140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW
Fast Times director Heckerling strikes gold again with another high school movie, another star-making classic, this one also written by her.
Spoiler-free Movie Review of Clueless:
I’ve never read Jane Austen’s Emma or seen any of the 3,000 or so film or TV adaptations, but I feel confident this is the funniest interpretation of the story. One of my wife’s favorite movies, and her good taste is evident here.
I’m sure the movie wasn’t meant to be a 1990’s time capsule, but it certainly is a good primer on the decade. Not just another teen movie, although all the hallmarks are there. The difference has to be in the writing. When Amy Heckerling struck gold with Fast Times at Ridgemont High, she was helped by Cameron Crowe’s script. But her screenplay here shows a real depth of talent.
The acting is quite solid. No standout performances, exactly (although Silverstone is wonderful), but fresh new faces helped out by career character actors like Dan Hedaya & Wallace Shawn. Baby-faced Paul Rudd is a startling sight, but not more so than Donald Faison in braces.
I do have to say that I really didn’t care for the last five minutes. Got tied up really neatly, more or less out of the blue. Wasn’t expecting Rosebud or anything, but the Hollywood ending just came outta nowhere.
Poster:
Trailer:
Bechdel Test:
Pass
The Representation Test Score: A (11 pts)
(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)
[schema type=”movie” name=”Clueless” description=”Jane Austen might never have imagined that her 1816 novel Emma could be turned into a fresh and satirical look at ultra-rich teenagers in a Beverly Hills high school. Cher (Alicia Silverstone) and Dionne (Stacey Dash), both named after “great singers of the past that now do infomercials,” are pampered upper-class girls who care less about getting good grades than wearing the right clothes and being as popular as possible. But Cher, who lives with her tough yet warm-hearted lawyer dad (Dan Hedaya) and hunky, sensitive stepbrother (Paul Rudd), also has an innate urge to help those less fortunate, like the two introverted teachers she brings together (“negotiating” herself improved grades in the process) and new friend Tai (Brittany Murphy), who starts out a geek and ends up a Cher prodigy. Cher also possesses her own sensitive side, and she is looking for the perfect boyfriend, whom she ends up finding where she least expected.” director=”Amy Heckerling” actor_1=”Alicia Silverstone” ]
| Main Cast | Alicia Silverstone Cher Stacey Dash Dionne Brittany Murphy Tai Paul Rudd Josh |
| Rating | PG-13 |
| Release Date | Wed 19 Jul 1995 UTC |
| Director | Amy Heckerling |
| Genres | Comedy, Romance |
| Plot | A rich high school student tries to boost a new pupil’s popularity, but reckons without affairs of the heart getting in the way. |
| Poster |  |
| Runtime | 97 |
| Tagline | Sex. Clothes. Popularity. Is there a problem here? |
| Writers | Amy Heckerling (written by) |
| Year | 1995 |