Clueless is officially turning 20 next month. The film, based on Jane Austen’s Emma and directed by Amy Heckerling, debuted in 1995 and quickly became a cultural touchstone, opening our eyes to a world of rhinoplasty, “Rollin With My Homies,” and Paul Rudd. By now, we all know the premise. Cher (Alicia Silverstone) and her best friend, Dionne (Stacey Dash), rule the school. They recruit New York City transplant and ugly duckling Tai (Brittany Murphy) to join their clique and proceed to show her how to survive when it comes to life and love on the mean streets of Beverly Hills. There are makeovers and matchmaking—and many life lessons learned along the way. Here, our twelve takeaways from the film that defined what it meant to be in the in crowd and captured a generation. We’re the kids in America!
Never accept a first offer. Refuse to settle when it come to academic marks and men.
You divorce wives, not children.
Avoid balls flying at your face after a nose job.
Don’t rely on mirrors—Polaroids reveal the truth.
You don’t ever want to be referred to as a Monet.
Expand your vocabulary.
Avoid high school boys like the plague.
Anything you can do to draw attention to your mouth is good when it comes to the opposite sex.
Sending yourself gifts will definitely help pique a boy’s interest.
When a boy comes over, you should always have something in the oven.
A “near death” experience at the mall can always be counted on to boost your social standing.
Love conquers all, even socially awkward semi-familial relations.
