Clueless (1995): ****

Cher (Alicia Silverstone) may appear ditzy but it belies her sharpness, manifesting itself in her insults, ‘She’s a full-on Monet…From far away, it’s okay, but up close, it’s a big old mess.’ The same can be said for Clueless, an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma set in high school, directed and written by Amy Heckerling. Cher is extremely rich and spoilt, used to talking her way into getting the things she wants, taking after her litigator daddy Mel (Dan Hedaya). Cher is sweet-natured and wants to help those she deems less fortunate than herself, so she turns new arrival Tai (Brittany Murphy) into her latest project and plays match-maker. However, her plans begin to spiral out of control with Cher and Tai both falling in and out of love with various potential suitors. 

Hickerling’s script is chock full of quotable witty one-liners and dry observations, all delivered with a knowing glint in the actors’ eye, ‘Isn't my house classic? The columns date all the way back to 1972.’ Yet, like all good comedies, Amy Hickerling gives the characters enough charm to make them relatable to the audience. Even a character like Mel, a brutal litigator who seems one phone call and a hotdog away from a heart attack, is portrayed as affectionate towards his children and proud of them for their different skills. All the characters’ motivations are clear and mostly good-natured. We don’t judge Cher too harshly when she turns Tai into a Cher clone. Clueless also pokes fun at the high-school social hierarchy – no different from Regency England - and the concerns that plague adolescents, ‘The jacket. Is it James Dean or Jason Priestly?’ The adults are dry and weary of their airheaded students, exemplified in Wallace Shawn’s excellent Mr Hall, ‘And could the suicide attempts please be postponed until the next period?’

Alicia Silverstone plays Cher perfectly, filled with self-conviction in her lifestyle to begin with and growing to become wiser as the film goes on. Paul Rudd is good as Cher’s step-brother and verbal sparring partner, creating a nice contrast between his altruism and her self-centredness. As Cher’s best friend Dionne, Stacey Dash delivers some great comedic moments and plays the straight-woman to Cher. Brittany Murphy nails Tia as the wide-eyed, naïve newcomer and the attention-seeking popular student. Breckin Meyer and Jeremy Sisto also stand out as the stoner skater Travis and the snobbish Elton respectively. 

Clueless has both heart and humour in this excellent Emma adaptation, with some terrific performances from its young cast.