...Clueless is a 1995 comedy directed by Amy Heckerling. Starring Alicia Silverstone and Stacey Dash; this film is about two girls Cher and Dionne, who were named after “the great singers of the past who now do infomercials,” Cher and Dionne, high school students must survive the struggle of adolescent life. Cher’s demeanor comes off as superficial but is hidden under her: charm, wit, and intelligence, which helps get through her relationships, friends, family, and school the most important things during teenage life. Cher and Dionne are pampered upper class girls, who could carless about anything else besides being the most popular, and having the most amazing outfits in school. Cher’s lives with her hardheaded father who is the “scariest” kind of litigator, and provides a beautiful living for her and her stepbrother; who is the complete opposite of Cher and enjoys helping out the less fortunate. This later on in the movie inspires Cher to do the same. Cher could talk anyone into doing just about anything. Cher’s debate teacher Mr. Hall gave her a C for a semester grade; Dionne also receiving the same grade was brutally upset. The drama queens came up with a plan to start a romantic interest for Mr. Hall. In hopes to make him happy so he would boost up their grades. They select another teacher miss. Geist and slip a fake love letter into her mailbox at school. They soon start dating and couldn’t be any happier they begin to ease up on their grading, Cher works up her grade to...
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...Cher and Emma had a great interest in match-making while searching for a love interest themselves. They both feel like it is their job to set people up with each other. In Clueless, Cher and her best friend, Dionne, take the credit of setting up Ms. Geist, the history teacher, and Mr, Hall, the debate teacher. In Emma, she takes credit for setting up Miss Taylor and Mr. Weston, which are these characters from Clueless are based off of. Cher attempted to match make Tai with her friend Elton but notices that Tai has feelings for a boy named Travis. Cher attempts to separate her and Travis so Tai can have a love relationship with Elton. However, Elton unexpectedly announced his feelings for Cher, which left Tai heartbroken. In Emma, Emma attempts...
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...Clueless The film Clueless, composed and directed by Amy Heckerling, the producers deliberately set out to make new trends for teenagers. The main character, Cher is 15 going on 16 years of age She is a spoiled, socially successful, high-class snob who, in the wake of experiencing a crisis brought on by their own pride and constraint of feelings, are transformed from immaturity to mental and emotional development. Clueless is a fascinating social experiment. In any case, the film is a satire on the very individuals it was marketed too. The motion picture opens up with an understanding of Cher everyday life as she lets us know about her life and crew. For instance, we know her mom passed in a monstrosity lipo-surgery mishap and her dad is...
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...Clueless, an adaptation of Jane Austen's 1815 novel, Emma, is a 1995 American film by director, Amy Heckerling. The comedy serves as a 20th century update of the original text that shifts into creating a contemporary Emma, one for our own era. Though Clueless seems to set forth on building its reputation on a completely new, distinct ground, it is not an entirely different work of art. Considerable amounts of uniformities between the adaptation and Emma can be pinpointed throughout. As “Clueless is most faithful to Emma in its recreation of the plot involving Mr. Elton, Harriet Smith, and Emma” (Troost, Linda, and Greenfield 124), several parallels between the two distinctive texts, concerning this matter, can be recognized. One outstanding example is the correspondence and connection between the modern photography scene in Clueless and the sketching/painting of Harriet’s portrait in Emma. Hence, along with the novel’s highly persuasive guidance and the two’s so-called loose relation, various similarities as well as differences are inevitably present. Upon an analytical, close reading of the associated scenes, several shared story elements are brought into prospective. Both revolve around a beautiful, young lady who believes it is her duty to act as a matchmaker for her two companions. In both, the protagonist attempts to capture an image of her friend in hope that it would somehow reveal or prove the affection of the other. But aside from that, one will find that the two widely...
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...BOOK REVIEW Emma is a classic novel written by Jane Austen in 1815, published by John Murray. Emma is an intelligent, upper class young woman who thinks she knows more than other people. She decides to use her knowledge to become a matchmaker for her new little friend, Harriet. Emma finds out that she doesn't know as much as she thinks she does; while she discovers she misread quite a few of her acquaintances. She discovers that she didn't even know herself as well as she thought. The Regency era was a time of great social, political, and even economic change. The upper class lived extravagantly and spent huge amounts on pomp and show which caused a tremendous drain of money and this lead to large scale poverty. Jane Austen's portrayal of England's class structure in 1816 presents the idea that there are three distinct social classes, the lower, middle and upper class. All three join together in harmony to create the essence of Highbury, however there is a little discrimination present. In the early part of this period the ballroom dancing was prevalent in high society parties. Jane Austen features balls in her novels quite often. CHARACTER OVERVIEW: Emma is a young, beautiful and rich girl and finds herself a bit smarter for her match-making habit. She is a feminist character and thinks that she’ll never marry. Mr.knightley is Emma’s neighbor and also her sister Isabelle’s brother-in-law. He is a very good friend and critic of Emma and found to be wise in decision...
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...Introduction Emma Watson is a British actress and model who has inspired many young women to act and be themselves. She has won many awards and has starred in many major movies, including the ‘Harry Potter’ films, ‘The Bling Ring’, and ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower.’ She also starred as Belle in the 2017 version of ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ She is a great woman with many interesting facts and awards that you’re about to learn. Early life Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson was born on April 15, 1990 in Paris, France. Her parents are Jacqueline Luesby and Chris Watson and are both lawyers. She has four siblings, Nina, Lucy, Alex, and Toby Watson. When Emma was just five years old, her parents divorced and she moved to Oxford with her mother, where she attended Stagecoach Theatre Art School. Emma performed in plays and took classes in acting, singing, and dancing. The First Role When Emma was only nine years old, she auditioned for the role of ‘Hermione Granger’ from the Harry Potter series written by J.K Rowling. J.K was tremendously involved in the filming of the ‘Harry Potter’ movies, so she helped decide the cast. Emma’s teacher recommended Emma to the casting agents, so Watson auditioned. Emma auditioned a total of eight times, but J.K new that she was the one from her first screen test. Watson got the part and stuck with the role until the very last movie was released in 2011. Education Education is a very important element of life to Emma Watson. In 2009, Emma enrolled to Brown...
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...In her transformation of the Nineteenth century novel Emma by Jane Austen into the modern film Clueless, Amy Heckerling reveals how society has changed over the last two centuries. While Austen illustrates a society based on patriarchal values, where women married for financial security and social status, Heckerling depicts a society where women are more independent and a society which values consumerism. Despite the many changes in society, Heckerling makes us aware that modern society still retains many social values of Austen’s time such as the way tha modern society is still based on a type of class system. Through the characters of the film Clueless, Heckerling makes us aware that despite America being a democratic society a class system still exists. Cher and Emma are both privileged woman born into a wealthy family and both are part of the dominant social group who take their privileges for granted. Cher’s affluent lifestyle is a product of the consumerist American society, where status is determined by wealth, popularity and image whereas Emma lives in a society where status is also determined by wealth, but background and family connections are more important. The use of the mise en scene of Cher’s bedroom and computer which assist her to select a suitable outfit for from her vast collection of clothes which satrises the consumer society of the twentieth century. The mall is described as a place of worship, it is a place where Cher can “find sanctuary…gather my thoughts...
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...kerlingHow does Heckerling Use Satire in Clueless to Ridicule, Expose and Criticise People’s Stupidity or Vices in the Western World? Through the use of satire in Clueless, the director, Heckerling allows the audience to delve into a text which highlights materialist consumerism and the lack of morality in teenage behaviour. It enables us to closely examine society’s flaws as well as how these flaws influence teenagers to act in such shameful manner. Heckerling ridicules the concept of materialist consumerism by using black humour and satirically depicting characters such as Cher in a shallow light. This provokes the responder to criticise society’s obsession with materialism. Thus, the film exposes the negative impacts of fashion labels on teenagers’ views on status and self-image. Moreover, Heckerling criticises our disconnection from human values and represents this stereotypically continuously. Throughout the film, we are aware that it is what they own and how they wear that count, not who they are. This social commentary directs us to the superficiality and the absence of ethics of teenagers because of the materialism and consumerism they embrace. Society’s fascination with materialist consumerism drives individuals to self-indulge excessively. Heckerling ridicules the flamboyant lifestyle people seem to lead today and the heavy influence of commercialism. The issue is raised from the beginning of the film where we are introduced to Cher’s life through a series of montages...
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...Jane Austen’s Emma and Amy Heckerling’s ‘teenpic’ Clueless, show how the transformation can shape contextual and perspectival meaning as satirical reflections of Regency England and postmodern America. By adapting the society of Highbury and to the fast-paced modern Beverly Hills, insight is given into class, marriage and gender roles over the past two centuries. Techniques demonstrate aspects of society that have changed, others that have stayed the same. Relationships and marriage is a theme that shapes the understanding of Emma and Clueless and their contexts, involving self-realisation of Emma and Cher respectively. ‘Marriages of convenience’ with people of class and wealth defined the Regency mindset. Marriage was very significant and would secure a woman’s future, financial assets and social status. Austen conveys this in the metaphor “It darted through her, with the speed of an arrow, that Mr Knightley must marry no one other than herself!” the arrow symbolises how Emma’s independence has been shot down and overrun by feelings for an ideal marriage candidate. When Emma reflects on Mr Elton’s attempt to court her, the hyperbole in “The Elton’s bloodline were nobody” highlights the attitude towards incompatible matches. Similarly, Cher comments with contemptuously...
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...The 1995 cult classic, Clueless, is a film that, 20 years after its initial release, continues to relate to adolescent viewers through its engagement of time-transcending subject matter. In this paper, I will analyze the themes presented in Clueless to note how they align or diverge from theories that have been discussed in class. I will be focusing on identity formation, changes in self-perception, cognitive and emotional changes and the impact of the relationships of various characters in the film. Cher, the main protagonist, is at the top of the social food chain of her high school. She comes from a well off family and is presented as one who is self-assured and well-adjusted. Her life is strikingly different than most teenagers who struggle...
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...A “Clueless” Analytical Paper The movie I decided to analyze for my analysis paper is a classic 1995 teen film called “Clueless.” The movie “Clueless” is about a young, rich, and popular teenage girl who’s life revolves around materialistic accomplishments and boys. In the movie, Cher and her best friend Dionne befriend the new girl, Tai, who is in desperate need of a makeover. Tai’s rugged look and over-sized boy shirts is not the ideal look to this fashion guru. Cher ends up doing an excellent job with Tai’s makeover and soon realises she got a makeover as well. Cher learns that riches, style, and materialistic things isn't what lifes all about.(IMDB website) In this paper I will analyze and explain the many sociological themes throughout this movie. The first sociological concept I identified was the concept of...
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...Clueless Americans American citizens have the responsibility of electing power within in the country. This varies from town mayor to the president of the United States. Ironically, Americans are given so much freedom to decide, but Americans know very little about politics. This is a problem because citizens are often unhappy with authoritative figures, but they do not even understand what is going on to know which candidates to elect. Matthew Robinson, the author of the Clued article “Party On, Dudes!” discusses how “ignorance is the curse of the information age” and how Americans know more about television than a single thing that goes on in Congress. Furthermore, Robinson focused on polls and how they are influenced, shaped, and dominated by voter ignorance. Media also plays a role in voter opinion because of the main focus points and and people’s attraction to media (Robinson, Clues). With that being said Americans know very little about politics, which brings up problems with polls, media, and the electoral college. Robinson describes what Americans know about politics as discouraging. For example, the constitution serves as the supreme law of the land that was...
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...inevitable, but in society, how much is really changed, and how much remains the same? Although Emma by Jane Austen and Clueless directed by Amy Heckerling were created almost two centuries apart, the underlying themes and values are still similar, if not, the same. In both texts, the importance of social class has a great influence on the characters and the actions of these characters would often depend on another’s social class. Marriage and relationships also play a big role in both texts, as the main characters of both texts are searching for a relationship for either themselves or their friends. The gender roles of males and females also contribute greatly in these texts, as the two genders are portrayed extremely differently. In Emma, one of the most important things Emma looked for when searching for a partner for her friend Harriet. In the novel, Harriet was offered marriage by Mr Martin, but she was forced to turn him down by Emma and instead she tried to get Harriet and Mr Elton together. This, however, did not work out, as Mr Elton was of a much higher social status and did not want to be associated with Harriet in that way. In the end, Harriet still married Mr Martin, and this turned out to be better than Emma had thought, as Harriet and Mr Martin were of a similar social status and were fairly compatible for each other. Similarly, in Clueless, social hierarchy in high school mattered a lot to Cher when picking a boyfriend for her friend Tai. She disapproved of...
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...In the article entitled “Hidden Intellectualism” of Clueless in Academe: How Schooling Obscures, Gerald Graff explores the contrary views of “street smart” and book smart in an academic setting. His main argument is to determine whether or not students’ nonacademic interests are worth being discussed at school. His purpose in writing the article is to outline a path to incorporate “street smart” into schooling, and encourage schools to take some actions. In supporting his argument, Graff first critiques what thought to be common sense to identify intellectualism by the subjects like Shakespeare, Plato, or nuclear fission, but not by the critical thinking skills which an intellectual possess. Next, he offers his own experiment being a “street...
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...Teen films may characterize the female adolescents by having their personalities and story-lines directly reflect the film setting’s era and culture. In comparing Mean Girls (2004), Clueless (1995), and The Breakfast Club (1985), together, these films demonstrate and exemplify how the film industry has been influenced and altered by time, culture, and society in their portrayal of teenaged girls over the past 30 years. The Breakfast Club (1985) is a cinematic view on the struggles of adolescence wherein five troubled teenagers with adversely differing personalities spend a Saturday in detention and eventually grow to confess their fears and secrets and find their true selves outside their segregated stereotypes. Claire Standish is a spoiled,...
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