10.22.2008

Two permits do not equal a license!


As if!
Mel: Cher, get in here!
Cher: Yes daddy?

Mel: What are you wearing?
Cher: A dress.
Mel: Says who?
Cher: Calvin Klein!


Ah, Clueless. While the movie is undeniably vacuous, shallow Cher Horowitz was so adorably "clueless" that audiences couldn't help but love her and her oh-so-90s slang (also known as "Valspeak," the universal language of the Valley Girls...thank you, California).

Believe it or not, Clueless is loosely based on the Jane Austen novel Emma. Very loosely.
Click here to view character and plot comparisons between Emma and Clueless. The film, which was released in 1995, follows the life of 15 year-old Cher Horowitz, (played by Alicia Silverstone), the daughter of a rich lawyer ("Daddy's a litigator. Those are the scariest kinds of lawyers...He gets paid $500 an hour just to fight with people, but he fights with me for free 'cause I'm his daughter!") as she plays matchmaker with her friends and teachers in Beverly Hills. The cast includes a slew of (now) well-known actors, including Brittany Murphy, (Tai), Paul Rudd, (Josh), and Donald Faison, (Murray).

Josh: I'm amazed.
Cher: That I'm devoting myself so generously to someone else?
Josh:
No, that you've found someone even more clueless than you are to worship you.

Admittedly, I know pretty much this entire movie by heart. With lines like "I feel like such a heffer. I had two bowls of Special K, three pieces of turkey bacon, a handful of popcorn, FIVE peanut-butter M&Ms..." and "That was my mom. Isn't she a total betty? She died when I was young. A freak accident during a routine liposuction," (Cher), what's not to love?

Remember when?
*Remember when Alicia Silverstone was supposed to be the next up-and-coming young actress? She was even Aerosmith's music video "Crazy" with Steven Tyler's daughter, Liv. See the video on YouTube: "Crazy"
*What about Brittany Murphy!? Apparently 10-15 pounds and a dye-job can work wonders! (Okay...maybe more like 20 pounds...she's looking pretty skeletal in that second photo.)

THEN
********************************************NOW Whatever!
Clueless: The Television Show.
Nobody needs to watch this show (I'm not even sure it's running on syndicates any more). The show butchered the film and didn't even include all of the same characters. Alicia Silverstone was smart enough not to go near it, and the show starred Rachel Blanchard. While it seems like picking up where our favorite characters left off would be a great idea, it was a total "Monet."

7 comments:

kathie said...

I also love "Clueless." I can see the loose Emma interpretation now that you mention it; however, it is definitely LOOSE. Alicia was touted to be the next rising star. It appears that her star has fizzled out a bit. Still love her, though.

Emily H. said...

It was a lot of fun to read your blog and look back at all the pop culture memories!! I especially liked how you included the movie Clueless. It was definitely a movie during the 90s that people could not get enough of. I even remember people in high school seeming really cool because they used the slang terms that Cher used throughout the movie! I'm just glad clothes from the 90s have not made a comeback yet - some things are better left in the past!

JJRegan said...

I'm glad you mentioned fashion! That gave me an idea for another post. I ended up watching "Clueless" the day after writing this post. I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves it!

Anonymous said...

"Clueless" is such a classic movie! This blog is very fun and vibrant. It's refreshing to see a part of the 90s still exists even if a select few remember the classics! I remember watching as a little girl and always wanting to look and dress the way all the female characters in the movie did. With Chers electronic closet and computer that picked her outfit, now that’s something a girl can only dream about having.

Anonymous said...

I still want that closet! The movie is much more funny now that I understand what Murray meant when he called Christian a "cake boy" and what Tai meant when she told Cher and Dionne that she's "never had straight friends before" hahaha!

The_Laur said...

Haha...oh Clueless, this is a post every girl can truly relate to I'm sure. The side by side of the two different Brittany Murphy's is crazy!

JJRegan said...

I just watched "Sin City" the other day, and it's hard to imagine that is the same Brittany Murphy!