It’s fairly obvious that this movie is based on Jane Austen’s “Emma”, and when comparing this film to some of the more traditional adaptations, the surprising thing is that “Clueless” works the best of all of them.
The reason for this may be that the movie constantly winks at itself and at the audience; from the first line–”So, you’re thinking, is this a Noxzema commercial, or what?”–we’re in on the joke. The plot’s pretty thin, but this isn’t really a problem; plot is not this movie’s strong point. Beyond the superficial tendencies of the characters–the cell phones, the computer-coordinated clothes, the lingo–they have heart, and it’s heart that wins in the end. Just like a good Austen novel.
Austen’s novels tend to rely on comedies of manners and carefully constructed dialogue to get their point across; likewise, “Clueless” establishes its own standard of conduct early on, and then adheres to it. These characters have a language as formal in its own way as those of Austen’s 18th-century parlors, so that a single word can be the highest praise or the most withering insult.
It’s also great fun. Just don’t take it too seriously.