exactly the same now as he did back then), leading a stellar cast, many of whom went on to achieve further success.
Unsurprisingly, ‘Clueless’ has rightly grown into a movie with cult status, with its influence and impact on pop culture and society extending way beyond cinema into the fashion world and contemporary slang. If you’ve never seen it before, this is your sign to go watch it. If you have, then you already know how great it is.
Still credits: “Top 10 Best Clueless Moments” uploaded to YouTube by MsMojo
