Clueless (1995)

A parody of Jane Austen's novel Emma, about Cher, a popular girl who spends her days playing matchmaker, helping friends with fashion choices, advising the new girl at school on a makeover, and looking for a boyfriend.

Director:

Amy Heckerling

Writer:

Amy Heckerling

Stars:

Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy

6 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alicia Silverstone	...	Cher
Stacey Dash	...	Dionne
Brittany Murphy	...	Tai
Paul Rudd	...	Josh
Donald Faison	...	Murray
Elisa Donovan	...	Amber
Breckin Meyer	...	Travis
Jeremy Sisto	...	Elton
Dan Hedaya	...	Mel Horowitz
Wallace Shawn	...	Mr. Wendell Hall
Twink Caplan	...	Miss Toby Geist
Justin Walker	...	Christian
Sabastian Rashidi	...	Paroudasm
Herb Hall	...	Principal
Julie Brown	...	Ms. Stoeger

Storyline

Cher, a high school student in Beverly Hills, must survive the ups and downs of adolescent life. Her external demeanor at first seems superficial, but rather it hides her wit, charm, and intelligence which help her to deal with relationships, friends, family, school, and the all-important teenage social life.

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Plot Keywords:

school | makeover | teacher | high school | teen | 

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Taglines:

Sex. Clothes. Popularity. Whatever.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sex related dialogue and some teen use of alcohol and drugs

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount [us] - DVD site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

19 July 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

I Was a Teenage Teenager

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

£3,433,233 (UK) (17 November 1995)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The films that Christian watches on video with Cher - Some Like It Hot and Spartacus provide clues to his sexual orientation. The first movie deals with cross-dressing men (who are escaping from a mob hit). The second includes the famous scene where a Roman master (Laurence Olivier) tries to seduce his male servant (Tony Curtis).

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Goofs

Cher and Tai's positions as they hug during the skateboard competition.

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Quotes

Josh: We might get Marky Mark to plant a celebrity tree.
Cher: Oh how fabulous. Getting Marky Mark to take time from his busy pants dropping schedule to plant trees. Why don't you just hire a gardener?
Josh: You know, maybe Marky Mark wants to use his popularity for a good cause - make a contribution. In case you've never heard of that, a contribution is...
Cher: Excuse me, but I have donated many expensive Italian outfits to Lucy, and as soon I get my license, I fully intend to brake for animals, and I have ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Other than the Paramount Pictures logo and the movie's title, there are no opening credits.

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Connections

Referenced in New Girl: Models (2012)

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Soundtracks

"SHOOP"
By Cheryl James, Sandra 'Pepa' Denton (as Sandra Denton), Mark Sparks & Otwane Roberts
Performed by Salt-N-Pepa
Courtesy of London Records
By Arrangement with Polygram Special Markets
Contains sample from "I'm Blue" by Ike Turner
Performed by Sweet Inspirations
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Cluey in spite of its cluelessness

"Let's set 'Emma' in a modern high school!" Does this sound the obvious kind of movie gimmick that everyone uses nowadays? Perhaps, but it's an inspired idea all the same. Jane Austen's characters, and her readers, and the society in which her novels are set, like Jane Austen herself, are HEAVILY conscious of class and social standing. No atmosphere quite so snobbish exists in the modern world. EXCEPT, that is, in the corridors and courtyards of the right kind of high school. And where else in the modern world would you find so many people who seem to spend all their time calling on one another?

I was reminded of how well Heckerling moulded "Emma" to fit a modern setting when I saw the idiotic 1998 version of "Great Expectations", adapted by someone who somehow failed to notice how important all the stuff about class and snobbishness was. It's clear that Heckerling understood her source. She isn't afraid to make changes - even radical changes, if the modern setting requires as much - and no character exists MERELY because they have an analogue in Austen's novel. (The most crucial thing is that the Emma-equivalent be sufficiently charming; and so she is.) The result is a film which is winning and satisfying, whether or not you know anything about the source material.