Legally Blonde Video

Average Rating:

The story is cute, but lacks the insight and nuance of "Clueless". However, Witherspoon outdoes Alicia Silverstone's performance with her sheer energy and determination. Both were excellent, but Witherspoon is the more dynamic.

The acting by the ensemble of supporting actors is very good and helps Witherspoon look that much better. The cast is rich in aspiring actors with strong talent and little name recognition. Of particular note are the performances of Selma Blair and Luke Wilson. Blair plays the uppity girlfriend of Elle's former boyfriend Warner (Matthew Davis). Blair is wonderfully condescending and catty throughout most of the film, but shows the ability to move into a softer, more likeable portrayal by the end. Wilson's soft spoken demeanor is perfect for his nurturing role in this film. His support is the catalyst that makes Elle's transition work.

Reese Witherspoon has been gradually moving to progressively larger parts for the last ten years, and at age 25 she made the leap to the lead with this film. She definitely makes the most of the opportunity. She simply dominates the entire film with a high energy performance that has as much steel as perfume. She makes Elle as lovable as she is ridiculous, while instilling her with qualities that you can't help but admire as the film progresses. If this is representative of the wattage she will bring to films, then her future is likely to be very bright.

This is not a great film, but it is very charming and watchable. I rated it a 7/10. We may look back on this film as the one that launched a prominent career.

Elle Woods (Witherspoon), blonde Calfornia girl, thinks her preppie boyfriend Warner is going to propose. But Warner thinks he needs a serious gilfriend so he dumps Elle for the brunette and more stoic Sarah. Determined to win Warner back, Elle decides to follow him to Harvard Law School. Elle's admissions video is an absolute hoot. It is nice that Witherspoon is fi8nally being noticed, after standout performances in "Pleasantville" and the best of movie of 1999, "Election". (Sorry "American Beauty".) The success of "Legally Blonde" has openned new door for her and we can expect a sequel to this and a "Honey West" series, as well as "The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing".

While in law school, Elle is not taken seriously. She shows up in class with a flowered pen and a heart-shaped note pad. Finally, she breaks down and buys a pink I-mac. The contrast between the bubbly blonde Elle and the dour Harvard stuffed shirts is wonderful. Elle manages to get assigned as an assistant on a murder case (another incredible stretch of plausibility) and is able to use all the knowledge she has gained from Cosmo. There are a couple of subplots, like Elle helping her maincurist friend find confidence and the usual sexual discrimination thing, but they are incidental to being able to watch Elle interact with all these Harvard bluebloods. And the movie has something to say about accepting people for who they are and not prejudging them.

The key, of course to the success of this movie is Reese Witherspoon. She is a pure delight to watch. She always has something out of this world to say and in spits of incredible odds, doesn't get down. She gets close, when she thinks that a professor who admired her for her brains is really only interested in her looks. However, one of her professors says to her "If you let one stupid (jerk) ruin your life, you're not the girl I thought you were". That gives Elle the courage to go forward and she discovers that it was the right thing to do.

"Legally Blonde" has been released in many cities to make up for movies that were delayed or dropped early. In this dire times, it is the kind of movie that will make you laugh - and that is what we need.

PLOT SUMMARY: Elle Woods (Witherspoon) is your typical southern California blonde: she attends college, majors in Fashion Designing, and likes to get manicures. One night, her boyfriend, Warner (Matthew Davis), takes her out on a big date, and she and all her friends get excited, because they think he is going to propose to her. Instead, it turns out that Warner wants to dump her, because he'll be attending Harvard Law School in the fall and is looking for a more "serious" girl to marry, if he is ever going to become sentor. Heartbroken, Elle is furious and becomes depressed. But soon, Elle discovers that the only way to get her man back is to go to Harvard Law...a subject she knows little about. Elle is determinded to prove Warner wrong; that she CAN be smart. Surprisingly enough, Elle is accepted into the school. As soon as she gets to Harvard, however, she immediately stands out from the rest of the crowd, considering her wild fashion style and ultimate perkiness. But then, Elle has an encounter with Warner, and is surprised to learn that he has gotten engaged to a very preppy Harvard Law student, Vivian (Selma Blair). Vivian doesn't like Elle at all, and tries to make Elle's Harvard experience as miserable as possible, in hopes that she will find out that the school isn't right for her and leaves. Also, Elle is usually unprepared for classes (which also turn out to be miserable experiences), and Warner just can't seem to notice her. Meanwhile, Elle, upset with the way things are going, goes to get a manicure done and befriends the woman who gives her the manicure. This woman is lonely and depressed after getting a divorce from her husband and not getting a fair share in property custody. So Elle tries to help the woman get back what's hers from her husband. Also, while all this is going on, the woman tells Elle that if she wants her man back, then she must work hard to get him, so Elle decides to become serious with her work. She is surprised to find that she is actually improving, especially when one of her professors, Professor Callahan (Victor Garber), asks her, along with a few other students--including Warner and Vivian--to help him with an assignment. The assignment turns out to be a murder case. The accused? A former president of the soroity house Elle used to live in at her old college. Elle knows that the girl is innocent of the crime, but no one on her team will believe her. So Elle is determinded to solve the puzzle of the case and get her friend out of jail. By this time, she maybe starting to lose interest in Warner, for another guy has come into her life, Emmett (Luke Wilson), who is assisting Callahan on the trial.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: I personally loved "Legally Blonde". The acting is superb by the entire cast, especially Reese--she ultimately shines, the script is clever and humorous, and is not offensive or dark. Since I am a Boston native, I have true appreciation for this film, since I'm always seeing preppy Harvard students whenever I visit Harvard Square (lol). The directing is awesome and it's just a fun film. You can enjoy it even if you are not blonde-haired! It's very girlie, but "Legally Blonde" will have you laughing away. The DVD is also nicely packaged, because the bonus features inlcude deleted scenes with introductions, exclusive featurettes, a Hoku music video, audio commentary, and trivia track.

I highly recommend "Legally Blonde".

Score:
100/100
A+