Cult classic 90s comedy shaped a generation finally streaming on Netflix
A timeless classic that culturally influenced and mirrored an entire generation of audiences has arrived on Netflix.
What would subsequently inspire countless Halloween outfits, endless quotations and a lasting place in pop culture history initially began as a television pilot in 1993.
"Twentieth Century Fox said they wanted a show about teenagers - but not the nerds. They wanted it to be about the cool kids," revealed writer and director Amy Heckerling in a DVD-exclusive special feature.
Heckerling, who had studied Jane Austen's Emma during her university years, chose to craft a contemporary take on the character. "I started to think, 'What's the larger context for that kind of a 'nothing can go wrong, always looks through rose-coloured glasses' kind of girl? So I tried to take all the things that were in this sort of pretty 1800s world and see what that would be like if it was in Beverly Hills."
This gave birth to Clueless - the 1995 teen comedy featuring Cher Horowitz, a well-off, fashionable and perpetually upbeat secondary school pupil in Beverly Hills, who embarks on helping others whilst managing friendships, romances and her own personal development, reports the Express.
Together with her best mate Dionne (both named after famous singers), Cher chooses to give new transfer pupil Tai a makeover and steer her through the school's social pecking order - only to discover herself experiencing a transformation of her own.
Almost 30 years later, the film's appeal remains intact. One viewer said: "Alicia Silverstone is pure gold".
One viewer added: "It might be 30 years old now, but it still stands the test of time. An enjoyable movie that doesn't feel old and is as relevant now as it was then."
Another hailed it as "by far the best movie ever made about rich teenagers. It's so funny you'll watch it over and over again. This movie is a solid classic for life."
For many who grew up with it, Clueless is more than just a comedy. "As a kid of the 90s, I always enjoy watching it. The fashion, the dialogues... it's a feelgood film. It's a shame (teen) films are not like that anymore," another fan expressed.
Smart, stylish and endlessly quotable, Clueless is seen by many as the ultimate teen movie of its era - and as one reviewer put it: "If you haven't seen this film, then you're missing out on what it felt like to be a teenager in the 90s. A+."
Clueless is now available to stream on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+ and more.
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