A classic feminist tale for every generation
First of all, happy International Woman's Day everyone! I'm going to be a bit serious for a moment, it's amazing how much has happened for Womankind in this last decade all over the world. From the rise of the #MeToo movement, to Disney's Frozen movies, to one young girl, Greta Thunberg going against all odds in a effort to save our home, Earth. There has been so much more notable feminist moments this past decade that if I were to list them all we would never get to our review. It is unfortunate however that sexism still exists. Being a denizen of the internet I have actually been on the receiving end of some rather derogatory comments. It is not good to dwell on the bad though, we must focus on the good, and improve from there, we got this. Due to today being such an important holiday, I've decided to review a movie that has stood the test of time, Legally Blonde. Released in 2001 the movie follows sorority girl, Elle Woods who decides to attend Harvard Law School in hopes of winning back her boyfriend. Now keep in mind that was a very nut-shelled description of the plot, just like Elle, this movie is so much more then it's basic premise. This movie I think means a lot to a lot of people. Though we may not exactly be like Elle, we, the audience can relate when she is judged based on her looks. This movie has also influenced a hit musical as well, so forgive me if I reference a song, two (Which I might link each song, because the musical is just as good as the movie).
The movie begins with Elle getting ready for the day when she is given a good-luck card by her friends. This is because her friends are suspecting that her boyfriend, Warren will propose to her that night. In order to fully be prepared, Elle, and her main friends... whose names I've forgotten, whoops. (They don't appear that much, so it's okay I think). While out shopping we already can see what the core conflict of the movie is when a shopkeeper says to her co-worker that "There is nothing better then a dumb blonde with daddy's plastic" as she then takes the tag off of a dress from the clearance rack. The shopkeeper then tries to sell it to Elle, expecting her to be the dumb blonde she sees her as, but Elle shows otherwise. Elle calls out the shopkeeper for attempting to sell her a old dress at full price. This scene helps establishes to the audience that although Elle behaves much like the "Valley Girl" stereotype (For younger readers, I think the 2020 version is the VSCO Girl sksksksk), she is actually very smart. Later that night Elle, and her boyfriend Warren are on a dinner date together. This is when Warren ends up disappointing Elle, by saying that he wants to not date her anymore. He says this because he is going to Harvard in less then a year, and if he wants to be a great senator he claims that he needs a Jackie, and not a Marilyn (Referencing Jackie Kennedy, and Marilyn Monroe). Elle returns to her Sorority, and enters a period of depression. Her two friends though manage to convince her to go to a local salon to get their nails done. There, Elle sees a picture of what Warren would describe as a "Jackie". It is from here Elle decides that in order to get Warren back she needs to go to Harvard, and become a law student.
Elle now begins the long process to get accepted into Harvard, even though the people around her say that it would be impossible for someone like her to go there. With the help of a study montage, Elle is accepted into Harvard with an astonishingly high score of 179 on the Law School Admission Test, combined with her already existing 4.0 GPA. Elle then heads off to her new dorm at Harvard, and is able to track down Warren. Everything seems to be going perfect until she starts her first class. There she finds just how different people on the East coast are compared to people from the West coast. She is shamed outside the classroom for not being completely ready. Outside the classroom, she meets Emmett who gives her advice on the teachers there at Harvard. When the class ends, Elle finds out that Warren is actually engaged to the same girl from class who had called her out for not being prepared, Vivian. Vivian, and Elle then become rivals competing for Warren's love. Along the way Elle becomes best friends with Paulette, a nail stylist at a local salon. Upon learning of Callahan's internship program, Elle really starts getting serious, as maybe getting the spot may impress Warren. Through her hard work, and determination Elle, along with Vivian, Warren, and one other student are accepted to become interns to Callahan, and just in time for a new case too. Elle learns that the client is famous fitness coach, Brooke Windham, who Elle actually had attended one of her classes before. Brooke had been accused of murdering her husband, though the evidence proves it, Elle knows that isn't the truth. Although Brooke wouldn't give away her alibi, she tells it in secret to Elle who promises to keep it a secret. In the days leading up to the court showing, Elle meets up with Paulette again, and finds out that she is in love with the delivery guy. Elle then decides to teach her, and all the other girls in the salon how to the "Bend-and-Snap", a technique that gets any guy's attention.
Back on the case with Elle refusing to reveal Brooke's alibi, later that night Vivian goes to Elle and says that she made the right choice to keep it a secret. The girls then bond over talking about the sexism seen from Callahan. The next day, she meets one of the witnesses, the pool boy, who claims that Brooke was sleeping with him. Though before his hearing Elle heard him talk about her shoes in great detail. With that information alone she finds out that he is actually gay, thus couldn't have slept with Brooke. To be honest Gay or European is the best song to come from any stage musical ever, okay. With that reveal Brooke is almost free, but the testimony from her stepdaughter might be enough to lock her up, though that won't be until tomorrow. Callahan complements Elle on her good work, and even says that he can get her to better places after college. He then proceeds to place his hand on her leg. Elle, in shock leaves. Vivian who saw it thinks that she had been sleeping with him though that isn't the truth. Emmett confronts Elle trying to figure out what happened. Elle tells him everything as she decides to quit. Why does one creep make her want to quit though? Well, throughout the whole beginning of the movie Elle is seen as a joke, a sexual object by others. When Callahan was praising her, that was the first time someone had complemented her for something other then her looks. Though seeing as he sexually assaulted her, all of it was a lie, making Elle realize that no one will ever see her seriously, and always see her a a sexual object. The next day though something surprising happens. Brooke fires Callahan, and taking his place is Elle, back in action thanks to her other Professor. Elle is also unapologetically herself, purse Chihuahua, and all. Along with that, her friends from the sorority have also come to watch her first court case. Elle at first nervous is able to get the witness' alibi. The alibi in which Elle completely pulls apart.
Turns out the witness had gotten a perm that day, and was in the shower when the gunshots happened. Elle though knows better, you can't take a shower as soon as you get a perm, you have to at least wait a day. The witness then reveals that she was the killer all along, and that she didn't mean to kill her father, she wanted to kill Brooke. With the real murderer arrested, Brooke is free to go. Upon winning the case Warner tries to get Elle back, but Elle says that if she wants to be a partner in a law firm by the time she's thirty, she needs a boyfriend who's not a complete bonehead. We then fast forward two years to Elle, and her class' graduation ceremony. During this part we also get to see what the other characters had been up to, and what will happen with them. Vivian dumped Warner, and she, and Elle are now best friends. Warner basically became a total loser. Paulette married the delivery guy, and is planning on naming their daughter after Elle. Emmett quit Callahan's ;aw firm, and opened up his own. He, and Elle have also been dating for these past two years as well, and plans on proposing that night. Overall this is a very happy ending, and it's so great to see Elle start out at the bottom, only to finish at the top while also discovering her own self worth along the way.
Legally Blonde, though the aesthetics are very early 2000s, the story itself is timeless. In this day, and age, we need more women like Elle then ever. Legally Blonde is just one of the many perfect movies to watch for international women's day. Maybe even check out the musical if you want something a little different. Legally Blonde is a great feminist movie, with a wonderful message for all girls, and for that, it gets a 5 out of 5 Paws up.
Elle now begins the long process to get accepted into Harvard, even though the people around her say that it would be impossible for someone like her to go there. With the help of a study montage, Elle is accepted into Harvard with an astonishingly high score of 179 on the Law School Admission Test, combined with her already existing 4.0 GPA. Elle then heads off to her new dorm at Harvard, and is able to track down Warren. Everything seems to be going perfect until she starts her first class. There she finds just how different people on the East coast are compared to people from the West coast. She is shamed outside the classroom for not being completely ready. Outside the classroom, she meets Emmett who gives her advice on the teachers there at Harvard. When the class ends, Elle finds out that Warren is actually engaged to the same girl from class who had called her out for not being prepared, Vivian. Vivian, and Elle then become rivals competing for Warren's love. Along the way Elle becomes best friends with Paulette, a nail stylist at a local salon. Upon learning of Callahan's internship program, Elle really starts getting serious, as maybe getting the spot may impress Warren. Through her hard work, and determination Elle, along with Vivian, Warren, and one other student are accepted to become interns to Callahan, and just in time for a new case too. Elle learns that the client is famous fitness coach, Brooke Windham, who Elle actually had attended one of her classes before. Brooke had been accused of murdering her husband, though the evidence proves it, Elle knows that isn't the truth. Although Brooke wouldn't give away her alibi, she tells it in secret to Elle who promises to keep it a secret. In the days leading up to the court showing, Elle meets up with Paulette again, and finds out that she is in love with the delivery guy. Elle then decides to teach her, and all the other girls in the salon how to the "Bend-and-Snap", a technique that gets any guy's attention.
Back on the case with Elle refusing to reveal Brooke's alibi, later that night Vivian goes to Elle and says that she made the right choice to keep it a secret. The girls then bond over talking about the sexism seen from Callahan. The next day, she meets one of the witnesses, the pool boy, who claims that Brooke was sleeping with him. Though before his hearing Elle heard him talk about her shoes in great detail. With that information alone she finds out that he is actually gay, thus couldn't have slept with Brooke. To be honest Gay or European is the best song to come from any stage musical ever, okay. With that reveal Brooke is almost free, but the testimony from her stepdaughter might be enough to lock her up, though that won't be until tomorrow. Callahan complements Elle on her good work, and even says that he can get her to better places after college. He then proceeds to place his hand on her leg. Elle, in shock leaves. Vivian who saw it thinks that she had been sleeping with him though that isn't the truth. Emmett confronts Elle trying to figure out what happened. Elle tells him everything as she decides to quit. Why does one creep make her want to quit though? Well, throughout the whole beginning of the movie Elle is seen as a joke, a sexual object by others. When Callahan was praising her, that was the first time someone had complemented her for something other then her looks. Though seeing as he sexually assaulted her, all of it was a lie, making Elle realize that no one will ever see her seriously, and always see her a a sexual object. The next day though something surprising happens. Brooke fires Callahan, and taking his place is Elle, back in action thanks to her other Professor. Elle is also unapologetically herself, purse Chihuahua, and all. Along with that, her friends from the sorority have also come to watch her first court case. Elle at first nervous is able to get the witness' alibi. The alibi in which Elle completely pulls apart.
Turns out the witness had gotten a perm that day, and was in the shower when the gunshots happened. Elle though knows better, you can't take a shower as soon as you get a perm, you have to at least wait a day. The witness then reveals that she was the killer all along, and that she didn't mean to kill her father, she wanted to kill Brooke. With the real murderer arrested, Brooke is free to go. Upon winning the case Warner tries to get Elle back, but Elle says that if she wants to be a partner in a law firm by the time she's thirty, she needs a boyfriend who's not a complete bonehead. We then fast forward two years to Elle, and her class' graduation ceremony. During this part we also get to see what the other characters had been up to, and what will happen with them. Vivian dumped Warner, and she, and Elle are now best friends. Warner basically became a total loser. Paulette married the delivery guy, and is planning on naming their daughter after Elle. Emmett quit Callahan's ;aw firm, and opened up his own. He, and Elle have also been dating for these past two years as well, and plans on proposing that night. Overall this is a very happy ending, and it's so great to see Elle start out at the bottom, only to finish at the top while also discovering her own self worth along the way.
Legally Blonde, though the aesthetics are very early 2000s, the story itself is timeless. In this day, and age, we need more women like Elle then ever. Legally Blonde is just one of the many perfect movies to watch for international women's day. Maybe even check out the musical if you want something a little different. Legally Blonde is a great feminist movie, with a wonderful message for all girls, and for that, it gets a 5 out of 5 Paws up.
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