Emma By Jane Austen And Clueless Directed By Amy Heckerling

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject Cultural Studies - Empiric Cultural Studies, grade: 1,3, University of Lüneburg (Angewandte Kulturwissenschaften), course: Jane Austen Goes To Hollywood, language: English, abstract: „Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existance; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.“ (Austen, p.5) „Cher: 'Okay, so you're probably going, "Is this like a Noxema-commercial or what?" But seriously, I actually have a way normal life for a teenage girl.'“ (Clueless) Some things don't ever seem to change: whether it is England in 1816 or Holly¬wood in 1995, the stories of Emma Woodhouse and Cher Horowitz have a lot in common. Of course, the first one was written as a novel by Jane Austen and the other one is a movie directed by Amy Heckerling, one takes place in Highbury around the landed gentry of 19th century England and the other one is set in 1990's Beverly Hills, but when you take a closer look, the similarities are stunning. Even though it never was officially credited, it is clear that „Clueless“ is a contemporary adaption, or as Lesley Stern chose to call it, an update, of Austen's „Emma“. In the same time, it is the first one released during the 1990's, being followed by no less than ten different adaptations of Austen's work, amongst them Ang Lee's „Sense and Sensibility“ (1995 as well), the BBC-miniseries of „Pride and Prejudice“ (1995), two other versions of „Emma“ (both 1996) and the latest Hollywoos-success with Keira Knightly, „Pride and Prejudice“ (2005). This „Austen-movie-trend“ does not seem to stop – the Internet Movie Database names two tv-productions already completed for 2007 and another three (one Bollywood- and two tvproductions) being in production. But what is it that makes Austen's six novels, and especially three of them, so popular as draft for screenplays, for visual adaptations? On the following pages, I will take a closer look at the the update of „Emma“, Amy Heckerling's „Clueless“.

Seminar paper from the year 2003 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,7, University of Stuttgart (Institut für Amerikanistik), course: Janespotting, language: English, abstract: After reading the novel Emma, and then watching the movie Clueless, one can find many parallels, some more apparent than others. Especially the characters can easily be compared with each other. As already mentioned before, Emma Woodhouse becomes Cher Horowitz, Mr. Knightley becomes Josh, Harriet becomes Tai, Robert Martin becomes Travis, Frank Churchill becomes Christian, Mr. Elton becomes Elton (the only one who keeps his name), Mr. Woodhouse becomes Mel Horowitz, Augusta Hawkins becomes Amber and Mrs. Weston is `replaced ́ by Cher ́s best friend Dionne. Of course one can realize at once that certain characters are missing (Jane Fairfax, Miss Bates and Mrs. Bates...) and that we get introduced to certain new characters (Murray, the teachers...). But I don ́t want to focus on these differences and parallels today. Instead I want to put the two main characters, the two young ladies, Emma and Cher into the centre of my work. The aim of this paper is to find out if Heckerling brought Emma Woodhouse into our world or if she invented a brand new character, called Cher. In my paper I want to find similarities and differences of these two young ladies, so that the question asked above can be answered. First of all I want to introduce the two young ladies in general, what kind of persons they are, what they like or don ́t like, etc.. Then I want to take a closer look at their home. Where do they live? What are the similarities? Afterwards I want to characterize them in more detail, corresponding to certain different themes. What does fashion mean to them? Are both of them class conscious? What are they doing the whole day, especially in their spare time? Are there similarities concerning their love life, or is the storyline concerning the two heroines love life indentical? And finally I want to find out who actually becomes a better person at the end, as both get transformed and enlightened. Hopefully after the analysis of these two heroines we can decide whether Cher Horowitz is actually Emma Woodhouse, or if there are too many differences, so that we can come to the conclusion that Amy Heckerling created a brand new charcter, which fits better into the America of the 20th century.

Will we ever get tired of Clueless? Ugh, as if! Acclaimed pop culture journalist Jen Chaney celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the classic film’s release in the first book of its kind, weaving together original interviews with writer and director Amy Heckerling; key cast members, including Alicia Silverstone (Cher), Paul Rudd (Josh), Stacey Dash (Dionne), Donald Faison (Murray), Elisa Donovan (Amber), Wallace Shawn (Mr. Hall), Twink Caplan (Ms. Geist and associate producer); and other crucial Clueless players like costume designer Mona May, casting director Marcia Ross, director of photography Bill Pope, former Paramount chairwoman Sherry Lansing, and many more. Cast and crew also pay heartfelt tribute to the late Brittany Murphy, who lit up the screen as Cher’s protégée, Tai. Chaney explores the influence of Jane Austen’s Emma as the unlikely framework for Heckerling’s script, the rigorous casting process (including the future stars who didn’t make the cut), the functional yet fashion-forward wardrobe, the unique slang that drew from the past and coined new phrases for the future, the sun-drenched soundtrack that set the tone, and—above all—the massive amount of work, creativity, and craft that went into making Clueless look so effortlessly bright and glossy. As If! illuminates why plaid skirts and knee socks will never go out of style, and why Clueless remains one of the most beloved comedies of all time.

Refocus: The Films of Amy Heckerling is the first book-length study of the work of Amy Heckerling, the phenomenally popular director and screenwriter of Clueless and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. As such, the book constitutes a significant intervention in Film Studies, prompting a reconsideration of the importance of Heckerling both in the development of Teen cinema, and as a figure in Hollywood comedy. As part of the Refocus series, the volume brings together outstanding original essays examining Heckerling's work from a variety of perspectives, including film, television and cultural studies and is destined to be used widely in undergraduate teaching.

A Study Guide for ?ÿAmy Heckerling's?ÿ"Clueless (Film Entry)," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Novels for Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Novels for Students for all of your research needs.

In 1995 and 1996 six film or television adaptations of Jane Austen's novels were produced -- an unprecedented number. More amazing, all were critical and/or box office successes. What accounts for this explosion of interest? Much of the appeal of these films lies in our nostalgic desire at the end of the millennium for an age of greater politeness and sexual reticence. Austen's ridicule of deceit and pretentiousness also appeals to our fin de siècle sensibilities. The novels were changed, however, to enhance their appeal to a wide popular audience, and the revisions reveal much about our own culture and its values. These recent productions espouse explicitly twentieth-century feminist notions and reshape the Austenian hero to make him conform to modern expectations. Linda Troost and Sayre Greenfield present fourteen essays examining the phenomenon of Jane Austen as cultural icon, providing thoughtful and sympathetic insights on the films through a variety of critical approaches. The contributors debate whether these productions enhance or undercut the subtle feminism that Austen promoted in her novels. From Persuasion to Pride and Prejudice, from the three Emmas (including Clueless ) to Sense and Sensibility, these films succeed because they flatter our intelligence and education. And they have as much to tell us about ourselves as they do about the world of Jane Austen. This second edition includes a new chapter on the recent film version of Mansfield Park.

Discusses Swift, Pope, Defoe, Richardson, Fielding, Smollet, Sterne, Johnson, Boswell, and poems and plays of the period.