Clueless is one of my favorite movies of all time. I used to watch it a lot growing up. It has become one of those films that I never grow tired of watching. In fact, I can probably quote the entire movie at this point. However, I have not seen it in at least five to ten years.
I watched it so many times before that that I didn’t think I needed to rewatch it anytime soon. However, in honor of one of the best movies of the 1990s turning 30, I decided to rewatch it. I was surprised to have some aspects of it stand out more this time. I also noticed things I hadn’t before.
Guess you can learn new things after your hundredth rewatch.
I Love The Dionne And Cher Friendship More This Time Because It Felt More Layered
Dionne (Stacey Dash) and Cher (Alicia Silverstone) have always been friendship goals. However, I never quite paid attention to the dynamic. They’re very catty, shady, and snarky friends. They throw a lot of mean little jabs at each other, but they do it lovingly. This made their friendship feel more authentic. They have good banter.
They can be brutally honest or make fun of each other because they know it doesn’t come from a malicious place. It’s the sign of two friends who know each other extremely well. It’s almost a sisterly dynamic. Younger me only knew that Cher and Dionne were the epitome of cool girls.
The girls you admire in high school because they seem so chic. I didn’t actually pay attention to the layers in their friendship. It’s very sharp and clever. This makes them even more fun to watch together. If friends can’t send jabs at each other, what’s the point?
The Sharpness Of The Comedy Stands Out More
I have been reading Emma for at least four years and am only halfway done (I will finish it one day). Clueless is the only Emma adaptation I have seen thus far. From what I've read, it’s a fairly good adaptation because it gets the wit and humor of the classic novel right. Despite taking so long to finish the book, I really enjoy it; the comedy is one of the main reasons why it’s a pleasure to read.
Therefore, I can admire how the sharp tongue of Jane Austen comes across in Clueless. Cher is a bit ruthless in her opinions, just like Emma. At the start of the movie, Cher’s inner monologues and opinions stand out because they’re harsh but in an entertaining and cunning way.
It also makes it easier for Cher to automatically endear herself to viewers, even when she’s being particularly judgmental. I have this same level of affection for Emma in the Austen classic.
Clueless is unique with its humor, but it takes the essence of Emma and makes it fit that time.
I Realized How Positively It Shows Female Friendships, And Loved That About It
Yes, Dionne and Cher could be wickedly harsh with each other, but it’s all love. Even after Tai (Brittany Murphy) says her extremely mean line about being a virgin who can’t drive, the women make up. It doesn’t take something big for them to finally speak.
They just take some time apart, and then they naturally feel guilty and apologize. That’s how friendship works sometimes. You fight and then come back together.
Unlike some teen movies, Clueless shows friendships that feel layered but not necessarily toxic. They’re teen girls, so they're not perfect, but they aren’t really cruel...just clueless.
I Could Spot How Some Popular Movies May Have Been Influenced By It
I can see now how movies such as Mean Girls, Do Revenge, The Duff, and many others may have been influenced by Clueless. Mean Girls especially has some aspects that are similar to this movie, including an ode to the beauty of mean girls.
In many ways, Cady (Lindsay Lohan) could be Tai in another universe. As well as Regina (Rachel McAdams) and Cher being versions of each other in different worlds. Even things like breaking down the different cliques and groups is something done well in both films.
Of course, Clueless is a film that helped define a generation, so other movies use it as inspiration. It’s just more obvious and apparent to me than it was when I watched it in my youth. Additionally, most of the movies I can draw some influence from were created way after this hit became so popular.
I Always Loved The Clueless Fashion, But I Really Noticed This One Thing About It
Clueless has always been iconic with fashion. Younger me always wanted to wear Cher’s clothes. I still do. I, however, have now noticed that the movie uses a lot of plaid pieces of clothing.
We all know her memorable yellow plaid outfit, but there are so many other ensembles in the movie that have some form of plaid in them. I still love the fashion in the movie, but it made me curious if plaid was a very popular pattern at the time. Even if it wasn’t, I am sure the movie inspired more people to wear it.
If you haven’t noticed it, I encourage you to watch again and look for all the plaid fashion choices. You will likely find some character wearing it in every scene.
I Think This Film Is An Ode To The Nice Guy In Many Ways
This is one of the best romantic comedies ever. It isn’t just a swoon-worthy romantic movie, but it’s also nice to see Cher pick a guy like Josh (Paul Rudd). He’s a good-looking man, but he’s also just a nice guy who cares about things, is smart, and fights for his beliefs. Yes, it’s kind of creepy he’s a little older, in college, and she is his ex-stepsister, but ignore all that. Josh is a really kind, good guy who gets the girl.
Most of the guys in the film are nice guys. Murray (Donald Faison) tries to come off one way because Dionne and he enjoy the dramatics. However, even Cher notices that they’re sweet to each other when they think no one is watching. Mr. Hall (Wallace Shawn) and Travis (Brecklin Meyer) are other examples of nice guys who get the girl in the end. The story helps show that sometimes girls don’t just want the hot guy or the bad boy, sometimes they want the kind guy.
It’s nice to know that no matter how many times I see Clueless, I will still find things to enjoy about it.
