Clueless is the latest cinematic adaptation - Essay Example

Is "Clueless" the movie just a reinterpretation of "Emma?" Clueless is the latest cinematic adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Emma. Emma was set inthe Victorian England of early nineteenth century and thereby highlights the sensibilities and values of that period. Hence, adapting the story to a 1990s high school setting in California is challenging on account of sweeping changes in modern culture that has taken place since as well as the outdated milieu of the original work. This essay will analyze how faithful a reproduction of Emma is the movie Clueless. The female protagonist of Clueless, Cher (played by Alicia Silverstone), is defined by her role as a pretentious matchmaker. Director Amy Heckerling presents a sequence of events parallel to the novel that indicates to the viewer that her work is a modern cinematic portrayal of the original classic. The movie Clueless features all of the underlying themes seen in the novel, including, as Denise Kohn points out, “the fallibility of matchmaking and flirtation; the danger, in the words of the novel, of a girl ‘having rather too much her own way’ and thinking ‘too well of herself” (Kohn, 1997). Interestingly though, the new version portrays its modern women characters as less emancipated and conservative than what is found in Emma. Consistent with the modern times, the story of the lead protagonist Cher is also suitably modified. The director has paid attention to detail in making analogous connections between the Victorian era and the modern era. For example, the art of photography replaces the more painstaking art of portraiture; fashionable convertible cars serve as apt substitutes for horse-driven carriages; the traditional British fancy dress balls were replaced by high school partying. Even such aspects of the book as Mr. Woodhouse’ problems with his digestion and Emma’s concern for his well-being were transfigured into Chers imposition of a low-cholesterol diet on her father. The references to the original work do not stop there. The sport-car owning high school student represents the new American aristocracy, as depicted by the character of ‘Frank Churchill’. And the low self-esteemed Latino American Harriet Smith is shown to come from the social underclass. Cher’s best friend is shown to be an African American, suggesting to the viewer that America has overcome its legacy of slavery. Yet, the naiveté and lack of imagination displayed by Cher in matters of homo-sexuality, as well as her principle to indulge in sex during her high school days imply that the 1990s America is a lot more culturally conservative that what it is given credit for (Kohn, 1997). Here is an interesting juxtaposition – Emma of the Victorian era was more emancipated that Cher of the modern America. So, the movie Clueless is much more than a faithful interpretation of Jane Austen’s Emma. Author Glenda Hudson points to a blatant deviation from the original work. He says that “the movies most violent transformation of Emma is the elimination of any serious issues, social, moral, or economic, from the affairs of the Beverly Hills teenagers, because these critics are blind to how high the stakes are in Austens novel. Should Mr. Knightley marry Harriet, life in Highbury would be hell for Emma, as she foresees. Trapped with her father, the Ugolino of passive-aggressiveness, Mrs. Weston occupied with her new baby and daughter-in-law away from Highbury, Emma would be left to the egocentric amiabilities of Mr. Weston (close to being a moral retard) and the vulgar triumph of the Eltons over her diminished influence” (Hudson, 1995) Hudson is correct in his assessment, as the Heckerling feature does no dwell upon these more serious angles to the narrative, making the movie more light-hearted and frivolous than what is truly necessary. Clueless, in spite of being a good adaptation of the novel, fails to address the moral and aesthetic angles to the story that is a striking aspect of the book. This is almost inevitable, considering the limitations of the audio-visual medium. As author Judy Stove writes, “That our educationists imagine that students can only read an old novel if bribed with a film, indicates their low expectations. In a stylistic comparison between Emma and Clueless, it is unlikely that either aesthetic or moral issues are going to receive careful consideration” (Stewart, 1993). Also, Clueless should be studied, not just in relation to Emma, but in the context of the whole body of Austen’s work. In many ways, Austen’s story based on a British high school girl, Mansfield Park is closer to the Beverly Hill high school adolescents of Clueless. This fact is acknowledged by contemporary scholars and as a result a more comprehensive study of Austen is being recommended today. Some scholars even attribute the strong moral convictions of the lead characters in popular chick-lit genre today to the works of Jane Austen. A classic example is Lauren Hendersons Jane Austens Guide to Dating, published in 2005, which encourages young women to exercise self-restraint the way Elinor and Fanny did. Moreover, Austen depicted “the values of her heroines not merely for aesthetic effect, but to encourage practical emulation. Many girls have identified with Fannys isolation, with Elinors loving without hope, and with Mariannes abandonment. Few, of any period, can hope to be as brilliant as Elizabeth Bennet or Emma Woodhouse, but Elinor Dashwood and Fanny Price, in their struggles to do right--depicted in works "in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed"--surely continue to provide moral inspiration”. (Ascher-Walsh, 1995) Seen in this light, the superficiality of the movie adaptation becomes obvious. The young women were shown to adopt a frivolous lifestyle centered on shopping malls, beauty saloons and plastic surgeries. This is inevitable, considering how commercial contemporary American society has become. It is a reflection of the consumerist culture promoted by mass media institutions of today, and Hollywood and Amy Heckerling are no exception to this. But the original novel, on the other hand, was set at a time when people had more leisure and gave importance to more refined pursuits in the realm of art. Their approach to courtship was also tactful and understated (Stewart, 1993). In the final analysis, Clueless, serves to illustrate how popular culture re-appropriates classic works of literature for fulfilling narrow commercial goals of film-makers. The original Emma is a fine example of a novel of manners, addressing the questions raised by a changing political and cultural ideology of the late Victorian period, for it is at this time that “the traditional "aristocratic ideology", based on a hierarchy of social birthright, began to clash with a "progressive ideology" emerging from burgeoning notions of individualism and capitalism”. But Jane Austen had done a delicate balancing act in neatly presenting this debate to the readers without compromising on elements of drama in the novel. Clueless, on the other hand, goes one step further in urging its audience (predominantly teenagers and young women) to practice proper sexual relations. This message is especially relevant during the turn of the millennium when sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS have assumed epidemic proportions in some parts of the world. While Emma attempts to express her individuality, reflecting the gaining roots of the progressive era, Cher’s behavior belies a brave outward disposition. Her character is more in tune with the sexual stereotypes in contemporary times that female audiences with easily identify with. While Emma appears to rebel against the norms of the aristocracy by vowing never to marry, she eventually does get married (Hudson, 1995). Similarly, Cher’s actions belie her appearance. She embodies a sexual stereotype that a modern audience will immediately recognize. A blond teenager dressed consistently in short skirts, tight tops, and thigh-high stockings appears promiscuous, yet Cher fights peer pressure to remain a virgin till she finds her man. Cher’s virginity can be equated to Emma’s generosity and spirit. Both the characters play on the expectations of their audience to maintain interest, but in the end, act in deviance of their specific social environment. Hence, Clueless the movie is much more than a faithful adaptation of the novel Emma. Works Cited: Hudson, Glenda A. ‘Consolidated Communities: Masculine and Feminine Values in Jane Austens Fiction.’ In Jane Austen and Discourses of Feminism., Ed. Devoney Looser. New York: St. Martins, 1995. 101-14. Stewart, Maaja. Domestic Realities and Imperial Fictions: Jane Austens Novels in Eighteenth-Century Contexts. Athens: U of Georgia P, 1993. 137-68. Clueless., Writer and director Amy Heckerling. With Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd. Paramount,, 1995. "Austen Anew." The New Yorker., 21 Aug. 1995: 55. Ascher-Walsh, Rebecca., ‘EW Entertainers of the Year: Jane Austen.’ Entertainment Weekly 22 Dec. 1995. Kohn, Denise. "Reading Emma as a Lesson on ‘Ladyhood’,: A Study in the Domestic Bildungsroman." Essays in Literature 22 (1997): 45-58. Read More