The Devil Wears Prada vs Clueless - A Movie Storyline Analysis

For this analysis I will be comparing the movies Clueless, and The Devil Wears Prada.

Clueless (1995) and The Devil Wears Prada (2006) are both films that can be considered in the 'Chick Flick' and 'Romantic Comedy' genres, however were filmed more than 10 years apart. Despite this, we can find many similarities in their storylines, as will be discussed below.

Every movie has what is known as a protagonist, that being, the main character. This is the character who the story revolves around.

The protagonist in Clueless is Cher:

The protagonist in The Devil Wears Prada is Andy:

All films begin with an equilibrium point, that being the normal world. In the case of these movies, both films begin showing the daily routines of the characters in the movie, mostly focussing on the fashions and morning routine of getting ready.

The next step in any storyline is the disturbance, this being something different from the routine we have previously been introduced to.

In Clueless: Cher gets a new class mate at school, Tai, who isn't very popular or fashionable.

In The Devil Wears Prada: Andy gets a new job working for Miranda Priestly, however she is not fashionable enough to fit into her new workplace.

The next logical step in the story telling process is to come up with a plan. The plan is usually always thought up by the protagonist. This plan is intended to smooth over the disturbance.

In Clueless: Cher decides that giving Tai a makeover will help make her more popular and get her the guy she wants.
In The Devil Wears Prada: Andy gives herself a makeover in order to make her more successful and respected at work.

Next comes the obstacle, something that gets in the way of the outcome expected from the plan.

In Clueless: The guy that Tai likes is too busy being pre-occupied with his crush on Cher to notice her

In The Devil Wears Prada: Miranda Priestly is too busy being a control-freak to notice Andy's good work

Predictably, there is a complication when the character try to overcome the obstacle.

In Clueless: Cher falls for a guy but does not realise he is gay and has not admitted her feelings for her ex-stepbrother to herself.

In The Devil Wears Prada: A guy from work falls for Andy and her friends see him flirt with her but she already has a boyfriend.

After so much drama and action is is usually time for a time-out, or relaxation period, where the movie returns to light themes and it almost seems as if all the problems have been solved.

In Clueless: Cher admits to herself her true feelings for her ex-stepbrother

In The Devil Wears Prada: Andy succumbs to the charms of the guy from work and sleeps with him.

Next step in most story lines is a crisis to peak the audience's interest after it seems the movie is already concluding.

In Clueless: Tai also has feelings for Cher's ex-stepbrother and they have a falling out.

In The Devil Wears Prada: Andy finds out the guy from work knows crucial information about her boss and has a falling out with him

Each dilemma reaches a climax, where the protagonist tries their hardest to solve all the problems presented in the movie.

In Clueless: Cher decides to do the right thing and give back to the community

In The Devil Wears Prada: Andy decides to do the right thing and attempt to tell her boss the information.

Finally, each movie comes to a resolution, or the usually happy ending.

In Clueless: Cher finally admits to her ex-stepbrother her feelings for him and they get together. Tai gets together with the guy she originally liked and everybody is happy.

In The Devil Wears Prada: Andy finally admits that her job is not what she wants, quits and gets back together with her boyfriend and everybody is happy.

References:

Clueless (1995) - IMDb. 2011. Clueless (1995) - IMDb. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112697/. [Accessed 29 September 2011].

The Devil Wears Prada (2006) - IMDb. 2011. The Devil Wears Prada (2006) - IMDb. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458352/. [Accessed 29 September 2011].