MovieChat Forums > Clueless (1995) Discussion > Anyone else liked this movie better than...

Anyone else liked this movie better than Mean Girls?

posted 7 years ago by frannieluvfairies
40 replies | jump to latest

Personally, I liked this movie over Mean Girls. I don't hate watching Mean Girls or anything because the movie was funny and entertaining at times. What I liked about this movie was the fact that the main characters didn't have to tried too hard on the comedy, drama, and the plots of the movie because things came together smoothly for them. Whereas, Mean Girls they were really trying too hard with the dramatic scenes and crazy situations of the movie where I thought it wasn't necessary for the movie to go that route for entertainment purposes.

[–] Crono (24) 5 years ago

I love them both but I think Clueless has better characters.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Two different movies from slightly different generations. Both are good.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Mean Girls emerged during the Reality TV predominance of shallow celebrity airheads like Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson, and so it ultimately becomes a more honest commentary on the superficial and materialistic lifestyles of these American Princesses than Clueless, a film that emerged during the height of the prosperous and politically content Clinton era, back in the day where the US still had a robust middle-class and the social class divide hadn't become such a ludicrous chasm.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Indeed. Hell, Clueless went out of it's way to show that AS's character still genuinely had some culture and intelligence via what she read and so on despite being somewhat of a bimbo.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

That is true.

I don't like to think of Cher as being a complete bimbo. I think there were some hidden depths to her. Unfortunately, she seemed to misapply what intelligence she possessed to quite shallow and materialistic pursuits.

But I am surprised that she wasn't more studious and academically-inclined than she was. Her father and step-brother are clearly intelligent, and seemed to be big influences in her life, and in my experience even the wealthiest and most materialistic Ashkenazi Jewish families (and it is implied that Cher belongs to one, if only via her surname 'Horowitz') tend to be much more invested in intellectual pursuits than comparable families of other racial and ethnic heritages. 'Bimbo' is not a word I'd tend to associate with anyone from a Jewish background.

[–] Otter (24464) 5 years ago

I have to say, the way Cher applied herself to getting good grades rather than doing the coursework implied a very high degree of intelligence!

Face it, the former will get a person much further in life.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Yeah, true, but it's not a type of intelligence I especially admire. It's 'playing against the rules', and not everyone has the confidence and self-possession to do that, far less get away with it.

But I do agree that Cher was, if not especially book-smart, pretty shrewd.

[–] Otter (24464) 5 years ago

IMHO Cher isn't so much playing against the rules, as seeing the big picture... which is rare for a high school student. Because Cher seems so bright and energetic that the viewer isn't worried that she won't be able to actually do the work if she ever had to.

Besides, "I could hardly be more proud if you'd done the actual work" is one of my favorite lines ever from a movie parent!

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

It's a funny line, but surely it's meant to be tongue-in-cheek. Also, would you see Cher as a role-model at all? Do you think kids should be emulating her and avoiding doing their assignments? And wouldn't the other kids who actually took the time to do their assignments be quite, understandably, resentful, in reality?

[–] Otter (24464) 5 years ago

Of course it's a comedy, and I wouldn't admire that sort of behavior in a real kid unless I were absolutely sure they were so bright that they would have absolutely no trouble mastering the actual work if they ever actually had to do it.

Because that fact is that most high school work is meaningless gruntwork, assigned by people who want to keep kids occupied so they don't "get into trouble". Of course the brighter kids realize that, but one doesn't tell them so because yeah, they might get into trouble! The fictional Cher can manage her own time without getting involved in sex and drugs or anything really stupid, of course.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Sure, as adults we discover that, in hindsight, a lot of the assignments we were set as kids were, as you say, 'meaningless gruntwork', but often those assignments can and do trigger kids to develop initiative and learn for themselves. You get what you put into those types of assignments.

But in Cher's case, my feeling is that she was smart, but that she was also rather lazy and was using her smarts to circumvent being punished for her laziness.

[–] Borat (658) 5 years ago

Mean girls is good but yeah this movie was better. i really liked this film.

[–] Wuchak (8221) 5 years ago

Like 1982's "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," "Clueless" transcends the mediocrity and pitfalls of most teen dramedies and breaks the threshold of greatness. While it's honest about things like dating, sex and cussing, it refuses to overdo any of them and, instead, focuses on the real-life joys, low points and everything in between of a beautiful and goodhearted well-to-do Southern California girl.

The film was a modest hit at the box office and justifiably so. It's hip, smart, honest and heartwarming. Silverstone is precious and lovable in the title role and easily carries the film. Rudd is equally effective as the ex-stepbrother. Dash is stunning and both Walker and Murphy are competent. The film leaves you with a good feeling.

I finally got around to viewing "Mean Girls" a few years ago and found it kinda perverse and overrated. It was a'right though.

[–] andreaahr (2333) 5 years ago

I agree with you. I like Clueless better.

[–] Ahelene (28) 4 years ago

Different time. Different movies for me. Clueless came out when I was in High school in 95 so I relate more. Mean girls was 10 years later so it's a different film to me with different vibe and popculture references

[–] TMC-4 (19494) 3 years ago

5 Things Mean Girls Does Better Than Clueless (5 Reasons Clueless Is The Better Movie)

https://screenrant.com/5-things-mean-girls-better-clueless-5-reasons-clueless-better-movie/

*Mean Girls: The High School As Jungle Metaphor

*Clueless: The Opening Sequence

*Mean Girls: The Amazing Quotes

*Clueless: The Makeover

*Mean Girls: Looking At Popularity

*Clueless: The Romance

*Mean Girls: The Clique

*Clueless: The Fashion

*Mean Girls: Clever Observations

*Clueless: Cher's Character Arc

https://thetylt.com/entertainment/which-teen-movie-is-better-clueless-or-mean-girls#:~:text=Cher's%20(played%20by%20Alicia%20Silverstone,simply%20a%20good%20teen%20flick.

https://decider.com/2015/07/15/tai-frasier-cady-heron-clueless-mean-girls/

https://www.quora.com/Between-Clueless-1995-and-Mean-Girls-2004-which-movie-is-more-iconic-and-memorable

https://houseofgeekery.com/2016/04/22/showdown-clueless-vs-mean-girls/

https://www.hollywood.com/movies/pop-culture-debate-did-clueless-or-mean-girls-have-a-bigger-impact-on-vocabulary-59092967/

https://raspberrylimericki.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/clueless-v-mean-girls/

[–] andreaahr (2333) 3 years ago

I like Clueless better too.