Clueless

Genre

Drama, Romance, comedy

What typically occurs in a teen film?

In a teen film issues such as friend problems, boys, bullying, fights, sex, being different and family problems usually occur. As well as the cheesy romance parts. Also the stages of growing up and realising who you are and what you want to be.

Where are teen films usually set?

Teen films are usually set in high schools, at homes or at their favourite places such as a shopping centre, café’s, parties etc.

5 teen films I have seen:

-          Mean Girls

-          Easy A

-          St Trinians

-          She’s the man

-          Wild Child

The Characters

Cher

Cher is a 16-17yr old teenager facing the drama of new friends, boys, school and keeping up her social status. She is a very manipulative teenager when she wants something to happen. With this she can be very thoughtful about others but very thoughtless about the consequences. Cher is willing to help others who she thinks are in 'her need', but soon becomes highly jealous, immature if they become the centre of attention, not her. But despite all this, Cher is an intelligent, innocent, yet flirty and friendly young teenage girl, making her a good protagonist role.

Dionne

Dionne is Cher’s closest friend who is full of great fashion and also likes to be at the top of the social ladder. Whilst being involved in a normal relationship with Murray, Dionne enjoys helping Cher get her way but is unwilling to help those really in need such as flood victims. But like Cher, she is a well-spoken, intelligent teenager who plays a great role in the teenage high school drama.

Tai

When Tai first arrived at Bronson Alcott High, she was unlike everyone else there. Tai dressed how she was comfortable, not caring about what others really thought. She is a friendly girl who looks at people’s personality, rather than looks. Tai soon takes after Cher after being given a makeover and acts like the stereotype teenager falling for guy after guy, being manipulative and self-absorbed, forgetting who she is hurting and who her true friends are.

Josh

Josh is Cher’s somewhat older stepbrother who hands around their house rather the facing his mum’s husband number 4. Josh is an intelligent young man studying environmental law at university whilst also helping Cher’s dad with cases to gain more skills. He is a friendly, helping, truthful guy who deals with Cher’s immatureness and begins to fall for her, as he looks after her through her teenage crises.

Murray

Murray is Dionne’s long-time boyfriend who doesn’t care about having a lovers quarrel with Dionne in public in front of her friends. Despite this Murray is caring towards his girlfriend and supports her with everything she does. Murray is an enthusiastic, unfashionable, truthful young teenager, making his way through High School.

Elton

Elton is another manipulative teenager fighting for what he truly wants despite the hurt he causes others. He can be shallow and selfish when trying to get Cher for only one thing, sex. But despite this he is nice to Cher and is a great mate of hers when she or one of her friends needs it

Travis

Travis is a skater boy who’s into some drugs and gets poor grades at school. But besides all this, Travis is an open minded, down to earth, kind, and sometimes smart teenager who cares about the inside, not outside. Through everything that happened he kept his feelings strong for Tai and became a loyal friend no matter what she was doing.

Mal (Dad)

Mal is the stereotype father being concerned for his daughter and also extremely busy to look after himself much, since he is a big time lawyer always working on major cases. Mal is hard working, intelligent and focused on his career, but still loves his daughter dearly.

Mr Hall

Mr Hall is a hard to satisfy teacher who is aware of teenager’s manipulativeness and refuses to give in to raise their grade.  But he still falls for Miss Geist when Cher tricks him into doing so and becomes a fun teacher who is easy to please for he begins to look at the other side of things and loosens up.

Miss Geist

Miss Geist is a sweet and shy teacher at Bronson Allcot High who tries to look good but is unaware of her true beauty both inside and out.  She is dedicated to helping others and the environment.  When she falls in love with Mr Hall, her world brightens up and she becomes a jollier person.

How they developed over the text

Cher

At the start of the text, Cher is clueless to things going on around her but soon grows to realise things are not always as they seem, and she has to find new ways to get what she wants.  She helps others to find happiness in things but grows jealous when the world doesn’t revolve around her anymore.  Cher soon discovers that even though she has been hurt, and has hurt others, her mates are still there for her as she learns to respect those all around her close or not.

Dionne

At the beginning of the text, Dionne is disrespectful towards her boyfriend always having a quarrel with him public.  Dionne doesn’t wish to help others such as Tai, but soon finds its fun to do so.  After having a car incident with Murray on the highway, she realises how much she loves him and begins to care for him more.  At the end of the text, Dionne finds that what is on the inside of a mate and boyfriend counts most.

Tai

Tai is the new girl at Bronson Alloct High, starting off she is a bit insecure about herself with the girls.  Once Cher begins to help her.  Tai find her confidence among others and starts to find herself.  Though as the text progresses, Tai takes a bit too much advice from Cher and grows stubborn, selfish and immature, forgetting who her real mates are.  But she soon realises her wrong of ways and changes back to her normal confident self for the better.

Josh

Josh starts off as someone of minor annoying importance to Cher as he helps Mal with case studies.  But as the text progresses, Josh begins to help Cher’s friends have fun as Cher begins to realise how much she likes him.  Josh’s acceptance for Cher grows as he too realises their love for each other.

Costumes

Cher

Throughout the film, Cher wore matching outfits made by famous designers with knee high socks.  Cher usually wore pale pink makeup (eyes, lips, blush) and had her long blonde hair out but done up for the party.  She carried a matching handbag and a large cell phone and pager everywhere she went.

Dionne

Dionne is just like Cher, wearing out there designer outfits from matching skirts and jackets to blouses, cardigans and short tops.  Dionne wore it all with a unique hat, and a handbag, and cell phone.  This was topped off with her long black platted hair, nose ring and red lipstick and light eye make-up.

Tai

When we first saw Tai before the makeover, she wore loose fitting pants, top and flannel shirt, with her hair roughly done up, and no make-up.  But after the makeover, just like Dionne and Cher, she work designer matching outfits from stockings and skirts to blouses and shirts.  Though at times we did see her back in her normal overalls and jacket.  Tai wore curly red hair down with a headband and pale brown makeup.

Murray

Murray wore the stereotype clothes for a teenage boy, with no makeup.  He wore loose fitting pants with his undies showing, skater shows, large jumpers/jackets, a backwards facing cap and a necklace for some bling.

Plot

Clueless is about a popular teenage girl, Cher and her best friend Dionne, who begin to play match makers for their teachers, Ms Geist and Mr Hall. When all goes amazingly well, inspired by their efforts, they aim to makeover the clueless transfer student, Tai. All goes great until their love match for Tai backfires and Tai falls for someone else. In the midst of all this, Cher is trying to find a love of her own as she helps Dionne feel okay when her boyfriend lets her down. Misfires begin to take place before they truly find out their real mates and true love.

Settings

The main setting for the film ‘Clueless’ would be Bronson Allcot High and its classrooms and grounds as well as Cher’s house. The sub settings for this text include Cher’s jeep, Elton’s car, streets, highway, car park, ‘The Valley’, friend’s house (party) and at the restaurant/café/diner.

Music

The music in the film used was upbeat and popular at the time of the movie (1995) setting the time of the text. The lyrics fitted the themes, talking about love, friends, and just getting through life as a teenager.

Themes and issues

Issues and themes presented in the film are love; finding out who you truly like, finding someone’s special someone for a mate and getting jealous or heartbroken over a guy. Homosexuality; dealing with someone you love being homosexual. Friends; finding out who your true friends are, dealing with fights and jealousy as well as helping them out. Family; helping out a busy dad, having a non-related removed brother and not having a mum around but instead dealing with them being in heaven. Popular Vs. non popular; trying to get to the top of the social ladder, dealing with jealousy and being friends with anyone despite of their popularity.

Other teen films

Other teenage films I have seen raised similar issues to the themes that were raised during ‘Clueless’. For example ‘Mean girls’ includes love, friends, homosexuality, and popularity but differs a bit with family because it includes issues of moving countries and parents dealing with who you are becoming.

Review

Cher is a 17yr old teenager facing the drama of new friends, heartbreaks from boys, annoyingness of a school teacher and the difficulty of keeping up top of the social ladder. The film follows Cher and her best friend Dionne as they match up Ms Geist and Mr Hall in an effort to raise their grades. Once realising their success they attempt to make over the transfer student Tai as their next project. All goes well until the ‘who’s more popular’ drama kicks in and everyone begins to fall for the wrong people. As jealousy occurs, friendships break before coming back together in an effort to find your true self. Clueless is a common, funny, dim-witted teenage flick about love, loss, friends and boys which will keep you guessing about what else could go wrong in a typical teenage life.