Clueless. Like any of Trump’s nominees about anything they have been tasked to lead or a fun movie with Alicia Silverstone? Definitely going with the second one. Even with Stacey Dash appearing in it, a person familiar to Wonkers.
We are going back to a more innocent time. All the way back to 1995, where we discover that Paul Rudd never ages because he was 26 when this was filmed and he looks about the same now. It’s the adrenochrome!
Clueless is loosely based on Emma, written by Jane Austen in 1815. The setting is a high school full of teens from wealthy families. Cher and her friend Dionne (“named after famous singers of the past, who now do infomercials”) spend their days shopping and talking about boys. But Cher’s grade point average has slipped and like her lawyer dad has taught her, she believes she can convince her teachers to raise her grades with the right argument. It works with all but one, her debate teacher, Mr. Hall. She thinks it is because he is a lonely man and decides that matchmaking is what’s needed.
She sees the happiness that her meddling in others’ love lives has created and she wants to do more of it. Turns out it feels good to help others. Of course then there is the required nerdy girl makeover by the popular kids that always occurs in these flicks. Behind Cher’s shallowness we see peeks of wisdom and depth that surprise even herself. The love lives of teens are exciting and confusing times; they’re still trying to figure out who they really are, so it makes it hard to understand who they really love.
As the romance dice gets rolled, Cher finds herself in love with the last person she expected. But love is funny that way, it does its own thing and sneaks up on you when you’re not paying attention. As if!
Paul Rudd is now in his 50s and still sexy as fuck, just ask People Magazine.
Clueless stars Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison, Breckin Meyer, Elisa Donovan, Jeremy Sisto, and Wallace Shawn. Directed by Emily Heckerling.
Clueless is available with subscription on Paramount+. Free with ads on Pluto TV. $3.99 in the usual places.
To make requests and see the movie lists and schedules go to WonkMovie.
The animated short is Sleeping Betty from the NFB and Claude Cloutier. It’s Canadian!
Our next Movie Night selection is The Maltese Falcon (1941) which I will be bringing to you from Cleveland! It is is available for free on the Internet Archive. $3.99 in the usual places.
