Clueless Movie Review

Clueless (1995)

Rent Clueless on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Amy Heckerling
Directed by: Amy Heckerling
Starring: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd, Donald Faison, Jeremy Sisto, Dan Hedaya, Wallace Shawn
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
Shallow, rich, and socially successful Cher decides to make an unselfish contribution to society, first coaxing two teachers into dating each other and next educating a transfer student.

Verdict
It's deceptively clever. Just as valley girl Cher is dismissed for her valley speak and interest in fashion, it's easy to dismiss this movie for the same reasons, but there is more depth to both her and the movie. The core of the movie focuses on taking your gifts and using them to better the world around you. It's a relatable story dressed up as a parody of Hollywood rich kids, and it's infinitely quotable.
It depends.

Review
This is based loosely on Jane Austen's 1815 novel Emma.

Valley girl Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is rich and privileged. She wants for nothing with her father buying her anything she could possible want. Her step-brother Josh (Paul Rudd) comes in from college, making fun of her lack of direction and not contributing anything to the world. She ribs him for his interest in bad music and current global events. While step-siblings, it's clear they have an amiable relationshiop.

Alicia Silverstone plays Cher

Josh's comments weigh on her, and Cher considers how she can contribute. Her first endeavor is to play match maker to pair off two teacher and make them happier. That also helps Cher and her classmates boost their grades. Cher is more shrewd than she appears, managing to talk her other teachers into boosting her grades. Her lawyer father is impressed and proud. For her next project she decides to transform a transfer student.

This is a movie that didn't capture speech and style at the time, it invented it. Now it's considered a time capsule, but that just isn't the case. 

Cher and Dionne (Stacey Dash) guide new student Tai (Brittany Murphy), giving her fashion advice and direction. Cher attempts to set her up with Elton (Jeremy Sisto), but it's clear he's only interested in Cher. She doesn't realize it, though she does develop an interest in Christian. She realizes after everyone else that he doesn't have an interest in her. Cher's guidance of Tai works almost too well. Cher becomes jealous. When Tai confesses an interest in Josh, Cher doesn't like that at all. She claims they're not right for each other, but she soon realizes that Josh was always there for her. The objection to Josh and Tai isn't compatibility, that's also jealousy.

Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy, Stacey Dash play Cher, Tai, Dionne

The valley girl speak makes you discount Cher, but she's smart, perceptive, and determined. She usually manages to get what she wants, and she's only clueless in her love life. She didn't realize Elton liked her, Christian was disinterested, and that she had feelings for Josh.

This is better than I expected due to the depth of the story. This could fall into the cliches of shallow valley girl or a coming of age story. Instead this is a teen who realizes she has power and wants to do something ambitious and helpful with it in only the way that a high school girl can.