An Oral History of Clueless. In mid- July of 1.
The yummy mummy, a 'satanic sex cult' and the smears that terrorised a very swish London suburb: Yoga teacher forced her children to make false abuse allegations. On December 1, 1989, a new chapter of Griswold family dysfunction was unleashed upon the world when National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation made its debut in movie. Prison Movies - Prison stuff. In prison movies. Anti-hanging drama based around two prison officers, one old, one new, the unseen man on death row, and that man's.
American culture was fixated on such matters as O. Simpson’s ill- fitting glove—the fact that a modestly budgeted teen movie called Clueless was about to arrive in theaters, become a major box- office hit, catapult the careers of its stars, influence fashion for two decades, and become a permanent cultural touchstone for multiple generations . Sherry Lansing, then the head of the studio, liked it so much that after screening it she didn’t have a single story note. It’s not as if Clueless had been flying entirely below the public’s radar. The comedy benefited from some serious promotional juice courtesy of MTV, which, like Paramount, was part of the Viacom family and pitched the film heavily to its Real World- addicted Gen X and Y audience.
Media buzz about the breakout potential of Alicia Silverstone—then best known for her appearances in a trio of Aerosmith videos and the thriller The Crush—also started to build well before the film’s release. But in Hollywood, even a gorgeous, on- the- rise young starlet and a director with a track record for making profitable hits (see Heckerling’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High, European Vacation, and the Look Who’s Talking films) do not guarantee success. When Cher insists that her life has direction, Josh replies, “Yeah, towards the mall.”From the Neal Peters Collection. Then Clueless made its debut, on July 1. No. 1 movie in the country that day. The weekend of July 2.
The movie went on to earn $5. U. S. That’s a nice return for a film whose production budget was $1. More important, Clueless touched a chord in the culture that was clearly primed and ready to be struck. Pre- teen and teen girls raced to malls in search of plaid skirts and knee- high socks. Almost immediately, Paramount began working with Heckerling to develop a TV adaptation. Within a year, the movie’s soundtrack would sell enough copies to be certified gold, and would eventually reach platinum status.
The success of Clueless also would defibrillate the barely breathing high- school movie genre, resulting in a flood of teen movies in the late 9. What’s even more remarkable is that, 2. Clueless is still as omnipresent in American culture as it was back then. Thanks to its presence on cable, DVD, and streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, Clueless is still watched on a regular basis by longtime fans as well as young people discovering the film for the first time.
Tributes to the movie—in the form of Twitter accounts and Buzzfeed listicles—are ubiquitous in the digital sphere. Fashion designers and labels continue to riff on the costumes created for the film by Mona May.
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The idea of molding Jane Austen’s narrative structures and themes into something more modern? That has been everywhere post- Clueless, from Austenland to Web series such as The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Emma Approved.
The influence of the film can be seen in the pop- cultural creations of some high- profile influencers of today’s girls and young women, including Katy Perry, Lena Dunham, Tavi Gevinson, Mindy Kaling, and Iggy Azalea, just for starters. Clueless, then, isn’t merely a touchstone for the 9. It’s a teen movie that continues to be passed from one generation to the next and is just timeless enough for every generation to think it’s speaking directly to them. So, how did it all happen*?*How Clueless Got off the Ground. In 1. 99. 3, Heckerling began developing a TV show for Fox that focused on the popular kids at a California high school, including a central female character fueled by relentless reserves of optimism.
At that point, the project was called No Worries, one of several names used (I Was a Teenage Teenager was another) before Clueless got its official title. Given Heckerling’s established skill and success with coming- of- age comedy, it seems as if No Worries should have easily come together.
But that wasn’t the case. In its formative stages, the project eventually known as Clueless went from potential Fox TV show to potential Fox feature film, and then—for a short but frustrating period before landing at Paramount—almost didn’t happen at all. Its path to the big screen is a tale about a filmmaker inventing a very positive character, then dealing with frustration and rejection, but ultimately finding the support to make her movie by staying true to her vision. Amy Heckerling, writer- director: I remember reading Emma and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Those characters: what I gravitated to was how positive they could be. Twink Caplan, Miss Geist and associate producer of Clueless: After Look Who’s Talking, Look Who’s Talking, Too, and a couple TV shows that we tried to do . And other times you just want to.
That was how I felt writing Cher. I just wanted to be in that world, and in her mind- set.
That’s when Ken Stovitz became my agent, and I showed him that pilot, and he was like, “This is a movie.”Ken Stovitz, Amy Heckerling’s agent: When you get into business with someone, you find out what really is the home run, dream come true. And early on she told me about this project. So I said, All right—if I can do anything for her, I’m going to do what I can to get this made. Amy Heckerling: Then Fox movies bought it from Fox TV. During the development there was a concern that it was too much about one female, and that I should make Josh a bigger part, and he should be living next door, and his mother . They thought that was incestuous.
Twink Caplan: So we went into turnaround. And we started working out of Amy’s house, actually. Ken Stovitz: We couldn’t get it going.
What we submitted was the screenplay and . I told everyone it was a $1.
I gave them the budget; I gave them Amy’s track record. We got rejected so many times it was a joke. Adam Schroeder, Clueless co- producer and then president of Scott Rudin Productions: Teen movies were just not happening. It was almost like a relic of the John Hughes movies in the 8.
Amy Heckerling: Everybody passed on it. Then Scott Rudin liked the script. That stamp of approval was enough for the town. Barry Berg, co- producer and unit production manager: Just having .
It became an important film the moment he signed on to produce it. Amy Heckerling: When Scott read . We chose to say, “We know we’ve got something good here. We’re not going to take no.”The Fox Sessions. Once Fox had decided that Clueless should be a theatrical feature rather than a TV show, casting got under way. Carrie Frazier, Clueless casting director at Fox: I brought in Alicia Silverstone—I sent Amy a videotape of a young actress . And I just fell in love with her.
Then my friend Carrie Frazier said, “You have to see this girl in The Crush.” And I was like, “No, I want the Aerosmith girl.” Well, it was the same girl. Carrie Frazier: That is exactly what happened—totally. Amy Heckerling: .
She was like 1. 7, and she was just so adorable and sweet and really innocent. Alicia Silverstone, Cher: I remember when I read the script the first time, thinking, Oh, she’s so materialistic—that I was judging . I remember thinking, This is so funny and I’m not funny. But once I was playing her—I just had so much fun being her. I loved how seriously she took everything.
That’s essentially how I played it. I felt like that was . She was so sincere and so serious. And that’s what I think makes her so ridiculous and lovely all the time. Carrie Frazier: After Alicia did !
If you don’t grab her, you’re nuts.”Amy Heckerling: I had my heart set on Alicia. I saw Alicia Witt, the redheaded . And who else? Tiffani Thiessen.
The one that—she was in that show and she cut her hair and everybody was mad? Keri Russell, yes. Then they go, “You’ve got to see the girl in .
I guess she was off on other things. That turned out to be Gwyneth Paltrow. Carrie Frazier: It was the first time I’d seen Angelina Jolie. But she was too knowing for what was needed for Clueless.
Angelina never came in . I was just looking at her tape.
Things You Might Not Know About 'Christmas Vacation'On December 1, 1. Griswold family dysfunction was unleashed upon the world when National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation made its debut in movie theaters and an instant holiday classic was born. Here are 2. 7 things you might not know about everyone’s favorite Christmas comedy. THE MOVIE IS BASED ON A SHORT STORY. Like the 1. 98. 3 original, Christmas Vacation is based on a short story, “Christmas . Its literary predecessor is paid tribute to when Clark is trapped in the attic and pulls out a box of old home movies, including one labeled “Christmas ’5. Learning To Drive (2015) Full Movie.
Eagle- eyed viewers might notice that when Clark is watching the film, it actually says “Christmas 1. CLARK GREW UP IN SAMANTHA STEVENS’ HOUSE. If Clark’s childhood home featured in those old movies looks familiar, that’s because it’s the same house featured on Bewitched as well as The New Gidget. Except it’s not a house at all; it’s part of the Warner Bros. The rest of the Griswolds’ neighborhood is on a studio back lot as well. And if the home of their snooty neighbors, Todd and Margo, looks familiar, that’s because it’s where Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) and his family lived in Lethal Weapon.
JOHN HUGHES WASN’T A FAN OF SEQUELS. Though many of Hughes’ films have spawned sequels, the man himself was not a fan of retreads. Though he’s credited as a writer on European Vacation, he said that was only because he had created the characters. But those movies have become little more than Chevy Chase vehicles at this stage. I didn't even know about Vegas Vacation until I read about it in the trades! Ever since it came out, people have been coming up to me with disappointed looks on their faces, asking !
I swear!’”4. IT’S ONE OF ONLY TWO CHRISTMAS MOVIES RELEASED IN 1. Though the holiday season is usually packed with Christmas- themed movies, Christmas Vacation was one of only two that were released in 1. The other was John Hancock’s Prancer. Johnny Galecki, a. Rusty Griswold, starred in both. AUDREY IS (MIRACULOUSLY) OLDER THAN RUSTY.
In both the original Vacation and European Vacation, Rusty is believed to be the older of the two Griswold children. In Christmas Vacation, Rusty somehow morphs into Audrey’s younger brother. THE FILM HAS TIES TO IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE. In addition to footage from the Frank Capra classic actually appearing in the film, Christmas Vacation has another fun tie to It’s a Wonderful Life: Frank Capra’s grandson, Frank Capra III, is Christmas Vacation’s assistant director.
THE CAST OF CHRISTMAS VACATION WAS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE. In addition to featuring future stars Johnny Galecki and Juliette Lewis (who scored a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination three years later for her role in Cape Fear), star Beverly D’Angelo was most impressed with the older actors who came along for the Christmas Vacation ride. Marshall, Doris Roberts, and Diane Ladd,” she noted. IN A WAY, STANLEY KUBRICK IS TO THANK FOR CHRISTMAS VACATION. Christmas Vacation marked the directorial debut of Jeremiah Chechik, who began his career as a fashion photographer for Vogue then moved into commercial directing. And what happened was they gained the notice of . CHECHIK HAD NEVER SEEN A VACATION MOVIE.“I hadn't seen the first two .
THE MOVIE HAD A HUGE BUDGET, PARTICULARLY FOR A COMEDY. A $2. 7 million budget, to be exact. Which was particularly high considering that the film had no special effects a la Ghostbusters (which was made for $3. But it had no trouble making its budget back; the film’s final domestic gross was $7. ROGER EBERT DID NOT LOVE THE FILM.
Though it has become a bona fide holiday classic, not everyone was a fan of Christmas Vacation. In his two- star review of the film, Roger Ebert described the movie as “curious in how close it comes to delivering on its material: Sequence after sequence seems to contain all the necessary material, to be well on the way toward a payoff, and then it somehow doesn't work.”1. IT’S THE ONLY SEQUEL IN THE VACATION FRANCHISE TO HAVE ITS OWN SEQUEL. But don’t be disappointed if you didn’t know that.
Or haven’t seen it. The 2. 00. 3 film, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Adventure, was made for television. It finds Randy Quaid and Miriam Flynn (as Eddie and Catherine) stranded on an island in the South Pacific for the holidays.
Yes, really. It currently holds a 1. Rotten Tomatoes. 1. AUDREY IS THE ONLY GRISWOLD TO APPEAR IN CHRISTMAS VACATION 2. Dana Barron, who played Audrey in the original Vacation, reprised her role for the Christmas Vacation sequel. Eric Idle, who appeared in European Vacation, also makes an appearance, playing “English Victim.”1. COUSIN EDDIE IS RANDY QUAID’S BEST- KNOWN CHARACTER. At least it’s the role that gets him the most recognition.
In a 1. 98. 9 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Quaid admitted that he was amazed by the impact the character made. I get a lot of recognition from that role—probably as much, if not more, than any other.”1. COUSIN EDDIE IS BASED ON A REAL GUY. Quaid borrowed many of Cousin Eddie’s mannerisms from a guy he knew growing up in Texas, most notably his tendency toward tongue- clicking. But Eddie’s sweater/Dickie combo? That was an idea from Quaid’s wife.
YOU CAN BUY YOUR OWN DICKIE. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Collectibles is a website dedicated to all things Christmas Vacation (obviously). Among the many fun items are Cousin Eddie wardrobe staples, moose mugs, and punch bowls. EDDIE’S SON, ROCKY, DOESN’T SPEAK IN THE FILM. Nope, not a word. AUNT BETHANY IS BETTY BOOP.
Christmas Vacation marked the final film of Mae Questel, who began her career as the voice of Betty Boop in 1. She passed away at the age of 8.
January of 1. 99. BETHANY AND LOUIS’ ENTRANCE MADE THE EARTH SHAKE. At the same time the production filmed the arrival of Uncle Louis and Aunt Bethany at the Griswold house, a minor earthquake struck. The camera shakes slightly as a result of it as Bethany walks through the front door. CHRISTMAS VACATION WENT STRAIGHT TO VIDEO IN ENGLAND. Though the movie is a popular holiday film in the U.
K. Instead, it went straight to home video. YOU WON’T HEAR “HOLIDAY ROAD” IN CHRISTMAS VACATION. Christmas Vacation is the only movie in the series that doesn’t feature Lindsey Buckingham’s song, “Holiday Road.” Instead, a new song—the aptly titled “Christmas Vacation”—was written for the film by married songwriting duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. A cover of the song appears on the 2. Disney Channel Holiday album.
RANDY QUAID IS THE THIRD COUSIN OF GENE AUTRY. Which may just sound like a random. But at the end of the film, when the police raid the Griswold home, the version of “Here Comes Santa Claus” being used is Autry’s. ELLEN GRISWOLD LIES TO THE COPS.
In the same scene, Ellen Griswold apologizes to Mrs. Shirley—the wife of Clark’s boss and Eddie’s kidnapping victim—assuring her that “This is our family's first kidnapping,” when, in fact, it is their second.
At least the second that we know of: In the first Vacation film, the Griswolds force Lasky, the security guard at Wally World (played by John Candy), to open the park for them. CHEVY CHASE, BEVERLY D’ANGELO, AND JULIETTE LEWIS REUNITED IN 2. The trio got together to film a series of Old Navy commercials for the holiday season.
Though Johnny Galecki wasn’t there, two previous Rustys—Anthony Michael Hall and Jason Lively—were. As was Dana Barron. JOHNNY GALECKI RECEIVED AN AWARD FROM CHEVY CHASE. In a 2. 01. 2 interview, The Sydney Morning Herald asked Johnny Galecki whether he has kept in touch with Chevy Chase. He admitted that “the only time I’ve seen him since that movie, which was 2. I think, is when he presented us with our People’s Choice Award, so that was really neat. If you’re going to run into Chevy again it may as well be as he’s giving you an award.”2.
CHEVY CHASE AND BEVERLY D'ANGELO WERE ANXIOUS TO SEE ANOTHER VACATION MOVIE HAPPEN. On July 2. 9, 2. 01. Vacation franchise—simply titled Vacation—made its debut.