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Characters

The film's central characters are:

• Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone)

A spoiled but sweet Valley Girl type – though she actually lives in Beverly Hills. Living in a mansion, waited on by servants, and flaunting her wealth with fashion, she's the undisputed queen of Bronson Alcott High School. Cher is also tough and clever, like her father Mel. Cher convinces two of her teachers that each is a secret admirer of the other, negotiating her way from a C+ average to an A- average. Cher doesn’t have a regular boyfriend and she describes finding a boyfriend in high school as "being as useless as looking for meaning in a Pauly Shore movie".

• Mel Horowitz (Dan Hedaya)

This litigator is always working on big cases in Beverly Hills, where he lives with his teenage daughter Cher and her stepbrother Josh. Despite being divorced from Josh's mother, he tells his daughter "You divorce wives, not children" and is very protective over Cher, telling Christian: "If anything happens to my daughter, I've got a .45 and a shovel. I doubt anybody would miss you."

• Josh Lucas (Paul Rudd)

Josh is Cher's ex-stepbrother, as Mel had been married to Josh's mother five years earlier. Josh has ambitions to be a lawyer (his focus is environmental law) and throughout the film routinely visits Cher and her father at their house. Josh has a residence close to his classes, but claims that being with Mel is a "great learning experience". Throughout the film, Josh teases Cher, but at the same time shows his caring and concern for her.

• Dionne Davenport (Stacey Dash)

Dionne is known as Cher’s best friend throughout the movie. Both she and Cher are rich and beautiful, but caring. Cher uses Dionne as her number one fashion critic. Dionne and boyfriend Murray (played by Donald Faison) have an extremely tumultuous relationship and are often quarreling. They undergo spats about Murray shaving his head and Dionne finding “cheap polyester hair” in the backseat of his car, but also bond over Dionne’s first driving experience on the freeway.

• Tai Fraiser (Brittany Murphy)

Tai is the ugly duckling turned into the beautiful swan. Cher and Dionne decide to give her a makeover. With a change of hair, makeup and clothes, Tai gains confidence and a sense of style. Originally Tai fell for the skateboarder Travis, but Cher tried to set up Tai with “it boy” Elton to boost her popularity. After a “near-death experience” at the mall, Tai obtains an overly confident attitude that ultimately poses a threat to Cher's social status. By the end of the film, Tai gains back Cher's respect and friendship and begins to date Travis. This was the late Brittany Murphy's first major film role.

• Amber Mariens (Elisa Donovan)

Amber is popular, but is despised by Cher and Dionne. She is in constant competition with Cher when it comes to style, popularity, and boys. Cher dubs her a "Monet" (just like the painting, "from far away it's okay, but up close it's a big old mess.")

• Christian Stovitz (Justin Walker)

Christian, Cher's love interest in the film, is a boy whose parents are divorced; he alternates semesters in Chicago and Beverly Hills (Cher believes this "is a travesty on the part of the legal profession"). To catch Christian's attention, Cher sends herself flowers, candies, and love notes. Christian finally attends a party with Cher. Cher plans a big night to finally "do it" with Christian, but he ignores her advances. When later discussing the events with Dionne and Murray, it becomes evident that Christian might be gay. Despite this, Cher and Christian remain good friends and shopping buddies.

For other characters, see List of characters in Clueless