Movie review: 'Clueless' re-release proves film retro but timeless

UPI

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1 of 5 | Alicia Silverstone stars in "Clueless," returning to theaters Sunday. Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures
LOS ANGELES, June 27 (UPI) -- Clueless is returning to theaters Sunday for its 30th anniversary, but it's never really left the culture at large. While there have been many teen comedies since, the film's lingo and fashion remain evergreen and some of the details prove surprisingly prescient.
Alicia Silverstone stars as Cher Horowitz, a teenager attending Beverly Hills' fictional Bronson Alcott High School, wearing designer fashion and carrying a cell phone. Cher plays matchmaker for her teachers, and new student Tai (Brittany Murphy), similar to Jane Austen's heroine Emma.
In the '90s, words like "whatever" and "as if" were common, following the Bill & Ted and Wayne's World popularization of "no way" and "yeah, right." Clueless made "I'm Audi" synonymous with "I'm out of here" (as in Audi/outtie), with an emphatic "Audi 5000."
Those terms may have been usurped by TikTok lingo like "delulu" and "cheugy" but the sentiments haven't changed. Delulu means delusional and "as if" is essentially telling someone they are delusional, "as if" they think that's going to happen.
The plaid skirts and knee-high socks were sort of retro at the time of the film's release, but they'd still work now.
The music includes a '90s cover of "Kids in America," the satirical "Supermodel," and No Doubt's first hit single, "Just a Girl." Coolio's "Rollin' with my Homies" is pivotal to Tai's heartbreak, just before his "Gangster's Paradise" led the film Dangerous Minds and Mighty Mighty Bosstones appear in the film.
Back then, cell phones were only for rich kids, and they were only for talking, not for staring at and scrolling for hours. The brief seconds Cher and Dionne (Stacey Dash) continue their conversation on their phones in the hall before putting them away was a joke.
Cher would probably be aghast everyone has a phone now and that they type instead of talking to each other. She was all about making connections and hanging out in person at parties and the mall.
The aspects of Clueless that proved most timeless were probably the least expected. Cher debates Haitian refugees in debate class, and later collects donations for victims of a natural disaster at Pismo Beach.
In 1995, these probably seemed like generic events that could serve the plot. Cher had to get a middling grade in debate class that she could negotiate to an A, and demonstrate she was learning to think about others.
Today, false claims about Haitian immigrants were real talking points of the 2024 presidential campaign. Regardless of their country of origin, immigration has been a major political platform and source of division.
Cher's pro-immigration conclusion, "It does not say RSVP on the Statue of Liberty," is humorously simplistic. Yet her welcoming position would be adopted now by pro-immigration proponents.
She was also very accepting when she learns her classmate Christian (Justin Walker) is gay. Coming out in the '90s was a plot point of many TV sitcoms and movies, and Christian wasn't necessarily out when Cher found out. She accepted him, so tolerance wasn't even an issue.
Natural disasters have sadly only ramped up since 1995, from Hurricane Katrina to the recent Los Angeles wildfires. Fortunately, those situations have shown people to be supportive of their fellow humans in need.
People aren't flocking back to theaters to see Clueless again for its politics, however. The film is still selling tickets because it's funny, charming and makes people feel good.
One need not be as wealthy as Cher to enjoy her carefree lifestyle. In fact, Tai is not rich and she proves to enjoy life even more fully without the trappings Cher provides.
People with stepsiblings have objected to Cher's romance with ex-stepbrother Josh (Paul Rudd) since 1995, saying even if they are not blood related and their parents have since divorced, they could never see a stepsibling romantically. That may be, but upon reflection it seems well-supported by the movie.
Cher's father Mel (Dan Hedaya) says, "You divorce wives, not children." This is a wonderfully inclusive way to show he has no ill will towards his ex-wife's son, and that Josh can always have a place in the Horowitz family.
Does that wipe away the stepbrother-ness? Maybe not, but Mel also seems to see there was always a connection between Cher and Josh, which probably existed before the marriage, when he encourages Josh to check on Cher at the party.
To revisit Clueless is to enjoy a time capsule of '90s culture. And yet, much of the classic teen comedy proves prescient and evergreen.
Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012 and the Critics Choice Association since 2023. Read more of his work in Entertainment.