The Academy VS. Comedy: Clueless and Alicia Silverstone's Missed Oscar Nomination

There's a common idea amongst people who aren't heavily involved with the Oscars that Drama films are the only type of films that can go the distance, and get any sort of major recognition. As someone who is pretty observant of Oscar season, I have to agree with that statement, it really is hard for a lot of not drama films to get any sort of recognition, especially when the film in question is a Comedy. It's even harder for the actors in those films to get recognition themselves. Sometimes The Academy likes to spread the wealth; the Dramas will dominate the acting and directing categories, but a film like Bridesmaids will appear in the Best Original Screenplay category. There are those rare instances, however, when a performance is so popular and beloved, it is recognized. Bridesmaids, again, landed a nomination for it's brazen but brilliant funny woman Melissa McCarthy. That same year, Octavia Spencer won the same award for a performance that did have its dramatic moments, and was in a dramatic film, but was comedic by definition. However, Kristen Wiig was (undeservedly) left out in the Leading Actress field for her work in the same film McCarthy was nominated for. So you see, Oscar picks and chooses where certain films are allowed to get nominated.

Not to say that it's impossible for a leading comedic performance to be recognized. On the contrary, Meryl Streep's devilishly hilarious turn in The Devil Wears Prada was nominated (but that may just be because she's Meryl Streep). Ellen Page's acidly funny work in Juno was recognized in 2007, but you'd have to go back to Frances McDormand's win in 1996 for the last true comedic performance that was nominated or won.

I've been thinking a lot about Alicia Silverstone lately (where is she, and what she's been doing) and her brilliant, iconic star making turn in Amy Heckerling's classic Clueless. A film like Clueless not only deserved a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination (would you believe it's a modern day retelling of Jane Austin's Emma?), but a nomination for leading lady Silverstone.

Stay with me people!! I know I sound crazy, I mean, how could I be suggesting that Alicia Silverstone's performance in teen crowd pleaser Clueless deserve the highest acting honor their is? That year, the Academy chose Susan Sarandon, Meryl Streep (surprise), Emma Thompson, Sharon Stone, and Elisabeth Shue over Silverstone. Could you imagine Cher Horowitz sitting amongst Streep's character from Bridges of Madison County? Or how about Sharon Stone's Ginger from Casino? It was definitely a landmark year for the Leading Actress field that year; it was one of the strongest of any year. However, Silverstone deserved one of those five slots, as her work in Clueless is the textbook definition of a star making debut.

So many times an actor's first performance is so good, it completely eclipses the rest of their career. Silverstone, unfortunately, is one of those cases. She never quite built on the success Clueless gave her. Sure, she starred as Batgirl in Batman & Robin, but I don't know how much I'd be bragging about starring in "The Worst Batman of All Time" (she also received a Razzie Nomination for Worst Supporting Actress, though it's the film that failed her, not the other way around).

As Cher, Silverstone is an absolute delight. She really sells so many of the satirical scenes, which in the hands of a less capable actress would have come off a lot like Selena Gomez in Spring Breakers, or Hillary Duff in the Lizzie McGuire Movie. "Dionne and I are named for great singers of the past, who now do infomercials!" Cher announces to the audience as she introduces her best friend. Silverstone's understanding and devotion to the character really sells the humor in a lot of the scenes of the movie. She completely steals your heart from the moment she struts out of her enormous bedroom modeling outfits to wear for school. But probably the most important aspect of her performance, is that even though Cher is introduced as your "typical girl from the Valley", Silverstone never plays her as a a typical bimbo for laughs; there's an underlying intelligence to Cher, even if she's "totally buggin" or as she's scheming on how to argue her way from a C- to a B+ in Debate class. Her monologue about the Hatian people in the beginning of the film would've definitely served as her "Oscar clip", had she been nominated. (It's absolutely precious the way she pronounces Hat-i-ans).

The most recent performance that comes to mind that matches Silverstone's for wit, charisma and charm is Emma Stone's work in Easy A (which came close to Oscar, with a nomination in the Lead Actress Golden Globe for Musical or Comedy). Silverstone was recognized by the National Board of Review, but that's as far as her awards season hopes went that year. Her heartfelt and hilarious debut turn is still way better and masterful than many of the Oscar-bait performances that get recognized and win (*shudders* Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady *shudders again*) these days. Comedy, unbeknownst to the Academy apparently, is oftentimes trickier to successfully pull of than drama. While someone like Melissa Leo is devouring the scenery with big hair and a loud mouth in The Fighter and win an Oscar for it, Silverstone's perfectly mastered comedic timing and understanding of her film's screenplay goes unrewarded simply because of the stigma that comes with being in a comedy (a teen comedy no less).

Cher Horowitz has gone on to become an iconic character in her own right, and Clueless' popularity has only grown since its surprisingly successful debut back in the 90's. It has out-lived many of the typical Oscar movies that come and go every year, even some like The Reader (does ANYONE remember that movie? No? Okay good), and in my opinion, it remains a landmark film. Much like with her film Fast Times At Ridgemount High, Heckerling changed the genre of the teen comedy, proving that simply because it was aimed at teens does not mean that the picture's quality must suffer. In fact, I'd say that Clueless is also more intelligent than many of the films that are marketed to be thought provoking movies aimed at adults these days.

Alicia Silverstone may not have delivered upon her brilliant promise she showed us in Clueless, nor was she nominated for the Oscar she deserved. But we will always have her endearing and laugh-inducing performance as Cher; it's one for the ages.