Finding Emma in Clueless

Written and directed by Amy Heckerling, Clueless takes plot points, thematic undertones, and character traits from Jane Austen’s Emma to give this classic novel an updated twist. Clueless is overwhelmingly nineties in its aesthetic in every sense. From the fashion to the diction to the music, this movie oozes nostalgia which hides how it is an adaption of such a victorian novel.

Let’s start with the main character, Cher. Like Emma, her father is a well-off widow, although Cher’s dad is still working. She believes whatever she thinks is whats best for him, is whats best for him, along with everyone else. Cher’s obsession with makeovers is meant to be the updated version of Emma’s incessant match making, although Cher does that as well. To her, she can do no wrong, and aims to manipulate those around her with her stubborn thinking.

The concerns over money and society are also present in the movie. They use the stereotypical high school popularity hierarchy to establish the importance of high society that was in Jane Austen’s novels. It’s a great way to translate that structure for an updated and modern audience, especially since almost everyone has dealt or witnessed the the popularity contest in high school.

There were some plot points in the movie that were so blatantly taken from the novel that it is hard not to see how Clueless is a take on Emma. When Cher is taking pictures of her friend group, Jacob is literally Jacob, and asks for the picture of Tai, and puts it in his locker! Just like how Jacob had the painting of Heather in his house, but both men only did it because of the women who took the initiative for the art.