Movies from the Heart—Clueless

While I wrote about Clueless [1995] by Amy Heckerling, a little over three years ago when I was looking at coming of age films, I think it’s interesting to look at it as a romantic film as well.

As I said back then, it’s a movie about matchmaking. But it’s also a movie about how you determine who’s a candidate for your own love life. Though, if you look at the trailer for the film, you’d never get that. Take a peek.

Notice how the trailer emphasizes the Beverly Hills High School location and focuses on the interaction between Cher, the main character, and her friends/classmates. And Cher’s only love interest that’s in the trailer is Justin Walker, who comments “nice pins” about her legs and who’s taking her out when her father has a tirade about her dress.

So you’d think this was a film about high school craziness, sure, but also about Cher’s relationship with Justin. But, in reality, Justin is one of the two guys in the film who are in Cher’s life. The other is her stepbrother, Josh—her dad’s stepson from a previous marriage, so no actual blood relation to Cher.

And that’s the most touching thing about this film—Cher’s awakening to who might be a possible boyfriend.

The idea for the film came from Jane Austen’s novel, Emma. I love the fact that an 1815 novel is still relevant to today, that it still has something to say about women and relationships today.

And the title? Well, throughout the film Cher is pursuing one guy and we see—way before she does—that it’s another guy who’d the best match for her.

The frantic comedy in the film comes as she tries to woo Justin—but she doesn’t find out until later that he’s gay and being a fashion forward guy himself is only interested in fashionable Cher as a friend.

But Josh is the guy she overlooks—just sees him as a step-brother who’s a bit older. But when things start going south for her and she needs help, it’s Josh she calls upon to get her out of the mess she’s gotten herself into. And when she does realize that she likes him, it’s a complete surprise to her—she didn’t see this coming.

So while triangle love stories are a staple of the romantic genre, this one shows the advantage of having the main character unaware of one of the people who could be her love interest—so when it does happen, it’s a surprise to her [even though it’s not to us as viewers] and we get to see her awakening to this new possibility.

Next week we’ll look at a way more serious romantic film—a romantic drama that’s different from most—Remains of the Day.

Copyright © Diane Lake

06Oct24

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