Movie Review: Legally Blonde (2001)

Legally Blonde (2001) directed by Robert Luketic

Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is a California sorority girl who is so excited that her boyfriend Warner (Matthew Davis) is going to propose. When they go out to dinner, he drops the bomb on her--he breaks up because he has political ambitions and needs a woman "more like Jackie and not like Marilyn." She is devastated and hunkers down with a box of chocolates and her tiny dog in her dorm room. Her friends come to cheer her up by taking her to get manicured and pedicured. At the salon, she sees a picture of Warner's older brother who is marrying a Vanderbilt. She realizes she needs to be that kind of woman and decides to apply to Harvard Law School (where Warner is going). Even though she has the valley girl look and personality, she is also smart and determined. Her hard work (and support from her sorority sisters) pays off when she is accepted. At Harvard, she has new challenges academically and socially as everyone takes her at face value. Can she rise to the occasion, get the guy, and still maintain her golden-hearted attitude toward life?

The movie is a star vehicle for Witherspoon who gives a great performance. She has the charm and exterior of a valley girl but she struggles with her own self worth, sometimes caving in to how other people see her. While the movie starts off as a romantic comedy, the real focus is on her finding her own place and earning self-respect and the respect of others. The movie throws in plenty of school comedy and legal comedy along with a delightful subplot of a Boston manicurist (Jennifer Coolidge) who provides emotional support to Elle and gets support from Elle too. The movie is an all-around delight.

Highly recommended.