Clueless

Clueless is a 1995 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written and directed by Amy Heckerling. It stars Alicia Silverstone and was produced by Scott Rudin and Robert Lawrence. Loosely adapted from Jane Austen's 1815 novel Emma, the film follows a "beautiful, popular, wealthy" high school student who wants to do "good deeds". She befriends a newcomer and decides to give her a makeover while playing matchmaker for her teachers and examining her own life. Filming took place in Southern California over a 40-day schedule. To develop an authentic depiction of 1990s teenage culture, Heckerling observed students at Beverly Hills High School and incorporated contemporary slang into the dialogue. The film was released by Paramount Pictures on July 19, 1995. It grossed $88 million worldwide against a $12 million budget and achieved additional success in the home video market. It received positive reviews from critics and is widely regarded as one of the best teen films of all time. Clueless has since developed a cult following and maintained a lasting cultural legacy. It inspired a spin-off television series and a series of books. In 2025, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".