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Returning to the milieu of her genre-defining teen masterpiece, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Amy Heckerling again found the sweet spot in the teen world of the time with Clueless -- scoring an enduring hit that appeals to viewers of all ages. A loose adaptation of Jane Austen's 19th-century comedy of manners Emma, Clueless employs high school as a microcosm of a larger society; in this case, the sun-drenched paradise of conspicuous consumption known as Beverly Hills. Leading the pack as a rich, blonde cutie named Cher is Alicia Silverstone, in a career-making performance. With the help of her best friend, Dionne (Stacey Dash), well-meaning busybody Cher attempts to turn the school nerd, Tai (Brittany Murphy), into a teen queen -- with unexpected results. Heckerling's witty satire is dead-on, particularly in its rendering of the kids' speech, an adolescent patois peppered with vacuous expressions like "as if!" and "whatever!" The beauty of Clueless is that, even as it makes fun of Cher's relentless pursuit of popularity, it reveals an insightful, well-meaning individual beneath its heroine's image-obsessed surface. Kryssa Schemmerling

All Movie Guide

Jane Austen might never have imagined that her 1816 novel Emma could be turned into a fresh and satirical look at ultra-rich teenagers in a Beverly Hills high school. Cher (Alicia Silverstone) and Dionne (Stacey Dash), both named after "great singers of the past that now do infomercials," are pampered upper-class girls who care less about getting good grades than wearing the right clothes and being as popular as possible. But Cher, who lives with her tough yet warm-hearted lawyer dad (Dan Hedaya) and hunky, sensitive stepbrother (Paul Rudd), also has an innate urge to help those less fortunate -- like the two introverted teachers she brings together ("negotiating" herself improved grades in the process) and new friend Tai (Brittany Murphy), who starts out a geek and ends up a Cher prodigy. Cher also possesses her own sensitive side, and she is looking for the perfect boyfriend, whom she ends up finding where she least expected. Don Kaye

Product Details

• UPC: 097360504545
• Source: PARAMOUNT
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Editions: Special Edition
• Time: 1:37:00
• Sales Rank: 5,173

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Mean Girls & Clueless
• Girls Rule Collection

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