Clueless
When I saw the previews for Clueless, I figured that all the critics would hate it. But the funny thing was that I found the preview funnier than the movie I was watching. I went to the movie the first day it opened. I couldn't stop laughing! It was a wonderfully funny and inventive story (even if it is based on the book by Jane Austin). I have always liked watching dumb blondes and that is were Alicia Silverstone shines. She is not dumb, but her character is so rich that she acts dumb.
The movie opens with a monolgue from Cher (Alicia Silverstone) who comments on her life. It is actually a very funny monolgue, beginning with "I know...you are probably think that this is a Noxema commercial." The movie is most famous for the lines "As if!" and "Whatever!" The way they use these lines is very funny. But the movie actually has a story, though not a very big one.
The movie is about Cher's life. Her experiences trying to get good grades and getting a boyfriend are hilarious. Her habits, such as walking down the hall talking to her friend Dionne (Stacey Dash) and then turning a corner to walk to class with her and shopping for nothing, are the typical blond-type jokes that everyone knows. But the way they are depicted in this movie are downright funny. One little scene that I found especially funny was when she was contemplating (if that is the right word for this movie) her life and sees a dress that she likes in the window. She asks in a voiceover, "I wonder if they have that in my size?" This and other jokes are frequently used and everytime, they are funny.
There are mainly three plots to the movie. One involves Cher's grades. The second is her trying to find a boyfriend. The final one, which is probably the funniest, is when she tries to help other people. When she gets bad grades, instead of doing better the next term, she argues with the teachers and gets them to change her grade. She tells her gym teacher that she is having boy troubles and, because the teacher is gay, she raises Cher's grade. This also leads into her helping other people.
After she hooks two teachers up to raise her grade, she becomes even more popular and decides to do more good deeds. During gym class, she is introduced to a new student, Tai (Brittany Murphy). She is so "clueless" that Cher decides to set her on the right path. After a makeover, the guys begin to notice her. After she is almost killed (sort of), she becomes more popular than Cher. Of course, Cher becomes jealous. Soon, Tai comes back down to earth and makes ammends with Cher.
The other part of the movie is Cher trying to find a boyfriend suitable for her. She won't settle for most of the high school guys because they don't know how to dress and act. One day though, she spots Christian (Justin Walker, who looks surprisingly like Luke Perry, which is why Cher likes him) who she falls in love with. It is hilarious watching her try to get him into bed. After she tells her friends about it, they laugh. I won't spoil the surprise but I will let you know that I saw it coming. This is the weakest part of the movie, but it was still funny.
The biggest surprise of the movie is not its humor, but its star. Alicia Silverstone is wonderful as the dumb blonde with the heart of gold. She is probably the only actress capable of doing this part. She brings a genuine feel to the part, almost as if she was the part. However, I doubt that Silverstone is that dumb. But that is why I liked it. Because I never have known anyone like that. I enjoyed watching her perform a part that I have always liked, but never have I seen it done so well. This will make Silverstone a star.
Clueless is rated PG-13. It has some violence but it keeps it to a minimum. The teens do use drugs, which sort of bothered me. Also, the language was a bit harsh, though most of it subtle, such as one of my favorite lines, "My plastic surgeon doesn't want me involved in any activity where balls fly at my nose." Deion replies, "Well, there goes your social life." These lines are throughout the movie but they sure are funny. And to anyone that says that this movie sucks: WHATEVER!