15 Reasons We Will Always Love 'Clueless'
It is pretty much impossible not to love the movie Clueless. From the hilarious dialogue to the amazing fashion, from the friendships and love stories and coming-of-age themes, this is a film that sticks with you. Whether we have seen this movie a handful of times or a hundred, we can't help but adore it. Chances are, our friends all feel the exact same way and when one of us quotes Cher or Dionne, we know exactly what the other person is talking about. We basically have this entire movie memorized and you are pretty proud of that fact. That is really no small feat, considering how many movies we have watched and loved over the years. This movie has gone down in pop culture history as a true classic. We probably need to re-watch it right this instant, actually. Here are 15 reasons we will always love Clueless.
15 The Fashion
It is impossible not to associate Clueless with the awesome fashion and that's one reason that we adore it so much. If we haven't dressed up as Cher and Dionne for Halloween with our BFF, that costume idea is still on our list. We love everything from the dresses that Cher wears to every party to the fluffy boas she adorns herself in to her infamous yellow plaid skirt suit. This movie has definitely had a major influence on the clothes that we wear and anytime we visit a popular chain store, we can see things that Cher, Dionne, Amber, and Tai would have definitely worn. When we're getting super nostalgic (and also are in major need of some style inspiration), we ask ourselves a very important question: "What would Cher wear?" (WWCW for short.) It's our life motto at this point and it's served us very well so far.
14 The Slang
Who hasn't said "As if!" or wanted to say they were "totally bugging?" We love the slang in this film and we wish it was still the 90s so we could say these things and not seem weird. Okay, so we were kids back then and we wouldn't have been saying this slang anyway, but it's still something that we hope for. The other movie that has so much fun slang would be Mean Girls (which is definitely another film that tops our all time favorite list). There's just something so wonderful and innocent and hilarious about the slang in Clueless. It feels just right and fits the storyline. Cher gets most of the best slang, of course, since she's the main character, but her friends and classmates say some pretty awesome things too. Even if we don't scream "As if!" when something crazy and unbelievable happens, it's safe to say that we're saying this in our heads.
13 When Tai First Gets To Town
The late Brittany Murphy plays Tai and does an incredible job. Since she tragically died a few years ago, that adds a tragic dimension to an otherwise funny and sweet and light-hearted movie. We have to say that we love when Tai first gets to town… and when she first appears at school. She's shocked that there is Diet Coke in the school cafeteria and Cher says, "This is America." It's just such a great line and really works well in the scene. It's fun watching Tai get used to life in this new world since it's safe to say that dealing with Cher and her friends is a lot different than her old life. Usually, we like to live in total denial and pretend that Brittany Murphy is still with us. It's really the only way that we can make it through our thousandth re-watch of this movie without bursting into tears. Yup, denial always works wonders.
12 Cher In General
Cher makes the movie since, of course, she is the main character. Without her hilarious personality, the story would not be nearly as compelling and fun. We love Cher so much because she is just a constant source of entertainment. She has trouble driving and then tells Josh, "You try driving in platforms." She gets confused when watching the TV news. She negotiates for better grades with her teachers (thanks to her dad's advice). She eats vegetables with her hands. She has a sunny personality and wants everyone around her to be happy. And when she gets mugged, she freaks out… not because it is dangerous and she might get hurt or worse, but because her outfit is going to get ruined. Yup, we love Cher and we wish that she was our best friend. In our minds, that is exactly who she is and who she has always been.
11 The Party
We all know the major party in Clueless. It might have been why our parents weren't sure that this movie was appropriate for us when we were pre-teens (but it's a pretty innocent party as far as teen TV and movies. It's when Cher tries to set Tai up with the super creepy Elton. It's when she learns that Elton is really in love with her and wants to hook up with her instead. And it's when everyone plays a game of "suck and blow" which was probably when we all figured out what that party game is. It's kind of gross actually, so we try not to think about it too much. This is a pretty big deal in terms of the storyline since this proves to Cher that Elton is not the guy that she thought that he was and that she's been just a tad privileged up until this point (just a tad). After all, getting mugged in a parking lot definitely makes a person think pretty hard.
10 Tai's Makeover
When Cher gives Tai a makeover, it's one of the most iconic aspects of the film, and it's something that we will always love. It's not that Tai is such a loser that she needs a makeover… it's just that Cher wants to help her fit in and have some more self-confidence. It works and in a sense, Cher has created a monster when Tai delivers her most famous dig: "You're a virgin who can't drive." Ouch, Tai. But before Tai gets all mean, the makeover works really well and she even flirts and dances when she and Cher go out one night. That's definitely not something that the old Tai would have enough confidence to do. It's also awesome when Cher gives Tai a vocabulary lesson and she uses a word that she just learned in a sentence when chatting with Josh. Of course, in the end, it turns out that it's not really Tai who needs a new personality (but more on that later).
9 That Epic Speech By Travis
When Mr. Hall tells the class who has been late the least and the most, it turns out that the adorable skateboarder Travis has been late pretty much every single morning. He thinks this is a great honor and stands up so he can make an acceptance speech to the class. And as any Clueless fan knows well, it's a super epic speech. Here it is: "I would like to say this. Tardiness is not something you can do on your own. Many, many people contributed to my tardiness. I would like to thank my parents for never giving me a ride to school, the LA city bus driver who took a chance on an unknown kid, and last but not least, the wonderful crew from McDonald's who spend hours making those egg McMuffins without which I might never be tardy." Who else would think to make a speech about something that is actually pretty bad? It's the best.
8 Amber aka The Classic Mean Girl
Before there was the movie Mean Girls, there was Amber, and she's definitely part of the whole mean girl crowd. She always has a witty comeback that is the opposite of friendly and sweet and she always seems to be scheming. Of course, as far as mean girls go, she's pretty innocent since it's not like she plots to have Cher and Dionne fall on their faces or anything like that. She really just provides some comic relief and we always enjoy watching Amber. Besides her iconic scene when she talks about her doctor's note, she is in a great deal of the movie and she's always a welcome presence. Since they're both part of the popular crowd, we get the feeling that Cher basically tolerates Amber. It's not like Cher can fight with her or anything since she'll have to see her around at school and at parties so that would just make things super awkward.
7 Cher's Matchmaking
Cher tries to set up Mr. Hall and Mrs. Geist and we love it. They are a seriously adorable and sweet couple and it feels like they should have been together all this time. Cher's matchmaking is a really interesting part of the story. On the one hand, she's being a bit conceited since she acts like she knows who should date who and acts like a bit of a know-it-all about the whole thing. She also insults Mrs. Geist a bit by saying that she wears more lipstick on her teeth than her mouth (which is true, sure, but still feels a bit harsh). On the other hand, Cher is trying to be a better person and helping others is part of that goal, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's always better to try to think about people other than yourself. At least Cher realizes that her matchmaking efforts are not always realistic when it's clear that Tai and Elton aren't going to work out.
6 The RSVP/Statue Of Liberty Speech
One of our all-time favorite Clueless moments is when Cher makes a huge speech in class and then says, "It does not say RSVP on the Statue Of Liberty." It's such a hilarious and epic moment since Cher also makes this entire speech while holding gum in her hand. We would think that would be super gross but she manages to do this with tons of style. This is just so great and we've definitely memorized this scene. The whole deal: Cher says, "So, OK, like right now, for example, the Haitians need to come to America… But it's like when I had this garden party for my father's birthday right? I said R.S.V.P. because it was a sit-down dinner. But people came that like, did not R.S.V.P. so I was like, totally buggin'… but by the end of the day it was like, the more the merrier! And so, if the government could just get to the kitchen, rearrange some things, we could certainly party with the Haitians. And in conclusion, may I please remind you that it does not say R.S.V.P. on the Statue of Liberty?" It's just classic Cher. Of course, it doesn't really work and her teacher is super confused, but that's just how Cher rolls. She thinks about things in her own way. Even history and politics. Yup.
5 Cher's Mean Dad
Cher's dad is the most terrifying father figure in the history of film… and yet he's charming and loveable at the exact same time. We love him and we think that he's a big reason why we love this movie so much. We can't imagine another actor in the role because Dan Hedaya does such a great job. He always yells Cher's name when he wants to talk to her and she scurries into his office. He tells her that she should negotiate everything in life and that definitely includes her grades. He cares about Josh and wants to help him become a lawyer. Oh yeah, and he doesn't want to watch his diet. Thankfully, he has Cher. In another awesome scene with Cher, Josh, and her dad, Cher suggests grabbing take-out since everyone has been working super hard on a case. Josh thinks it's really sweet of Cher and Cher has to save her dad from a sandwich that he's not allowed to eat. It's a great father/daughter moment.
4 Dionne And Amber's Witty Scene
We all know this one. When Amber says that she has a doctor's note and can't participate in gym class, she follows that up with, "Ms. Stoeger, my plastic surgeon doesn't want me doing any activity where balls fly at my nose." Dionne's classic and iconic response is, "Well, there goes your social life." Ouch. Burn. This is one of our all-time favorite movie exchanges and we can't get over it, even all these years later. We just love it so much. Sure, when we first saw this movie we might have been around 12 years old and we probably didn't really understand this particular line of dialogue (or much of the movie, to be totally honest). But once we got older and got with the program, we laughed out loud when we realized what Dionne was really saying. It's just too good and will go down in movie history as one of the funniest things ever.
3 Two Words: Paul Rudd
This was the movie that introduced us to the beauty and glory that is Paul Rudd. And for that, we will be forever grateful. He does an amazing job as Josh, Cher's former step-brother turned love interest. Of course, the moment at the end of the movie when Cher is all OMG I LOVE JOSH! is a surprise to us too… even though when we re-watch this film, we can't believe that we never noticed how totally made for each other they are. Cher and Josh are a great couple since we can tell that they have some sparks and chemistry but it's not super obvious that they're going to get together. In other words, this isn't like those annoying AF predictable romantic comedies that we only watch so we can make fun of them. Since discovering Paul Rudd, we have definitely seen him in as many movies as we can, and we're big fans.
2 Cher And Dionne's Friendship
Cher and Dionne are known for being serious #friendshipgoals and we will always love Clueless for this very reason. They are just such good friends. Sure, Cher may not have the best theory about friendship -- she says "Dionne and I are friends because we both know what it's like to have people be jealous of us " -- but she definitely knows a good friend when she sees one. It's awesome watching Cher and Dionne joking around together, shopping, and talking about boys and fashion and school and life in general. We can just tell that they really care about each other and that Cher looks up to Dionne and Murray's truly adorable relationship. It's also awesome that they take Tai under their wing and there's no weird jealousy about stealing someone's best friend or any nonsense like that. Everyone just hangs out in a group and that's the way that it should be.
1 Cher's Transformation
The number one reason we will always love Clueless? That would definitely be Cher's transformation. It wouldn't be such an epic and special movie if she stayed the same throughout the entire movie, of course. It's awesome that in the beginning of the film, she's ditzy (but in a super charming way, of course) and by the end, she's learned how to be a better person. She knows the true meaning of friendship, family, love and compassion, and she's devoted to making the world around her a better place. She gets involved at school, finds love on her own with Josh, and has a newfound appreciation for her life. She also learns how to be really and truly happy with who she is. And that's a pretty awesome message. By the end of the movie, we feel kind of guilty for thinking that Cher was ditzy. Because as it turns out, she's so much smarter than any of us.