Clueless (1995)
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A wealthy and popular high school student attempts to improve her life and the lives of those around her while navigating the complexities of teenage romance.
The story
The film follows Cher Horowitz, a wealthy and popular high school student in Beverly Hills who decides to start performing "good deeds." After successfully orchestrating a romance between two of her teachers to improve her grades, she becomes determined to improve the lives of others. This leads her to take on a "clueless" transfer student, Tai Frasier, as her next project. Cher and her best friend Dionne provide Tai with a makeover and guidance, while Cher simultaneously navigates her own complicated feelings regarding her social circle and a former stepbrother, Josh Lucas, who is visiting from college.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Cher Horowitz, a wealthy and popular teenager in Beverly Hills, decides to perform "good deeds" after successfully orchestrating a romance between her teachers to improve her grades. She takes on a new transfer student, Tai Frasier, giving her a makeover and attempting to set her up with a popular student, though Cher's interference leads to complications. Cher also deals with the presence of Josh Lucas, her former stepbrother, who challenges her superficiality. After a series of romantic mishaps—including being mugged after a date with a boy she thought was interested in her, and discovering a suitor is gay—Cher begins to reflect on her life. After a falling out with Tai over a mutual interest in Josh, Cher realizes she is in love with Josh. She begins to make sincere efforts to live a more purposeful life, eventually reconciling with Tai and finding a genuine connection with Josh, culminating in a shared romantic realization.
- First release year
- 1995
- Runtime (minutes)
- 97
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Amy Heckerling
- Writers
- Amy Heckerling · writer
- Cast and characters
- Alicia Silverstone · Cher Horowitz
- Genres
- coming-of-age; teen comedy; romance
- Themes
- identity; social status; romance; coming-of-age
- Tone and mood
- satirical; lighthearted
- Premise and plot tags
- high school; wealthy lifestyle; matchmaking
- Source material / true-story basis
- Jane Austen's 1815 novel Emma
- Reception
- The film was well received by critics, described as a clever satire of teen films and the Beverly Hills elite. It has gained a cult following and is considered one of the best teen films of all time.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 82% · scale: percentage · review count: 127; Metacritic · score: 73 · scale: 100 · review count: 20
- Awards and nominations
- Best Screenplay · National Society of Film Critics Awards · win; Breakthrough Performance · National Board of Review · win; Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture · American Comedy Awards · win; Best Screenplay · WGA Award · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2025.; The film's script was originally titled 'No Worries'.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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