As If!

As If! The Oral History of Clueless by Jen Chaney, 322 pages

Twenty years ago, the director of Fast Times at Ridgemont High made a movie about a spoiled rich girl in Beverly Hills as she attempts to navigate high school. That movie was Clueless, which became a cultural touchstone for the 1990s, inspiring fashion (despite being satirized heavily in the movie) and slang terms, as well as launching the careers of Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy, and Donald Faison. As If! is a collection of interviews from the cast and crew of the movie, reflecting on the making of Clueless and the impact it had on their lives.

Full disclosure: I LOVE this movie. Although I was never a girlie-girl like Cher and Dionne (I would have NO IDEA what to do with a closet like Cher's... probably fill it with overalls and Chuck Taylors), I was obsessed with this movie when it came out. I can't even count the number of times I watched it as a teenager, and even now, I'd watch it in a heartbeat if it was suggested. (Heck, I may have to watch it again tonight.) With that in mind, I very much enjoyed reading this oral history, even though there were no giant bombshell revelations; on the contrary, the filming went smoothly and under budget, and all the young actors got along swimmingly.

If you loved the movie like I did, by all means, read this book. If you never got the appeal, whatever. I'm Audi.