Clueless is a perfect movie. That’s not up for debate, sorry. A seminal entry in teen girl coming-of-age stories, the Amy Heckerling-directed film from 1995 is as influential, quotable, and beloved as it ever was, a slumber party staple that became a way of life for an entire generation.If you’re anything like me and my friends, Clueless quotes are part of your everyday vernacular, and Cher’s debate class speech ranks high on the scale of most-quotable moments. From Alicia Silverstone‘s mispronunciation of “Haitians” to her still-relevant “it does NOT say RSVP on the Statue of Liberty,” the speech is line-after-line of hilarious tone deafness, a truly singular moment in a film full of delicious phrasing.
Silverstone is the perfect Cher, but have you ever wondered what a gender-swapped version of the character might look like? W Magazine asked the question in their “Casting Call” video series, which features Adam Driver, Andrew Garfield, Lucas Hedges, and Alden Ehrenreich “auditioning” for the role by reading the debate class speech. (They previously did the same thing with Bradley Cooper, Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, and Jake Gyllenhaal.) The results are pure magic.
It’s pretty clear from the video who’s an actual Clueless fan (hello, Andrew Garfield) and who’s never seen it (Adam Driver and Alden Ehrenreich, you’re not supposed to pronounce “Haitians” correctly!). But each of them give a pretty solid performance. I’m especially tickled by Adam Driver’s intensity, which forces me to imagine Cher as a militant ditz instead of a charming one. I’ll never hear “totally buggin'” the same way.If it’s been a while since you’ve seen Clueless, here’s the actual scene for some context.
In conclusion, it does NOT say RSVP on the Statue of Liberty, and Andrew Garfield is here to prove it.
