![]() Take the scene where Cher is debating the "ensemble-y challenged" Amber ( Elisa Donovan). Even when Heckerling's writing veers away from maintaining its Emma parallels, it's clear she has spent time studying and working to understand the slang and cadence of language utilized by the people inhabiting that very specific time and place. Heckerling has not only masterfully laid Austen's Emma narrative onto the world and lives of privileged Southern California teens in the mid-90s, but has managed to fine tune the twists and turns of that much older story so that nothing feels forced or clunky. Heckerling's script, rooted in these two books and later enhanced by a variety of on-set tweaks by cast and crew members, is one part of why Clueless is still so beloved to this day. My daughter just picked up Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the book, and was amazed at how wonderful it is." The two big things, of course, were Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Emma. So I ran with that and just looked for sources of happy characters to get inspiration from. "I was writing a character that I thought was the very opposite of myself, a character that was really happy and if there was any negative criticism, she just didn’t take it seriously because she had confidence, and if her father was angry she thought he was just being cute. Heckerling also shed light on the inspiration for the story while telling Interview in 2018 the history behind the deliciously savage "You're a virgin who can't drive" insult uttered by Tai late in the film's second act. The Clueless script was born out of failed attempts to capitalize on the success of Look Who's Talking Too, including a script rejected by Disney for being "too smart," leading Heckerling to mimic her reaction - "And so I said, 'All right, you want dumb? I’ll show you dumb.'" - in a 2017 profile at The Ringer. ![]() It's a shift in creative focus which would come to define Heckerling's work as a director from there on out, with Clueless arguably serving as the strongest example of Heckerling's ability to blend her comedic voice with the ways in which women's lives are depiected onscreen, in all their multi-faceted glory. Rather than working to stake out property in the crowded territory of male-focused comedies directed by men (although her efforts are damn good), Heckerling turned her attention to the world of Southern California teens and, specifically, female stories. Across the board, the movies Heckerling wrote and directed before Clueless were major successes, with those successes involving some combination of utilizing the star power of a respective movie's leading cast, seeing the benefits of the movie developing a cult following, and some of those movies enjoying the fruits of box office success.Ĭlueless marks a noticeable shift in Heckerling's career - and it's an interesting shift to boot. As a feature-length screenwriter, Heckerling had both Look Who's Talking and the sequel, Look Who's Talking Too, under her belt. Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Johnny Dangerously, National Lampoon's European Vacation, and the first two installments of the Look Who's Talking franchise making up the first chapter of Heckerling's directing career, which spans more than four decades. Up until Clueless' release, Heckerling had dealt primarily in comedies with either male protagonists, male-dominated comedic sensibilities, or something more directly speaking to male anxieties both at home and socially. Luckily, former step-brother Josh ( Paul Rudd) is always around to give her a much-needed reality check as she tries (to varying degrees of success) to bring happiness into the lives of everyone around her. Cher is very much like her Austen counterpart, happy to pair up the entire world without actually understanding the true complexities of love. With the arrival of new girl Tai ( Brittany Murphy), Cher and BFF Dion ( Stacey Dash) take it upon themselves to give their friend a makeover and help steer her toward true love with one of the many eligible high school boys at their school. A quick FYI: Clueless follows Beverly Hills teen Cher (Alicia Silverstone), daughter of a prominent lawyer ( Dan Hedaya), who moves through the world with the confidence of a young woman upon whom the sun constantly shines.
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