The Plot That Pretends It’s Not a Plot
One of the brilliant things about Clueless is how little it tries. It’s based on Jane Austen’s Emma, but you wouldn’t know it unless someone told you between bites of froyo. The film isn’t plot-driven in the traditional sense. It’s a series of vibes. Cher decides to become a matchmaker, makeovers ensue, a new girl disrupts the social order, and eventually, Cher realizes she’s in love with her ex-stepbrother. You know, normal teen stuff.
It works because it doesn’t try too hard. Clueless meanders like a rich girl in a mall. And somehow, that’s part of its charm. There's no dramatic villain. No huge stakes. Just the social pressure of high school, seen through a filter of designer sunglasses and pastel fluff.
Alicia Silverstone Was a Whole Cultural Reset
It’s hard to overstate how good Alicia Silverstone is in this movie. She delivers every line with a mix of wide-eyed earnestness and razor-sharp comic timing. Cher is the type of character that shouldn’t work - spoiled, shallow, self-centered, but Silverstone makes her likable, even lovable. It’s not just because she’s pretty. It’s because she’s sincere.
Cher wants to help people. She wants to be seen as good. And she’s surprisingly self-aware when she messes up. That emotional arc, from confident queen bee to self-questioning romantic, sneaks up on you. It’s like finding out your Prada backpack is also really good for your posture.
The Fashion Still Slaps
Let’s talk about the clothes. The fashion in Clueless is legendary and not just in a “haha, look at 90s outfits” kind of way. These looks still work. The knee socks. The tiny backpacks. The matching plaid sets. There’s a reason fashion TikTok won’t shut up about it. And it’s not just nostalgia.
Costume designer Mona May created a world where every character’s look tells a story. Cher’s outfits are aspirational. Dionne’s are fierce and experimental. Tai’s wardrobe evolves as her character does. Even the stoner guys have a uniform.
And the digital closet app? Still a dream. Could someone please put that on my phone already? We have AI now. There’s no excuse.
It’s Weirdly Innocent for a Teen Movie
For a movie that opens with teens driving BMWs to school while listening to Kids in America, Clueless is surprisingly wholesome. There's talk of virginity, but no explicit sex. There's talk of drugs, but no glorification. The biggest scandal? Getting a “C” in debate class and almost dating your gay best friend.
In today’s world of HBO teen dramas where everyone is doing hard drugs by 10th grade, Clueless feels like a warm, fuzzy, hyper-stylized escape. It's pure. It's sweet. And it doesn't apologize for living in a pastel dreamland where makeovers fix everything except your math grade.
The Guys? Hit or Miss
Paul Rudd, of course, has aged like a fine, ageless wine. His character, Josh, is sweet, sarcastic, and actually feels like a real person among a cast of high-gloss cartoons. But it’s also worth mentioning: the ex-stepbrother thing is still weird. We all just rolled with that?
Then there’s Elton, who’s the walking embodiment of “guy who thinks he’s hot but still lives with his parents.” Murray (Donald Faison) is lovable but chaotic. And Christian, the James Dean clone with secret Rat Pack vibes, is such a delightfully specific Gen X fantasy that his character wouldn’t even exist today without a Letterboxd account.
Does It Stick?
Yes. Unequivocally. Clueless sticks the landing better than most teen movies of its era, or any era, really. It holds up not because it tried to predict the future, but because it captured its own moment so perfectly. There’s no attempt to be timeless. It just is.
And weirdly, the themes - navigating social rules, figuring out who you are, realizing that empathy matters more than status- feel more relevant now than ever, especially in a world where teenage identity is constantly curated online. Cher would’ve thrived on Instagram. But she probably would’ve hated TikTok.
The Musical, the Legacy, and the TikTok Rebirth
The fact that Clueless made its way to Broadway as a musical, and that people still obsess over its lines on TikTok, is proof that it lives on in culture. We’re not just rewatching it. We’re remixing it.
The “Ugh, as if!” moment alone has been turned into more formats than I can count. And whether it’s Halloween costumes, fan edits, or Gen Z watching it ironically, then falling in love, the movie continues to charm its way into new hearts.
It’s earned its place in the Hall of Fame alongside Mean Girls and Legally Blonde, but it got there first.
Final Verdict
Does it stick? Like lip gloss on a locker mirror.
Clueless isn’t just a good teen movie. It’s the teen movie. A sunlit time capsule of Beverly Hills absurdity that never tries to be more than it is, and somehow ends up being so much more.
So go ahead, rewatch it. Quote it. Cherish it. And when someone asks if you really still like that old movie from the 90s?
Just say, “As if.”
