The Five Best Moments in Clueless
There comes a time in everyone's life when they must build an Ikea dresser. And for most millennial women, there comes a time in their lives when they'll specifically build the white, six-drawer Hemnes dresser from Ikea. To entertain me while I went through this right-of-passage, I decided to revisit a classic movie with a title that evoked the feeling I got when I opened up the picture-filled instruction booklet, Clueless.
I watched Clueless for the first time with my mom and upon our first viewing I was young enough for her to mute certain parts of the movie. My warm feelings towards the entire film have only grown with age, as I now understand all parts of the story and have read Emma to give myself added context for the modern retelling. During my rewatch, I was struck by the number of iconic lines or scenes, so here is a rundown of my five favorite moments from Clueless:
Let's start things off with the most memorable outfit of the movie: Cher's yellow suit. It's one of her first looks in the film and one that truly establishes who she is as a character, as she struts through her high school talking about how she is not interested in immature boys. Let's also pour one out to the magical computer that helps Cher picture different outfit combinations in order to put together this perfect combo. If only, I could use this technology to help me get dressed.
Clueless and Mean Girls remain two of the most quotable movies of all time. From the exasperated "As if!" to "That was way harsh, Tai," to "You're a virgin that can't drive" to "Oh my god, I'm totally buggin," the identity of this movie is found in the unique lines peppered throughout. A couple other honorable mentions? "Where's my white collarless shirt from Fred Segal!" "May I please remind you that it does not say "RSVP" on the Statue of Liberty." "I hope not sporadically!"
One of my favorite scenes from the movie is when Tai joins Cher at a party and then awkwardly stands in the corner because she has no one to talk to. As she pretends to fit in, the camera shows her at different points of the night with her sweater in various positions -- tied around her waist, as a headband, as a jacket. It captures the essence of awkward teenage social situations. And then Josh asks her to dance so she doesn't feel left out!
I can't believe I've gotten this far into talking about Clueless without bringing up Paul Rudd, who just turned 50 and still looks exactly the same as he did in 1995. I'm not here to debate whether it's weird that Josh and Cher get together in this movie. I'm all about the chemistry between these two and the journey they take from people who tease and barely tolerate each other to real friendship to love. They both support each other and call each other out when needed, and Josh was always able to see that Cher is smart and cares so much about the people around her. And alright... "he's kind of a Baldwin."
And finally, the scene that still gives me anxiety when I'm driving: the moment when Dionne accidentally gets on the freeway. I cannot watch this scene without laughing, no matter how many repeat viewings it's been. From Cher screaming "shut up, shut up" to all the cars honking at them to the old lady flipping them off to when Murray sees the giant truck behind them to the concluding line, "getting off the freeway makes you realize how important love is," it's truly a perfect scene.
And as the movie wrapped up, I finished building my dresser... as if! It took me three more movies before I even got close to completing my Sunday project. And by the time I finished, I felt as satisfied as Cher does when she triumphantly fights off the other girls to win the bouquet-catching bet.
Bonus Pick: Did you know that Clueless was written and directed by a woman? That's pretty rare for a romcom released in 1995. This New York Times profile of Amy Heckerling delves into the behind-the-scenes of making the movie, Heckerling's struggle to get what she wants in Hollywood and her journey to bring Clueless: The Musical to life. And for a more in-depth look at the making of the 1995 classic, check out Vanity Fair's oral history of how the film became the hit it is today.
Haven't You Heard?
On a weekday evening, when I was in need of some calming tunes, I turned on Sara Bareilles' new album, Amidst the Chaos. Soon, I was relaxing, happily stirring my pasta as I meal prepped, with Sara's soothing and always impressive voice blasting from my laptop, filling up my apartment with her chill pop. It's been six years since her last true studio album, The Blessed Unrest. I found that one to be a bit disappointing, not living up to the high bar set with Kaleidoscope Heart, and filled with too many distracting instrumentals that detracted from Sara's voice, which needs no embellishment. Fortunately, Amidst the Chaos corrects the problem and is instead filled with softer guitars and pianos that enhance, instead of detract, from the complex melodies. Highlights upon first listen include, Eyes on You, Fire, Saint Honesty (can't wait to hear it live) and If I Can't Have You. It's an amazing album, filled with plenty of lyrical details that I'm sure to uncover and appreciate even more with each repeat listen. Turn it on to add some calming, yet upbeat, tunes to your day.
Bonus Pick: To learn a little bit more about the inspiration behind the record, Sara discusses her writing process, how Waitress changed her life and which song on the album functions as a love letter to the Obamas in this Entertainment Weekly interview.
