ALICIA SILVERSTONE

A modern, loose adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, Clueless is a 1995 coming-of-age teen comedy film, starring Alicia Silverstone. Clueless follows the popular and stylish high schooler, Cher Horowitz. At the start of the film, Cher is a matchmaker extraordinaire who wants to do "good deeds” but is too self-absorbed, while also believing her judgement is infallible. It isn’t until towards the end, after Cher’s iconic epiphany at the fountain, where she makes a sincere effort to live a more purposeful life and to do real good deeds for others without benefitting from them.

In a different film, Cher could have played a more unlikable character, but Silverstone showcases the underlying good nature of the character and brings a magnetism to every scene. Silverstone’s dynamic portrayal of the self-absorbed, supportive, naïve, and positive Cher allows the audience to connect with the character who, on the surface-level, may seem very one-dimensional. Cher is a huge reason that Clueless remains so memorable and so loved by fans.