Clueless

AS IF there was like a better soundtrack than the soundtrack to Clueless. I mean, who doesn't love some rockin’ 90s tunes. In Louis Giannetti’s Understanding Movies: Sound he tells us “…music can serve as a kind of overture to suggest the mood or spirit of the film as a whole.” That’s exactly the case with Clueless. The soundtrack takes us back to the 90s and I know we all miss the 90s…

Whenever I hear the song “Rollin’ With My Homies” I can’t help but sing along and roll my hand along to the chorus. Clueless is definitely to blame. Who doesn't remember Cher and Tai at the party in Sun Valley? Of course, Tai getting hit in the head with the shoe and the infamous “Rollin’ With My Homies” playing in the background.  This song adds to the party vibe of the scene.

This song becomes a running theme in the movie. Tai relates this song to Elton, the boy who helped her with her shoe-inflicted injury and who Cher tries to hook her up with through the movie. Tai refers to the song as “our song” and becomes upset whenever she hears it play. I think the girls can agree they relate songs to relationships, maybe even some boys can admit they do it too. I think this song does a great job of connecting a theme throughout the movie. We relate the song with a moment and then a relationship. I can’t hear “Rollin’ With My Homies” without relating it back to Clueless and I believe that was the intent.

Clueless starts of jamming with the 90s anthem “Kids in America”, showing scenes of Cher and friends poolside, shopping, and driving in her topless Jeep. It sets the tone for what you’re about to see in the rest of the movie. As Cher says at the beginning of the Beverly Hills Teen montage, “So okay you’re probably going, is this like a Noxzema commercial or what?!” And the 90s hits don't stop coming. You can expect a 90s beat to be playing in the background of any of the rad scenes. That's what’s so totally awesome about this movie and its soundtrack. Duh. What’s also totally rad about this movie is that in a lot of the scenes there isn’t some cheesy instrumental going on in the background. There can be silence to appreciate the brilliant dialogue. There was obviously a lot of thought put into the placement of these songs or when there is a lack of a song. There’s a perfect balance between the entertaining songs and getting to have some downtime from all the dancing you've been doing.

In “Music and Mood” we learn that “… as more than one composer noted during the survey, when it comes to songs, everybody has an opinion.” Which is what I think is great about the soundtrack of Clueless. It has a variety of 90s music and a range of artists. It really has something for everyone. As a 90s kid, I can say that I appreciate this soundtrack. Even now, I think its music is enjoyable. So you would have to be like totally buggin’ not to enjoy this soundtrack. 2 tickets. Whatever.