Film
Clueless
- Director
- Amy Heckerling
- Certificate
- 12A
- Running Time
- 97 mins
Take Alicia Silverstone, hitherto best known as the psycho Lolita from Crush, and writer/director Amy Heckerling, add a loosely transposed adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, and the result’s the best teen satire since Heathers.
Silverstone is Cher, Queen of Beverly Hills High, whose overwhelming belief in her own rightness can talk anyone into anything, like matchmaking two nerdy teachers so they’ll raise grades and lower homework, and making over clueless (uncool) new girl Brittany Murphy. Loaded up with tongue-in-cheek irony, witty pastiche and astute observations, Heckerling’s modern comedy classic affectionately satirises rather than savages her dumb but endearing targets. If the overly neat final stretch stumbles slightly, the sparkling verve, hilarious teenspeak and Silverstone’s effervescent performance still make for an irresistible cross between Beverly Hills 90210 and Cyndi Lauper’s gaudiest video.
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
