History Film / Clueless

* [[FirstGirlWins FirstGuysWins]]: [[spoiler: Josh is the first guy and potential romantic interest we see Cher talk to and, after a string of failed attempts at finding a boyfriend, Cher realizes that she loves Josh and they end up dating.]]

-->"This guy with a gun held me up, took my money, and my phone and he yelled at me and he forced me to ruin my dress!"

%%* GoodFeelsGood: Cher.

* NotBloodSiblings: Cher and Josh. Stepsiblings in this case -- or to be more specific, ''ex''-stepsiblings.

* UnusuallyUnInterestingSight: While narrating how she was trying to find a suitable Ms. Right for Mr. Hall, Cher narrates how "the evil trolls from the Math department" were actually married, then momentarily gets distracted by their Snickers candy bar before moving on to describe gym teacher Miss Stooger and last but not least Ms. Geist.

* HeterosexualLifePartners: Cher and Dionne.

* PreviouslyOverlookedParamour: Near the end of the movie, Cher realizes that she is in love with Josh, her idealist "ex-stepbrother", who is not afraid to call Cher out on her superficiality. Josh's mother and Cher's father had married and subsequently divorced each other when Cher and Josh were younger.

* StudentsPlayingMatchmaker: Cher decides to set teachers up together, in a scheme to get her grades up. It actually works, as the teachers turn out to have a lot in common and are actually happy together, and Cher ends up genuinely supporting their relationship despite it coming from a selfish place initially.
* SucicdeAsComedy: Travis is about to jump out of the window when he receives a bad mark.

* {{Tsundere}}: Dionne has some serious shades of this in her relationship with Murray.

* VerySpecialEpisode: This became {{JustForFun/egregious}} in later seasons, especially since they went ''all out'', right down to the actors BreakingTheFourthWall in TheTag and discussing the Very Special Issue with the audience.
* ZettaiRyouiki: Cher's iconic yellow plaid schoolgirl skirt/vest combo. Dion wears some as well.

* VerySpecialEpisode: This became {{JustForFun/egregious}} in later seasons, especially since they went ''all out'', right down to the actors BreakingTheFourthWall in TheTag and discussing the Very Special Issue with the audience.

* GreenEyedMonster: Cher becomes jealous when Tai becomes the new popular girl at school and starts crushing on Josh.

* TheDitz: Played exactly and undoubtedly straight with Cher.

** Amber accuses Cher of talking about "some ''little'' party", but Cher points out that it was her dad's fiftieth birthday.

** Averted with Elton, who is not named for Music/EltonJohn, but for the character Mr. Elton in ''Literature/{{Emma}}''.

* ParentalFashionVeto: Cher is about to head to a party (on a date with Christian) when Josh asks her dad if he's going to let her go out in what she's wearing, a white mini-dress. Cher's father asks her if that's what they're calling dresses these days, tells her it looks more like underwear, and makes her put something on on top. Which turns out to be a transparent wrap.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Mel Horowitz. He seems scary at first but is actually very openminded and understanding, it's also implied he's aware of Josh's crush on Cher and approves.

** Mr. Hall is the only teacher Cher can't sweet-talk or 'negotiate' her grades with, and is a bit long-suffering with the eccentricities and antics of his students, but is a fairly reasonable fellow otherwise (not least since Cher probably didn't entirely ''deserve'' getting her grades adjusted). He certainly lightens up considerably after being (unwittingly) set up with Miss Geist.

* YouKeepUsingThatWord: Cher thinks braking for animals qualifies as charitable.

Three YA novels (Cher Negotiates New York, An American Betty in Paris, and Achieving Personal Perfection) actually carried on the story after the movie's end; when the tv series was developed the novels became based on the show.

Later inspired a TV adaptation that ran for three seasons (first on Creator/{{ABC}} and [[ChannelHop later]] on Creator/{{UPN}}) featuring much of the same cast as the film, with the notable exceptions of Silverstone (replaced in the lead by Rachel Blanchard), Murphy, and Rudd, who all went on to have successful film careers after the original was released. A second television adaptation, reportedly styled as a mystery dramedy in line with ''Series/{{Riverdale}}'', was announced to be in development in October 2019. It was later stated in August 2020 that the new series would air on Creator/{{Peacock}}, with a [[PerspectiveFlip shift in perspective]] to that of Dionne's, as she investigates the unexplained disappearance of Cher.

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* AffairHair: Dionne finds an entire braided hair extension in Murray's car, and accuses him of infidelity. When Murray jokingly suggests it may have fallen off Dionne, she reacts angrily, yelling "I do ''not'' wear polyester hair!".

* AnswerCut: After Christian leaves Cher early, and she wonders why he didn't respond to her:

** Same with Josh and Cher as most of the time when the two are bickering, neither can stand it when the other gets hurt. (Cher disapproves of Tail liking Josh because she likes Josh; Josh argues with a lawyer who insulted Cher for one mistake.)

* BigEater: Josh is frequently seen eating. Lampshaded when his mother calls Cher and jokingly asks, if her son is looting the Horowitzes' fridge.

* BouquetToss: At the end of the film, the girls have a minor catfight over Ms. Geist's bouquet. It helps that they made a bet on which one of them will get the bouquet.

* ChekhovsGunman: Christian is mentioned early when Mr Hall is distributing report cards. It's explained that he's missing because his parents have joint custody and thus he spends a semester in Chicago. He comes back at the start of the new term by the midpoint of the movie and Cher gets an instant crush on him.

* ComicallyMissingThePoint:. ** Amber accuses Cher of talking about "some ''little'' party", but Cher points out that it was her dad's fiftieth birthday.
** Travis thinking his record of getting to class late the most times is cause for celebration.

* CulturedBadass: Christian, a Rat Pack lover, knowledgeable about the arts, and has a taste for Billie Holiday and vintage films...but you do anything so stupid that could threaten someone else's safety, he won't be afraid to confront you with the threat of a physical throw-down.

* TheDitz: Tai Fraiser's amiable airhead. To a lesser extent Cher herself -- she is not actually unintelligent as such, but she certainly isn't a deep thinker or especially perceptive. Cher has a sharp mind (unlike Tai); she just doesn't really use it all time. She's [[GlobalIgnorance not exactly up on her geography either]], as this exchange while she and Josh are watching a news report about war in UsefulNotes/{{Bosnia}} demonstrates:
-->'''Josh''': "You look confused."
-->'''Cher''': "It's just that, I thought they declared peace in UsefulNotes/TheMiddleEast."

* {{Expy}}: Several characters, as the film is basically a SettingUpdate of Jane Austen's "''Literature/{{Emma}}''".

** Travis is Mr. Martin.

* FluffyFashionFeathers: Cher's feather boa on the movie cover, and an outfit in the movie that her cell phone clashes with.
* FourthDateMarriage: Subverted. The scene where Cher and Josh admit their feelings for each other and kiss is immediately followed by a wedding scene...at which point, Cher's voice-over points out how gross it is for everyone to assume that it's ''her'' getting married, seeing as she's only sixteen and has only been going out with Josh for a few months by that point. The wedding is actually for the teachers she set up earlier in the movie. Also serving as commentary on the reality of Austen’s times, where girls very much got married at 16 after four ”dates”.
* FourGirlEnsemble: Dionne (sexy and glamorous), Tai (ditzy and clueless), Amber (snarky and haughty) and Cher (conflicted protagonist).
* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Cher (Sanguine), Dionne (Choleric), Christian (Melancholic) and Tai/Murray (Phlegmatic).

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Several. Most involving Elton. One has him [[ProudBeauty admiring his reflection]] in one of his CD's during one of Cher's inner monologues, another has him [[{{Squick}} flossing his teeth]] during Ms. Geist's lecture on the pismo beach disaster.

* GoneHorriblyRight: At the beginning, Cher helps give Tai a makeover and attempts to make her "fit in" as one of the new popular girls. This winds up backfiring on her later in the film when Tai's popularity at school skyrockets due to her "near-death experience" at the mall, leaving Cher less popular (if for a while depending).
* GoodBadGirl: Most everyone, but especially Cher. The primary theme of the movie comes down to it being possible to be vapid, shallow and even a little naughty (Cher is shown drinking and smoking a little at a party) while still having a good heart with good intentions.

* GossipEvolution: By the time news of Tai's incident gets back to Cher, it's turned into an attempted gang execution.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Cher. She is, despite coming of as shallow and superficial, a really good person at heart.

-->'''Mr. Horowitz:''' Don't tell me those braindead low-lives called me again.

* HiddenDepths: Cher isn't quite TheDitz you might expect her to be on first glance. While she's definitely quite naive, shallow and has plenty of gaps in her knowledge base, she's also got a pretty shrewd mind, is quite effective at hatching schemes and manipulating people to achieve her desired outcomes, is quite skilled at debate and organising, and can be quite sharp at identifying and exploiting loopholes. She also can remember facts and knowledge when given a reason to care about them on her terms (for example, she remembers the Polonius quote from ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' not out of particular reverence for Shakespeare, but because she likes Creator/MelGibson, who starred in a film adaptation of it). In short, perhaps thanks to her parentage, she's got the makings of a pretty good lawyer.

-->'''Dionne''':I hate when you call me "woman"!

-->'''Dionne''': Jeepin'? No. But speaking of vehicular sex...perhaps you could explain how this cheap K-Mart hair extension got in the back of your van!

-->'''Cher:''' It's not like I'm a prude or anything. I'm just...highly selective.

* KnowNothingKnowItAll: Downplayed with Heather, who misquotes Shakespeare ("To thine own self be true") only to be corrected by the thus-far ditzy Cher. The irony is that she was quoting "Hamlet" in order to back up her (rather vocal) opinion on a subject.

* TheMatchmaker: Cher, of course, with Dionne's assistance. In this case, it's to get better grades, but since Cher is genuinely happy for her teachers it doesn't veer into JerkWithAHeartOfJerk or {{Manipulative B|astard}}itch territory. She also seems to want Tai and Elton to be together due to wanting happiness for Tai, and not just as a "project".
* MeaningfulName: [[TheStoner Travis']] last name is 'Birkenstock'; birkenstock is also a brand of shoe that, when introduced in the US, first became popular among hippies and general counter-culture types, who tended to also smoke a lot of weed.
* MissingMom: Cher's mother died during a freak complication in a routine liposuction. Granted, Cher doesn't really remember her that much, although she does pretend she's watching over her and greets the large picture of her at the front door. Josh also teases her about this being her motive for wanting to make over Tai and treat her like one of her dolls. There is one surprisingly touching scene where, when she's insecure that she isn't a good person, her father tells her he hasn't seen such good-doing since her mother, which seems to greatly comfort her.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: When it's pointed out to Cher that she's genuinely done something wrong or crossed the line, she feels genuine guilt over it. For example, when she casually assumes that Lucy the family maid is from Mexico when she's actually from El Salvador, once it's sunk in that this is actually quite rude and offensive of her she's genuinely apologetic.
* NiceGirl: Whilst definitely spoiled and somewhat self centred, Cher is very much this. She's friendly, willing to admit fault, a romantic at heart, has a genuinely altruistic side that comes out more as the film goes on and overall has more of a sense of decency than one would expect from an AlphaBitch.
* TheNineties: An odd but valid example -- the whole movie seems really dated looking back, but at the time it was made, nobody dressed or talked like the characters in ''Clueless''. The movie influenced the '90s, not the other way around. It should be noted that some of the clothing, specifically the looks sported by the teen guys, is still relevant and prevalent as of TheNewTens.

* NotBloodSiblings: Cher and Josh. Step-siblings in this case -- or to be more specific, ''ex''-step-siblings.
* NotDistractedByTheSexy: To his credit, the street criminal who robs Cher doesn't even look down when she shows him her dress explainig that it's an Alia.

** Played with, however, in that it's not so much 'love' that Cher is oblivious to but 'lust' -- it's ultimately made pretty clear that Elton doesn't really want much more than to get into Cher's pants. He also likes the idea of them as a power couple.

-->'''Cher:''' Well, I remember Mel Gibson accurately, and [Hamlet] (the character) didn't say that. That Pollonius guy did.

* PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure: When Tai expresses a crush on Josh and seeing Cher's disapproval of it, she eventually snaps and says "Why should I take advice from you? You're a virgin who can't drive." It's downplayed because Cher was obviously hurt, Tai immediately regrets saying that and they reconcile a few scenes later.
* PoliticallyMotivatedTeacher: Miss Geist, who wants to inspire her students to save the environment and aid disaster victims. She's portrayed as dorky but likeable.

* ProudBeauty: Cher. Also - Elton.

* RelatedDifferentlyInTheAdaptation: An unusual case in which the characters are technically no longer related. In ''Literature/{{Emma}}'' (upon which ''Clueless'' is loosely based), George Knightley is Emma's brother-in-law (her sister is married to his brother). In this film, Cher is an only child and the Knightley analog Josh is her ex-stepbrother (her father had since divorced his mother) who hangs around because he still has a good relationship with her dad.

** Mr Horowitz picks up on Josh's (admittedly subtle) crush on Cher early on and, judging by his sly grin when Josh ditches work in order to "watch over Cher", he approves of it.

** Cher narrates on how she compares Dionne and Murray's volatile relationship, "I think they've seen [[Film/WhatsLoveGotToDoWithIt that Ike and Tina Turner movie]] way too many times".

* ThemeNaming: Cher and her friend Dionne share first names with '70s singers, apparently so the leading male character could be called Elton, like his counterpart in ''Emma''.

-->'''Cher:''' As if! I'm only 16. This is California, not Kentucky.

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* BrokeEpisode: Cher and her father went broke in season 2 finale, "Cashless", until "Back from Bakersfield" in season 3 when [[StatusQuoIsGod they're back being wealthy]].

* IdleRich: Every single student of the Bronson Alcott High. Too many of them seem to have some serious RichInDollarsPoorInSense tendecies as wall.

* MythologyGag: In an early Cher voiceover in the movie, she says that she and Dionne were "both [[NamedAfterSomebodyFamous named for famous singers]] who now do infomercials." The first season episode "I Got You Babe" is, of course, named for a famous [[Music/SonnyBono Sonny]] and Music/{{Cher}} song, and brings it all full circle, since the plot centers around Cher falling for a college student named...Sonny.

* ProgressivelyPrettier: The [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000445/ original]] Mel Horowitz was portrayed as balding, pudgy & tough. The [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0503627/ second]] was noticeably softer and had regained a full head of hair, while [[http://i54.tinypic.com/9qgpj4.jpg third one]] that's presented [[BadassDecay is even more relaxed, reasonable & mellow]], noticeably taller as well as having, shall we say [[MrFanservice a different appeal]]. This was {{lampshade|Hanging}}ed in the voiceover in the first episode of season 2: "Thanks to a summer of my encouragement, calorie counting and booby-trapping the refrigerator my totally prominent attorney daddy ... looks like a brand-new man."

* VerySpecialEpisode: This became {{JustForFun/egregious}} in later seasons, especially since they went ''all out'', right down to the actors BreakingTheFourthWall in TheTag and discussing the Very Special Issue with the audience.
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* AllPeriodsArePMS:
-->'''Cher:''' (''to Mr. Hall when he brings up a time she was tardy'') I was surfing the crimson wave. I had to haul ass to the ladies'.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Even though Heather's his girlfriend (at the time) and he's been engaged in SnarkToSnarkCombat with Cher up to this point in the movie, Josh laughs at Cher's line about how she remembers who said "To thine own self be true". (see ShoutOutToShakespeare below)

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar:
-->'''Amber:''' I'm not supposed to indulge in any activity where balls fly at my nose.
-->'''Dionne:''' There goes your social life...
** Also:
-->'''Cher:''' ''(explaining to Tai why she's still a virgin)'' You see how picky I am about shoes, and they only go on my feet.

* ZettaiRyouiki: All of the girls sport this look at various times in the film. Not the first Western example, but probably the first one to make most Westerners sit up and take notice.

* Brainless Beauty: Cher, undoubtedly and her friends to lesser extent.

* ''Brainless Beauty'': Cher, undoubtedly and her friends to lesser extent.

* FourthDateMarriage: Subverted. The scene where Cher and Josh admit their feelings for each other and kiss is immediately followed by a wedding scene...at which point, Cher's voice-over points out how gross it is for everyone to assume that it's ''her'' getting married, seeing as she's only sixteen and has only been going out with Josh for a few months by that point. The wedding is actually for the teachers she set up earlier in the movie. Also serving as commentary on the reality of Austen’s times, where girls very much got married at 16 after four ”dates”.

* TheNineties: An odd but valid example -- the whole movie seems really dated looking back, but at the time it was made, nobody dressed or talked like the characters in ''Clueless''. The movie influenced the '90s, not the other way around.
** It should be noted that some of the clothing, specifically the looks sported by the teen guys, is still relevant and prevalent as of TheNewTens.

* NotBloodSiblings: Step-siblings in this case -- or to be more specific, ''ex''-step-siblings.

* ObliviousToLove: Cher is adamant about setting Tai up with Elton, despite the fact that Elton clearly has a thing for her instead. If not just how he looks at her, how about how he's always grabbing her from behind & kissing her cheeks whenever he gets the chance. ''Hello''!

* ParentalAbandonment: Subverted with Josh; despite being divorced from his mother and having no blood relation, Mel makes a point of being a devoted father-figure to him.

* ParentalFashionVeto: Cher is about to head to a party (on a date with Christian) when Josh asks her dad if he's going to let her go out in what she's wearing, a white mini-dress. Cher's father asks her if that's what they're calling dresses these days, tells her it looks more like underwear, and makes her put something on on top. Which turns out to be a transparent wrap

* ProductPlacement: "Ooh, ''Snickers''..."

* ShoutOut: The setting of Cher's LoveEpiphany (with the fountain suddenly coming to life) is one to ''Film/{{Gigi}}''; this is actually {{Lampshaded}} in the novelisation, where Cher talks about the setting being just like this movie she watched the other week with Christian,[[FiveSecondForeshadowing where a guy suddenly realizes he's in love with a girl he's known for years.]] It even has the ''theme from Gigi' playing in the background of this scene.
** While attempting to seduce Christian on a sleepover, Cher narrates how his favorite movies that they're watching are works starring actor Tony Curtis in Film/SomeLikeItHot and Film/{{Spartacus}}.

** Averted with Elton, who is not named for Music/EltonJohn, but for the character Mr. Elton in Literature/{{Emma}}.

* SternTeacher: Mr. Hall is the only teacher Cher can't sweet-talk or 'negotiate' her grades with, and is a bit long-suffering with the eccentricities and antics of his students, but is a fairly reasonable fellow otherwise (not least since Cher probably didn't entirely ''deserve'' getting her grades adjusted). He certainly lightens up considerably after being (unwittingly) set up with Miss Geist.

* TheStoner: Travis [[spoiler: He later gives up the drugs but keeps up the stoner vibe]]

* VomitDiscretionShot: When Cher is having an inner monologue about people finding love, it cuts to a few teenage couples outside the Christmas party making out; one of whom is puking his guts up into the swimming pool while his girlfriend aids him.

* UnusuallyUnInterestingSight: While narrating how she was trying to find a suitable Ms. Right for Mr. Hall, Cher narrates how "the evil trolls from the Math department" were actually married, then momentarily gets distracted by their Snickers candy bar before moving on to describe gym teach Miss Stooger and last but not least Ms. Geist.

* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: While most of the time Dionne and Murray are snapping at each other, Cher notes they really are affectionate with each other when they think no one's looking.

* BigFancyHouse: Cher's mansion. It's big enough to throw Mr. Hall and Ms. Geist's wedding.

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: ** Amber accuses Cher of talking about "some ''little'' party", but Cher points out that it was her dad's fiftieth birthday.

* DistractedByTheSexy: Cher undoes her pigtails to get her hair down and Josh gets distracted, much to their lawyer's annoyance and gets called out on it.
* TheDitz: Tai Fraiser's amiable airhead. To a lesser extent Cher herself -- she is not actually unintelligent as such, but she certainly isn't a deep thinker or especially perceptive. Cher has a sharp mind (unlike Tai); she just doesn't really use it all time.
** She's [[GlobalIgnorance not exactly up on her geography either]], as this exchange while she and Josh are watching a news report about war in UsefulNotes/{{Bosnia}} demonstrates.

** DrivingTest: Failed, ''spectacularly.''

* EroticEating: Cher does this eating chocolates by she bought herself in order to make the guy she likes jealous.

* TheFashionista: Mainly Dionne, but also Christian and of course, Cher herself. This is the woman that gave knee socks to TheNineties.

* FourthDateMarriage: Subverted. The scene where Cher and Josh admit their feelings for each other and kiss is immediately followed by a wedding scene...at which point, Cher's voice-over points out how gross it is for everyone to assume that it's ''her'' getting married, seeing as she's only sixteen and has only been going out with Josh for a few months by that point. The wedding is actually for the teachers she set up earlier in the movie.
** Also serving as commentary on the reality of Austen’s times, where girls very much got married at 16 after four ”dates”.

* GlobalIgnorance: Cher thinks Bosnia is a Middle Eastern country.
** She doesn't know where Kuwait is either. No wonder she mistakes her housekeeper as Mexican.

* GoodFeelsGood: Cher.

* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Cher. She's, despite coming of as shallow and superficial, a really good person at heart.

* IncompatibleOrientation: Cher and Christian.

* KarmaHoudini: [[{{Narcissist}} Elton]] never really does get his comeuppance for [[spoiler: sexually assaulting Cher and then ditching her in a rundown neighborhood where ''she gets mugged at gunpoint'']].

* TheMonolith: her phone, when she's waiting for Christian to call her back.
* MoodWhiplash: At one point, the narration of Cher's rather glum introspection on her feelings for Josh and how everything seems to be going wrong for her is very suddenly interrupted [[RetailTherapy when she notices some nice clothes in a store window]].

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Amber accuses Cher of talking about "some ''little'' party", but Cher points out that it was her dad's fiftieth borthday.

* CompletelyOffTopicReport: Cher summarizes Haiti/American relations for her class debate this way: