Clueless was an iconic release, written and directed by Amy Heckerling that dramatized the life and struggles of Cher Horowitz; your typical, American rich girl. Cher comes from an wealthy home, her story is set in Beverly Hills, CA where she lives and attends high school. Her mother passed away early in her life and so she lives with her father who is a lawyer. Cher is privileged by her affluence and social status, which also makes her popular amongst her peers. Her main concerns are mostly superficial and egocentric, yet there is a gradual shift in her mindset from start to finish.
By retelling Jane Austen’s Emma as the experience of a sheltered, popular teen living in this posh allows viewers to better grasp the humor and irony embedded in the narrative; And by embodying the egotistic characteristics that she did within the protagonist, Heckerling satirizes societal constructs of gender roles and behaviors. As well as how race/ personality/wealth influenced one’s high school experience in America circa 1990. Though its first appearance was as early as the 1930s, around the time of the Great Depression.
The genre of teen films has been a part of American cinematic works since the 1980s ccording to the Schirmer Encyclopedia of Film. Clueless being among many teen movies released in the 1980s-1999, to name a few that came before its time Breakfast Club (1985) and Pretty in Pink (1986) as listed by the Schirmer Encyclopedia of Film. All these were produced with the goal of showcasing contemporaneous works that convey to the viewers the adolescent experience, whether you were one or not.
Much like in Emma, Clueless is a story that highlights the stratification and roles that social class and gender play into an individual’s standing. The protagonist is a wealthy, young, American teenager who thinks very highly of herself and those that are a part of her circle. Yet, it is her snobbishness and manipulation that are her character flaws. Cher believes that she knows what is better, not just for herself but others as well. But comes to the actualization that she is not as smart as she would like to believe.
Because the story is in first-person, narrated by Cher that allows the viewers to think and experience life as she would. From the beginning, the narrative begins to foretell her personality. It is evident that she can be intelligent and manipulative yet air-headed and naive. One can tell just by seeing her lavish lifestyle, the reason she is unconcerned or oblivious to world (i. e: when she pronounces “Haitians” during the debate as “Haiti-yun’s”. ) news/events is because she is very sheltered in Beverly Hills.
Yet in strategically choosing a female character to exemplify these characteristics, I would argue adds towards the humor. Because Cher as a person, embodies stereotypes typically associated with American women. Which spins a satirical narrative, that mocks these associations in allowing her to find a pathway towards depth, care for others, etc. Goodheart writes in Emma: Jane Austen’s Errant Heroine a description of the protagonist in Austen’s novel that could be used when speaking of Cher.
He says, “The real evils indeed of Emma’s situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself,” and continues in saying, “these were the disadvantages which threatened alloy to her many enjoyments. ” (589) Cher’s mother had passed away early in her life during a “routine liposuction”, seeing that lacking in her life, drove her father had become over-indulgent. For example, by allowing her to spend thousands of dollars on clothes and/or driving without a license.
Though Cher does fancy herself these luxuries made possible by the money her father makes as a lawyer. About Dan Hedaya, the man who starred in the film as Cher’s father, Janet Maslin from the New York Times says, “is enjoyably gruff as the father whose litigation practice subsidizes Cher’s expensive habit, and who has even bought her a car that she hasn’t learned to park. What’s the point? ‘ she reasons. ‘Everywhere you go, you’ve got valet. ‘” It is also from his job that he had learned her extensively developed conversational skills.
This proves to come in handy when Cher tries to “argue” her way out of certain situations. Though her father might be able to provide financial stability and whatever else Cher might want, he is not always there to discipline her because of his commitment to litigation. And because of this, she has become more independent. Because Cher lacks a maternal figure in the household, she has in a sense taken up her mother’s position in caretaking by making sure her father eats healthy and takes his medication. This proves that going to the mall with her friends is not the only thing she enjoys.
But it is not until Tai, the new student from the Bronx shows up on her first day that Cher takes it upon herself to “help” her. Though Cher might not have realized her intentions when she asked Tai if she and Dionne could give her a makeover. But to suggest that there was something that needed improvement or changing, was Cher’s attempt to assimilate Tai to high social standing. By making changing her [Tai] hair color, the clothes she wore and even suggesting that she “work on that accent”, all spoke towards Cher’s agenda of allowing Tai to adapt to her new environment; although she did not even ask her for help to begin with.
Cher might have had good intentions in helping people, yet did not realize how “clueless” she [Cher] was actually being. Tai’s arrival to the new high school, also did mark the moment in time where the narrative started to get twisted. Because Tai did not necessarily fit because various reasons pointed out by Cher, it caused a disturbance in their bubble. Needless to mention again that Cher, along with her peers live a protected life, unbothered by financial uncertainty. Something interesting to also take into consideration how Heckerling chose to portray the popular girls as kindhearted.
While most productions of teen movies that followed, such as Mark Waters’ 2004 of Mean Girls in which they are depicted as snarky and conniving. One could argue that by choosing to have the female protagonists seen as more benevolent and caring, Heckerling underlines, again, gender roles and the expectations of men/women that result from societal construct. Because as humans, we like to put things in their specific boxes, label them nicely so that each object, behavior, lifestyle, etc. ight be characterized by something else; or caused by someone else. But most times that is not necessarily true.
Heckerling’s production of Clueless, was the transitioning of an American princess’ mindset from a more superficial outlook to the actualization that she is not as bright as she would like to believe. Other than shopping, she is driven by self-interest, will power and manipulation in order to achieve her goals. And this in addition to her wealth, ensures almost every time she will get what she wants. Because of such an easy- going lifestyle, without having to care for many things of actual mportance, the viewers may think of Cher as smart but foolish and naive; and this is why many people have voiced their negative opinions about Cher.
However, Goodheart quotes Austen in the beginning of the book, “ ‘l am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like,’ It is easier to say why a reader may dislike Emma than why her creator likes her. ” (589) And this speaks to the underlying, greater purpose of Austen’s characterization of Emma; that would later lead to its retelling as Clueless in 1995. Because Cher is driven merely by desire, whether that may be to help herself or others. She would do whatever she could, even if it meant manipulation, despite her means of achieving her goals.
There is something admirable in her method. Even though she initially comes off as silly and shallow, towards the end, the viewer is able to see for themselves how Cher’s mindset has shifted. After realizing she cares for Josh, she is unsure how she should act around him; as opposed to when she thought she liked Christian and started sending herself flowers. As she becomes a little less self- centered, she allows herself see and care for the things and people around her.