This past week, Paramount greenlit a long-gestating sequel series to the iconic 1995 teen comedy, Clueless, with star Alicia Silverstone reprising her role as Cher Horowitz. Written by Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, and Jordan Weiss, and executive produced by Silverstone and the original film’s writer-director, Amy Heckerling, the upcoming series, like many contemporary legacy sequels, focuses on a grown-up Cher, who now finds herself in a totally clueless predicament as the mother of teenagers.
Despite the intriguing promise, making a follow-up to the original is a fraught process, as Heckerling’s coming-of-age comedy is an undisputed cinematic triumph that has endured for more than three decades. Needless to say, the expectations are extraordinarily high for the Paramount+ series, not just in terms of quality, but as a totemic text for new generations. With this news, there’s never been a better time to revisit Clueless, which is now available to stream for free on Tubi, and is also available on Netflix.
‘Clueless’ Shaped an Entire Generation
The quotes. The fashion. The soundtrack. Everything about Clueless is indelible. These days, most people cosplay as superheroes or other characters in action franchises, but adopting the wardrobe of Cher, Dionne (Stacey Dash), and Tai (Brittany Murphy) is just as essential to the mainstream iconography of modern movies. One of Cher’s signature traits is her vast clothing catalog, accompanied by a high-tech organizer to make every article match perfectly, but the film doesn’t use her taste in chic material as a put-down. Clueless‘ greatest accomplishment is that it treats teenage girls with the utmost dignity, using Cher’s fashion, cool car, and luxurious consumerist streak as forms of self-expression, instead of indications of shallowness.
A loose adaptation of Jane Austen‘s Emma, Clueless presents a heightened depiction of Southern California adolescence in the 1990s. Characters are far more savvy, expressive, and equipped with grown-up privileges than any other high school previously portrayed in film, giving each student, from the slackers to the prom kings and queens, a sense of autonomy. Heckerling’s treatment of the adolescent lifestyle is a secret society unto itself, one that the likes of Cher’s prickly father, Mel (Dan Hedaya), cannot understand. On the outside, Cher fits the bill for the degrading “dumb blonde” stereotype, and even if her lack of common sense is replaced by her fashion ingenuity, she has a unique wisdom and worldview that empowers teenage girls and young women. She’s unabashedly feminine in the traditional sense, but she’s anything but powerless.
The Exceptional Comedy and Coming-of-Age Beats of ‘Clueless’
Above all else, Clueless is still transcendent thanks to its impeccable humor and unmatched wit for teen films of its time. Channeling the antics of classic screwball comedies and the verismiltitude of John Hughes‘ high school dramedies, the film was destined to become timeless all these years later. Equally sincere and sardonic, Clueless‘ sense of humor is vast and runs a mile a minute. While Hollywood primarily churns out coarse parodies or broad melodramas in the teen subgenre, this movie has no problem indulging in the absurdity of its often shallow characters, while lending them genuine emotional weight. The glossy production and costume design add to the effervescent tone, creating an infectiously bubbly atmosphere that makes you want to return to the film constantly. All the colors, outfits, and tactile locations that pop off the screen are sobering reminders to contemporary viewers of the downfall of studio comedies, which now put only the faintest effort into establishing genuine visual language.
The real MVP of Clueless has to be casting director Marcia Rose, who developed a farm system of the decade’s finest breakthrough stars, some of whom are still beloved today. Alicia Silverstone, who is still riding off the success of her iconic performance as Cher, is a one-of-one marvel in the film, and she was worthy of every competitive award in 1995. Funny, delightful, warm, and bittersweet, Silverstone’s performance was an unthinkable feat of comedic acting that seemed impossible for a performer of her age. Having not aged a day in 31 years, Paul Rudd, playing Cher’s ex-stepbrother, Josh, became an instant legend, giving a wry but sensitive performance that only he could execute. Taken from us far too soon, Brittany Murphy’s earth-shattering turn as the fish-out-of-water Tai warranted a spin-off of her own. Stacey Dash, Dan Hedaya, Wallace Shawn, Donald Faison, Breckin Meyer—the list of standout performances is endless.
For all anyone knows, a Clueless legacy sequel could be charming, especially if the principal creative figures are returning. However, when up against one of the great movie comedies of the last 40 years, the odds will be stacked against you.
Clueless is streaming for free on Tubi and also on Netflix.
Clueless
- Release Date
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July 19, 1995
- Runtime
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97 minutes
