I may have been 10 years old when it came out but Clueless has taught me many things...
1. Donald Fasion ~ If it wasn't for Clueless I never would have discovered one of my favorite comedic actors. If you don't think he's great then, hello!, Scrubs! He always makes me giggle!
2. Cast systems are not dead. Just like in high school, life works on a cast system. They aren't as cut and dry as in Clueless, but they are there none the less.
3. Gay men make great shopping buddies. Christian is a little over the top but what fabulous gay man isn't?
4. No matter how pretty, fabulous, rich, smart or special you may think you may be, if you don't go with the natural order of life, and try to change it, then shit isn't going to go right (this is also explored in the movie Failure To Launch). As we see with Cher trying to change Tai, trying to force Tai on Elton, trying to keep Tai from Travis, trying to bed Christian, trying to deny her feelings for Josh (yea, I totally didn't realize until 2008 that "Josh" is Paul Rudd, I do LOVE him, but I am slow, too!), and trying to get her way all the time at the wrong time. When she tries to force things they blow up in her face. Life has other plans, so just go with it! How does that prayer go? God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.
5. Give the new kid a chance. Don't try to change them, but do make an effort to be friends. Whether it's school, work or a party, everyone is the new kid once in a while, you know how it feels, so be welcoming!
6. Fashion is vital. Nothing more needs to be said.
7. In certain situations, arguing is very important and can get you your way (it works even better if you're hot! Or if the rebuttal comes from Daddy…). Just make sure not to do it all the time.
8. Shopping can make you feel better, or at least clear your head. Well, it always has for Cher and myself anyways...
9. How to flirt. If you're seen the movie, then you know what I'm talking about.
10. Superficiality can get you into trouble and causes you to miss out on the beautiful moments in life. It's fine to be hot, and glad you're hot, but it is not the be all and end all of life.
11. Sometimes the best person for you is closer than you think.
12. It's not hard to be who you want to be. Just make up your mind you're gonna be that person and be them! Cher does it and it works out great for her (as I point out in point 13...)
13. Spreading good karma, sends you good karma. Sure, at first, Cher does the right things for the wrong reasons, but when she starts doing the right things for the right reasons then her life gets totally Karma-licious! She helps people find love, helps people find themselves, and she helps people in need. This all ends with her finally getting the man of her dreams, who also happens to be a total "Baldwin" (no, not the brothers...) and a good person to boot! She becomes the person she always wanted to (and was meant to) be.
So, once again, thank you to Clueless! To this day, when I talk about a pair of shoes with a strap I still wave my hand back and forth (like Travis). Every time I roll through a stop sign (like the ones in my mom's neighborhood) I still say "I totally paused!" even when there's no one in the car to say it to. I still refer to people who are pretty far away and "a big mess" up close as "Monets" and I am not ashamed to admit I often find myself talking very much like Cher ("I'm totally buggin!" and "As If!"... along with other phrases...). Clueless may seem like a stupid movie to most people but to me it was and still is a very important coming of age film for my generation. Every time I see it I can't help but grin ear to ear but now instead of thinking "How great will it be when I'm that age..." I think "How great was it to be that age!" and "How great it was to survive that age!"
Oh, and an intresting side note, (well, intresting to me, anyways) I use to have like 5 copies of the movie poster (my aunt worked at the theatre and came home with a whole box of Clueless stuff for me). The soundtrack was in the box and it was the first cd I ever owned (I even had it before I got a cd player). I STILL have it, it's not scratched and all the songs are loaded on my iPod... even "Fake Plastic Trees" (btw: I HATE that song!)
Thank you Amy Heckerling for bringing your vision to life for me! I'd like to think I have a little bit of Cher deep in my heart!
R.I.P. Brittany Murphy
11/10/1977 to 12/20/2009
You had real talent and you are missed.
- Whether you love me or hate me, you know who I am.
