Top 10 Best Clueless Moments
#10: Cher’s Virtual Closet
Cher might seem like your typical ditzy, blonde airhead, but even in the opening scene of the movie, it quickly becomes clear that she’s not completely clueless. Every morning, Cher searches through her virtual closet that dresses her and keeps her from clashing. These days, thanks to apps and smartphones, a virtual closet might not seem so impressive, but in the ‘90s, Cher was way ahead of her time. The irony in this scene is palpable when she claims in her voiceover that she has a completely normal life, all the while using cutting edge tech to help her express her fashion genius.
#9: P. E.
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Like so many other high school girls have done before and since, Cher, Dionne, and Amber all come up with clever excuses to get out of participating in gym class. Cher protests the use of the ball machine and argues that hitting tennis balls is not an adequate exercise for her. Dionne presents a note from her own personal tennis instructor that excuses her. And Amber claims her plastic surgeon won't let her play. Not only is this moment a hilariously overdramatic riff on a quintessential high school experience, but it’s also the scene that introduces Tai to the group. She is the new kid and Cher immediately adopts her into the friend group, kickstarting much of the film’s central plot.
#8: Setting Up Miss Geist & Mr. Hall
Cher and Dionne decide to set up two single teachers at their school, operating under the assumption that happier teachers will mean better grades for them. So, they give Miss Geist an impromptu makeover, they get the two teachers to share a coffee and they even go so far as to slip a poem into Miss Geist's mailbox, pretending it's from Mr. Hall. Despite their ulterior motives, the girls actually grow to really care about their teachers and everyone is better off for the experience. Cher even catches the bouquet at Miss Geist and Mr. Hall’s wedding, where she, Tai, and Dionne become closer friends than ever.
#7: The Calvin Klein Dress
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Part of what makes this movie so special is that it manages to simultaneously be a classic ‘90s teen movie, while also poking fun at the cliches of ‘90s teen movies. This is never more present than in the scene with Cher’s Calvin Klein Dress. In an effort to impress her crush, Christian, Cher stages her own slow motion “stair walk”. But it’s not just Christian’s attention she gets. She draws a longing look from Josh as well. This scene is also the first time we get a proper idea of how Josh really feels about his ex-stepsister.
#6: Dionne Driving on the Freeway
This is hands down one of the funniest scenes in the whole movie. While driving, Dionne accidentally gets on the freeway, which (gulp) she has never done before. The experience is completely terrifying. Though Murray attempts to direct Dionne as she wildly drives all over the road, he is completely unhelpful as he, Cher, and Dionne are all panicking and screaming at the tops of their lungs the whole time. In all of the chaos, the terrified teens even manage to get flipped off by an old lady. The near death experience somehow manages to bring Dionne and Murray closer together and gives Cher her own romantic epiphany. Emotional and hilarious - what else could you ask for?
#5: “You’re a Virgin Who Can’t Drive”
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After Cher and Dionne give Tai a makeover, the new girl is feeling pretty into herself. We’ll come back to that later. But Tai’s new ego gets so big she outgrows her friends and briefly becomes their new nemesis. It all goes down when Tai goes to Cher for help about a crush she’s developed: Josh. The problem is… Cher likes Josh, so she gives a bit of backhanded self-serving advice by telling Tai that she doesn't think they're a good fit. Tai responds with the most epic of burns - one that people are still quoting decades later.
#4: Cher Realizes She Likes Josh
After failing her driving test and weathering some drama, Cher is feeling a bit lost. So she walks around Rodeo Drive internally monologuing. The inner machinations of Cher’s mind are amusing to listen to especially because such deep introspection is easily interrupted by a dress in a store window. After buying the dress, she returns to philosophizing. Just as she passes a fountain that is shining with lights and erupting with water, she suddenly realizes that she is in love with Josh. The moment is seriously overdramatic, but also totally relatable. Her feelings hit her out of nowhere - like a bolt of lightning. And after having this epiphany, she has a hard time being cool around him. We’ve all been there.
#3: Tai’s Makeover
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Let’s get back to Tai’s makeover. Tai is very different from her new friends Cher and Dionne, and she gets picked on for it quite a bit. So Cher and Dionne give Tai a new look to give her a sense of empowerment and turn her into one of the pretty, popular girls. Aside from this scene being a staple of the ‘90s teen movie genre, it is also the moment that the girls truly become friends, while simultaneously planting the seeds for Tai becoming a bit of a monster for part of the movie. This is basically the scene that put the whole movie into motion.
#2: Cher & Josh Kiss
Like all great ‘90s teen movie couples, Cher and Josh are quick to butt heads when we first see them together. They spend the entire movie bickering and getting on each other’s nerves, but naturally these opposites attract. After they both realize they actually do care about each other, Cher and Josh have a nice moment on the steps of her mansion where they reveal that they now see each other differently and have caught feelings. Watching them stumble and stutter over said feelings is totally adorable. Finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for arrives: Cher and Josh kiss, while we swoon. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: “Hagsville” “This Is an Alaïa!” Cher Falls Off the Bed While Trying to Seduce Christian Cher’s Sarcasm When Josh Tries to Tell Her What’s Cool Cher Knows “Hamlet”
#1: Cher in Debate Class
Though the kiss is awesome, this scene perfectly encapsulates Cher’s character, the overall tone of the movie, and all of the classic, quotable ‘90s goodness that makes us love this film. In a class debate about refugees, Cher compares the Haitian, or as she says it Hate-i-an, refugees to her dad's birthday party that people came to without RSVPing. As Cher puts it, the Hate-i-ans need to come to America to seek refuge. She reminds us all that there is no RSVP on the Statue of Liberty and that the Hate-i-ans should be welcomed. Cher is completely obliviousness to her own absurdity, but she also kind of makes sense. Amber responds in the only appropriate way: the universal ‘90s signal for whatever. Amazing.
