Review of "Clueless"

Clueless

Comedy

Perfect modern adaptation of Jane Austen's "Emma"

A few years back, there was a rash of movies based on the works of Jane Austen. They were mostly lovely, thoughtful period pieces, with the likes of Emma Thompson and Gwyneth Paltrow in the leading roles. In my opinion, they all missed the mark. All, that is but Amy Heckerling's Clueless. What did that movie have that the others lacked? Jane Austen. I felt that all those other films had somehow missed the point... they had the characters and the stories, the scenery and the manners, but they lost the author's point of view somewhere amongst the costumes and the English accents. Jane Austen loved her characters, yes, and with all her heart, but she thought they were all absolutely ridiculous. She thought the society was ridiculous. This, I feel is what these modern filmakers lost sight of. Clueless is the one exception. It is hysterically funny, actually quite moving and most importantly mocks its characters for all they are worth. THAT, my friends, is Jane Austen.

I totally agree! I took a course last fall on Jane Austen & film...and, at the time, was sort of ashamed to realize that I really, really liked Clueless, probably because I didn't (until reading Melinda's review) know quite why. But, Austen's satire is the best thing about her novels, and (aside from the BBC Pride and Prejudice miniseries, where the Bennet family is appropriately ridiculous) the film adaptations tend to omit it. Clueless is both accurate and a ton of fun...and, sorry, but I even like the soundtrack. *Sheepish grin.

Yes! Clueless happened to come out right around the time that I was reading Emma, and it was so fun to watch and connect different characters and plot points. And even if you're not an Austen fan, you can enjoy it as a great satire about teen life in the mid-'90s. Melinda and Becca have already written excellent reviews, so I'll shut up now. :)

This film is a delight, with great performances by all. I saw it like 2 or 3 times while it was in the theaters.

I like this movie too. The way they're all wrapped up in their own lives. Very cool.