Clueless **** (1995, Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy) – Classic Movie Review 630

Alicia Silverstone has all the right clues to making us laugh, sparkling slyly as Beverly Hills teenager Cher Horowitz. She’s a gorgeous 16-year-old with a sunny disposition and a cute line in chat about all the important things in life – dating, fashion and looking fabulous. It’s Cher’s plan to perform a total fashion makeover on her dowdy new student pal Tai (Brittany Murphy), who’s currently clueless.

A hilarious situation, wit and charm in the script, surefooted performances and exactly the right satirical tone easily make up for some (but not too many) hit and miss jokes in the screenplay. Writer-director Amy Heckerling’s generally delightful, switched-on 1995 teenage romantic comedy, supposedly inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma, is simply lots and lots of fun.

Stacey Dash, Paul Rudd, Dan Hedaya, Donald Faison, Jeremy Sisto, Justin Walker, Elisa Donovan, Wallace Shawn, Julie Brown and Breckin Meyer are also in the distinguished cast.

Brittany Murphy died of cardiac arrest on December 20 2009, aged 32.

(C) Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 630 derekwinnert.com