ABSTRACT

The inadequate recognition of the work of female directors, and of films centring on female characters, is reflected in the impact of Clueless on Amy Heckerling's career. Clueless reflects on its time and issues from a larger popular cultural landscape. The significance of Clueless extends beyond its influence on specific texts, becoming part of a cultural fabric that involves an array of interconnected lineages. With the passing of twenty-one years since the release of Clueless, the film's coming of age is confirmed by its acquisition of a cult following and re-emergence as a stage musical that reflects on the distinctiveness of youth culture in the 1990s for audiences in the present. Heckerling's work, and that of her female contemporaries, is nevertheless important in the growing significance of women in production roles, particularly in screen comedy. As a girl-centred film and a franchise, Clueless was not only innovative but was enabled by earlier developments.