Tags
2000's, Ali Larter, Comedy, Jennifer Coolidge, Legally Blonde, Luke Wilson, Matthew Davis, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Luketic, Selma Blair, Victor Garber
Film Title
Legally Blonde
Director
Robert Luketic
Starring
- Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods
- Luke Wilson as Emmett Richmond
- Selma Blair as Vivian Kensington
- Matthew Davis as Warner Huntington
- Victor Garber as Professor Callahan
- Jennifer Coolidge as Paulette
- Ali Larter as Brooke Taylor-Windham
A glossy comedy that like the main character is a lot more than it seems at first glance, Legally Blonde is a splendidly funny and endearing ode to proving people wrong and doing it with some serious style.
Elle Woods is the typical sorority queen; pretty, stylish and absorbed in a world of magazines and parties. She seems to have the ideal boyfriend in Warner Huntington( the rich son of a governor) and as the movie opens, she believes he is going to propose to her. Instead he dumps her because he is going off to Harvard and doesn’t see his future with her because he wants to be with a girl he considers smart and acceptable(as well as one his wealthy family would appreciate). Devastated, Elle is at a loss of what to do before she has an idea to win Warner back. As he’s going off to Harvard, Elle makes it her mission to get in and show him that she’s the one. With a mix of guile and surprising smarts, Elle is accepted to Harvard but it isn’t going to be plain sailing for her. She had to contend with ridicule and scorn aimed at her by her peers, particularly Warner’s snotty new girlfriend Vivian Kensington. Determined to prove everyone wrong, Elle gets her head down and buries herself in study. Surprisingly to everyone else, she begins to display an aptitude for law and begins to shine. When one of the professors is defending a client on a murder trial, he enlists the help of some of his students, one of them being a surprised Elle. With help from good-hearted Emmett Richmond, who sees potential in her and a slowly growing belief from within herself, Elle aims for success. But can Elle finally be taken seriously by those who have written her off?
Director Robert Luketic, in what was his directorial debut, excellently crafts this an amusing and quietly inspiring film. His direction makes the most of the story and adroitly displays Elle’s unexpected journey from Valley Girl to young woman who is taken seriously by the snotty elite. Visually and in story, Legally Blonde is fuzzy and light, yet this belies the funny fish out of water story and the theme of showing everyone you can achieve. Yes there are parts of the film that are routine and we’ve seen some instances of before, but you’ll be having too much fun to pick up on a few minor skirmishes on a frothy and fun movie. As much as Legally Blonde is a comedy, sympathy is generated for Elle because of writing that makes us relate to her and strive with her for acknowledgment from those who feel the need to be doubtful. Though Elle is not as dizzy as everyone makes out even in the beginning. She is a little naive but has smarts, though these mainly consist of fashion and style before giving way to more difficult subjects at Harvard where she slowly proves doubters and haters wrong. I enjoyed the way the script showed that Elle is not unintelligent, just has knowledge of more popular girly topics before rolling up her sleeves and deciding to subvert the stereotype everyone has of her. Another refreshing aspect is as the film goes on, Elle becomes less interested in winning Warner back and instead asserts her smarts in the court case. What could have just been a predictable part of the story turned into something else and I was happy to observe it take a different road for the better.
Reese Witherspoon is utterly delightful and winning as Elle Woods, making the character her own from the very first time we see her. She adeptly gets across the bubbly personality of Elle as well as making us root for her to succeed and prove doubters wrong. Witherspoon’s performance is one of kittenish enthusiasm, sparky quips and a growing intellect, that showcases how Elle may look out-of-place in Harvard at the start, but once settled and determined rises to the top. Reese Witherspoon is the biggest draw of Legally Blonde and it’s impossible to imagine anyone else playing Elle as well as her. I liked Luke Wilson in his role of the supportive Emmett; he plays him a genuinely nice guy who refuses to just see Elle as a Barbie doll like almost everyone else. Selma Blair is impressively snobby and bitchy as Warner’s new girlfriend, who is revealed to be quite insecure beneath the catty facade. As the douche bag boyfriend who because of his blue-blooded background dumps Elle, Matthew Davis is appropriately arrogant, until he sees that Elle is not as dumb as he initially thought. Victor Garber is well cast as a disapproving professor, while there is Jennifer Coolidge who is delightfully funny as an unlucky in love beautician benefiting from Elle’s sassy help. The only person who suffers is Ali Larter as the woman accused of murdering her husband. It’s not Larter’s fault, it’s that the character is introduced too late into the story to really feel anything towards her. Larter in fact does a good enough job, her role just could have used some embellishing.
It may at the start look like a run of the mill exercise, but Legally Blonde greatly distinguishes itself from the crowd with its mix of laughs and lovable heroine that will win you over instantly.
fragglerocking said:
Not my kind of movie this but I did watch it one evening doing the ironing and thoroughly enjoyed it, your review is spot on.
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vinnieh said:
I was the same, when I first heard of the movie, I thought it looked nothing special. But I was very surprised when I watched it and really enjoyed it.
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emmakwall said:
This is a fun movie! Nice review Vinnie. I like Stifler’s Mum and the UPS man lol.
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vinnieh said:
Fun is the word of the day in this movie. That subplot is really funny. Bend and snap.
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emmakwall said:
I wish I could do a Bend and Snap! I’d probably pass wind. (gosh, so ladylike aren’t I, I apologise for leaving these crude comments!)
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vinnieh said:
Never apologise Emma. I do believe there is an art to the Bend and Snap.
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emmakwall said:
Not eating baked beans beforehand 🙂
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vinnieh said:
Haha.
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beetleypete said:
I see that Parp, and raise you two Guffs, Em! XXX
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Amanda Lyle said:
Love this one!
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vinnieh said:
It’s utterly charming, isn’t it?
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Amanda Lyle said:
Yes, it is! And Reece is great! Such a cutie ❤️
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vinnieh said:
She has one of those smiles that pulls you in, such vivacious charm.
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Amanda Lyle said:
Absolutely!
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vinnieh said:
Thanks Amanda for commenting, did you see my playlist post yesterday?
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Amanda Lyle said:
Nope, I missed that one. I’ll go check it out …
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vinnieh said:
Thank you for checking it out.
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Amanda Lyle said:
You’re welcome! I hope you have a great weekend 🙂
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vinnieh said:
And I hope you do too.
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beetleypete said:
Normally, I wouldn’t even switch on this type of film. However, Witherspoon is a very good actress on occasion, so I thought I would give it a go. I watched it with my two step-daughters. At the time they were about 13 years old, (they are identical twins) and yakked and yapped all the way through it. So I have seen it, but I haven’t, if you know what I mean.
Might have to give it another try sometime.
Cheers, Pete.
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vinnieh said:
I’m with you Pete, this would not be something I would generally watch. But I like being surprised and I really had a laugh with this flick. And Reese Witherspoon is just perfectly cast as Elle.
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Rincewind said:
Yes not my typical watch but it is a very good movie…
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vinnieh said:
It’s a real blast.
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Keith said:
I too was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this flick.
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vinnieh said:
This is one of those movies that many people have that same reaction too.
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Eccentric Muse said:
Great review! I love law films although I think ‘The Firm’ and ‘A Few Good Men’ are probably the best in this genre. This movie was great. Yes, I said it. I must have watched it a thousand times. Reese was gold and loveable.
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vinnieh said:
I’m quite partial to a law film every now and then. This movie is comedy gold.
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ninvoid99 said:
I do like this film as it’s just good fun. The sequel though… ugh… and watching it on a cruise…. even worse.
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vinnieh said:
This movie has that quality that makes you feel good and smile long after you’ve seen it. I can’t say I’ve seen the sequel.
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ninvoid99 said:
It’s horrible and I don’t recommend watching it on a boat. I saw it on a cruise. That just made the experience even worse. I never want to go on a cruise ever again.
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vinnieh said:
I’m staying well clear of the sequel then.
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alexraphael said:
And I really like how her fashion smarts helped to win the case. A real feel good film with a strong message. I can’t imagine anyone other than Reese either. I wouldn’t have minded Jennifer Coolidge having a bigger storyline but overall it’s minor stuff really.
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vinnieh said:
It was nice that Elle even in the beginning had smarts, even if they were aimed towards fashion.
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alexraphael said:
Exactly. A real empowering film.
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vinnieh said:
Definitely, it tells you to believe in yourself and not let others doubt you.
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abbiosbiston said:
There’s something very charming about Legally Blonde and I think most of that is down to Reese Witherspoon.
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vinnieh said:
Reese Witherspoon is charm and vivaciousness personified, I always smile when she enters on the screen.
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Annelise Lestrange said:
I sign my name under all the things you said about this movie ❤ Elle Woods helped me being a better person, as I grew up watching this movie *—* Also, I can't believe I've actually seen a movie that you reviewed, as your taste is much more cultured than mine, haha! See you soon, my dear 🙂
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vinnieh said:
So nice to hear from you. This movie is very inspiring and knows how to put a smile on my face.
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Hot Mess Express said:
My fav movie of all time. I love this
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vinnieh said:
You have good taste.
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