When the news broke yesterday that a Clueless remake (reboot?) was in the works from Girls Trip writer Tracey Oliver and GLOW writer Marquita Robinson at Paramount, reactions were a little mixed. Clueless is one of the most beloved teen rom-coms, after all. It gave us some iconic quotes (“well, you’re a virgin who can’t drive.”) and launched a thousand crushes on Paul Rudd. Naturally, the idea of a remake has ruffled some feathers.
But there are ways to make a Clueless reboot work in the present day, especially with its attached female writers. If Clueless was a perfect snapshot of the 1990’s, then we can turn a present-day Clueless into a perfect picture of the 2010’s. Social media, all the fashion, some great pop hits… it could be a great way to preserve a heightened, comedic look at teen culture of the 2010’s.
The social media element would be a fantastic way to update Cher’s use of the social scene. She can help Tai with building a brand on Instagram! She can use Twitter and Facebook (though let’s be real, is Facebook really hip any longer?) to get people together! It’s the perfect tool for Cher to display her social savvy, and a way to fully modernize the film.
The fashion will also be amazing. I hope it eschews everyone in cold shoulder tops in favor of a few more exciting outfits. What the obsession is with cold shoulder tops I’ll never understand.
I’ve been trying to think of the different subcultures that the film can focus on, rather that slacker/skater culture. There will probably be some discussion of youth activist culture, but hopefully not framed in a mocking way, but rather in a way that is humorous but positive. We don’t need another film mocking teens for being socially aware or for identifying a certain way.
Another great way to update the film would be to have Cher be played by a woman of color, and for one of the major characters — not Christian in a “gotcha!” gay scene — could be queer. It would be easy to make Tai a lesbian or bisexual and have that be part of her coming into her own. Similarly, having Cher be played by an actress of color would bring a little more diversity to the story which in turn would modernize the film.
Overall, this isn’t a terrible idea for a remake, especially since it’s a bit easier to translate than Heathers or other teen classics. The inclusion of two female writers on the project also is reassuring. Amy Heckerling wrote and directed the original, so it makes sense to incorporate female voices in the remake as well. Personally, this seems like a great idea to me, and I cannot wait to see with Oliver and Robinson bring to the table.
Is it too early to start coming up with fancasts yet? Let us know who you want to see step into Cher’s iconic shoes in the comments.
(via Deadline; Image: Paramount)
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